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 Replies: 9 / Views: 2,792 |
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New Member
United States
21 Posts |
I've been searching the internet for the best ways to protect coins from toning. actually I believe that toning is inevitable, but I've found some suggestions. among those is "sacrificial anode", which is a highly active metal to be stored with a less active metal, the coin, and go rusty instead of the coin. It seems really smart, but I wanna know if any one here has tried it. is it really effective?
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2805 Posts |
It's mostly used for big, vulnerable things (like rails or ship hulls), and requires an electrical connection to the metal it's protecting. So if you want to take a soldering iron to your blast white Morgans, you first!
What would probably work better would be a "getter", a thin layer of barium metal flashed onto the inside of inert atmospheres (like lightbulbs - next time you've got a bulb in your hands, look for a foil design inside the bulb). Barium will react with oxygen and water, rendering it inert as well. However, this is kind of advanced, and barium in pure form isn't very nice stuff... so just take one of those preservative packets out of an eyeglass (or whatever) box and seal it in the air-tite along with the coin.
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New Member
 United States
21 Posts |
So, the method is very impractical :)
actually I'm quite meticulous about coins, intimidated about silver tarnish, bronze color changes, such things. but it seems like sealing coins in airtight bags is the only practical solution.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19935 Posts |
Use a clean, copper cent in the bag....works great!
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New Member
United States
21 Posts |
 Looks great Thanks! |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2805 Posts |
You'd probably get better results with zinc - try cutting a few zincolns into quarters and tossing them in.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3079 Posts |
Have to agree with BT clean, clean "Copper" cent will work well like clean 81's and you will have to keep an eye on them and change them out for a clean one when they start to turn. Not to mention keeping them in the double style ziplock bag with the air pushed out and the whole thing in a tupperware style plastic container. You what to exclude as much atmosphere and the contaminates it contains. Here is a book you may find of interest. https://goccf.com/t/152326 |
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Valued Member
United States
402 Posts |
A "sacrificial anode" better known in boating circles as a "Zinc". You can buy them at Wal-mart, K-mart, etc. but I would not use them for coin storage although if used properly it probably would not hurt anything. I have numerous ones big and small for my toolboxes, work area, etc. It will attract certain kinds of corrosion basically rust but not all types of corrosion such as on coins. Better to use air-tites, zip-lock bags and or a good desiccant. I also vacuum seal a lot of groups of my coins. If using a Dansco album purchase the slip cover which contains a better form of a "sacrificial anode". Just my opinions edgman      |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
The idea of the cleaned copper cent in the bag with you coins is a form of "getter" the naleberong mentioned. The stripped copper surface is very active and will tend to react with and consume the atmospheric contaminants in the bag. Of course every time you open the bag you let in a fresh batch. I think the silica gel in the bag is probably the better way to go. It's greater mass and surface area will absorb the water vapor in the bag faster than the coin will consume the other contaminants (nothing says you can't use both.) and without the water vapor any reaction will either be stopped or at least greatly reduced. The gel will also protect a larger volume.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
I've been doing with out any of the previously mentioned possible ideas for a long, long time. I simply place all my Albums in Zip Lock Plastic bags, push out as much air as possible, fold over any excess. For my really better Albums I simply use two of the Zip Lock Bags. So far in many, many years of collecting, never had a coin tone, tarnish, corrode, stain, etc. Some of the coins I started with over 60 years ago still look the same as when I got them.
Some of the problems with any of the previous mentioned methods is in how often you open whatever your coins are stored in. Every time it is opened, new, moist air rushes in. Any moisture absorbing material soon gets full of moisture and losses it's usefulness.
Of course any methods of protection used are always better tnan none at all.
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Replies: 9 / Views: 2,792 |
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Posted 06/28/2013 2:22 pm
