Hello Hivers! In today's post, I'm showing all of you some of my collection of coins. Actually, these are silver coins, which really are my favorites, because not only are they beautiful, but they are also the most expensive ones among my collections.
As the title suggests, yes, silver tarnishes. Even the most pure (99.9%) can't get away from it except in a vacuum. Tarnishing is simply corrosion, like in iron metals, which rust when exposed to moisture. In silver, this is a thin layer above the metal that is formed, and depending on what element it is exposed to, it can form different colors.
Fortunately, tarnish in silver can be easily removed by cleaning and polishing, like in silver jewelry. So tarnished, ugly silver coins can be restored to their shiny white color?
The answer is yes!
But...
I won't do it!
So in the collecting world, originality matters most. Any item that is a collectible is valued more when it retains its original form without any human modification. So in coin collecting, the same idea is the norm. When a coin is cleaned, it loses its originality.
How about the value?
Valuing any collection, like coins, is really subjective. Lucky for silver coins, because it's already silver, its "base price" depends on the current silver value, the coin's weight, and its purity.
Parameters like rarity of a coin, popularity, and grades are the most common things you want to look up when dealing with coins.
How about a tarnished coin?
Tarnished coins can be valuable.
A beautiful natural rainbow-toned silver coin is very desirable. So, the value really depends on the "eye appeal" of a toned coin (a term for beautiful tarnish). Silver coins can be toned in different colors, but mostly the color is black, which is caused when silver reacts with oxygen.
But the tarnish on my coin looks very ugly...
It is your coin, so you can do whatever you want. There is a saying that says that a cleaned coin loses more than half of its value. This is only true for uncirculated and rare coins, but for the most common coins, especially silver ones, even if they were cleaned or polished, they still retained their silver melt value.
Before I end this blog, here are some silver coins from my collection.
Fifty Centavos 1945, Uncirculated Details. Nice light brown and black toned.
Half Dollar Franklin Coin 1954, Circulated Details.
The only US silver coin in my collection yet. Nice black toned.
One Peso 1909, Circulated Details
Heavly toned of black and brown color both on obverse and reverse.
Fifty Centavos 1945, UNC Details
A very shiny and white silver coins with uncirculated/mint state condition.
One Peso Commemorative Silver Coin 1963, UNC Details.
A one peso commemorative coin from 1963 with very light toning.
25 Piso Commemorative Silver Coin 1978.
An uncirculated commemorative coin. A big silver coin.
One Peso 1907, Circulated Details.
A common year among One Peso USPI coins.
Fifty Centavos Alfonso Coin 1882, Circulated Details.
A key date in 50 centavos Alfonso coins. A Spanish-era Philippine coin with light yellow or gold toning.
20 Centavos 1945, UNC Details.
An uncirculated silver coin with strong luster.
So now, the real question is, do I like the tarnish on my coins? Well, I can say only the beautiful ones. :)
That's all for now! Next blog soon. :)