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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,761 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5202 Posts |
What is the lowest grade a silver coin should still appear to have natural "white" surfaces?
Obviously if you find a good or very good grade silver coin that is all white you would automatically assume it was dipped.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5417 Posts |
Err... the question can't really be answered with a definite value, nearly every coin more than 100 years old has been cleaned to some extent. But really, technically, unless the coin has been kept in an airtight environment almost since it was minted it shouldn't be "Brilliant White" unless it was dipped, cleaned or polished in any way.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5854 Posts |
I think a mostly white silver coin can still be acceptable down to roughly AU but below that it starts looking unnatural to me even though it may be in a problem free holder. I think the age of the coin does play a role. A white AU silver coin minted in the 20th century would be more acceptable than one minted in the 18th century. I don't think there is any specific cutoff but more like a transition where a circulated mostly white coin becomes less and less acceptable as the grade goes down.
Edited by D0ubl3Eagle
09/21/2014 12:32 am
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Unfortunately, 'white' silver coins can be produced with cleaning. The important difference is that cleaning will remove the mint lustre.
THAT raises the necessity to discern the difference between a mildly cleaned white silver coin, and a white silver coin that has not had the misfortune of being cleaned.
Nevertheless, most ancient coins need to be cleaned after retrieval from burial.
Cleaned 'white' silver coins can graded as far down the condition scale as 'poor'. Even so, 'blast white' silver coins with full mint lustre are highly desirable.
The degree of whiteness has do with toning or patination, and is unrelated to condition.
Some collectors prefer white coins, others prefer silver coins with toning or patination. A majority of us like rainbow toning, but that is a delicate and usually transitory state.
Rainbow toning can be preserved with acryllic spray direct onto the surface of a silver coin, which is then encapsualted. The sealant is easily removed with a careful acetone bath.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
I start expecting color differences the moment visible wear appears.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1748 Posts |
The only silver coin where I accept blast white as the unaltered surface is a GSA Morgan in its original holder. They were brought right out of the mint bags and sealed into an airtight container. Pretty much all other 100+ year old silver that is blast white has been dipped.
Edited by DoubleEagle20
09/22/2014 12:10 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3755 Posts |
I do not at all agree that all older white coins have automatically been cleaned. But that aside, a white coin indicates it has not been handled. Any kind of normal handling WILL bring on tarnish to one extent or another. So, as Dave said, if there is any kind of wear, some sort of discoloration should be expected.
Edited by smokeriderdon
09/22/2014 10:56 pm
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Not all older coins have been cleaned. Otherwise, all of your own stuff would be acquiring color, too. It's not difficult to keep a coin blast white.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2368 Posts |
Quote:
But really, technically, unless the coin has been kept in an airtight environment almost since it was minted it shouldn't be "Brilliant White" unless it was dipped, cleaned or polished in any way. Does this include all white Uncirculated coins? |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Sort of already said. But no way to really answer that. Some coins have been put away in places where nothing got to them so they still look new. Some have been purposely stored to protect them so they will look new. Some may have been cleaned but done carefully so as not to be to noticed. Just to many possibilities in where a coin has been to understand how and why it looks like it does.
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,761 |
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Posted 09/21/2014 12:14 am
