Silver tarnishing

spenglure

Elite Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2017
Messages
825
Anyone’s silver coin finds tarnis? Never had it happen in 2017 but noticed it logging 2018 finds. I had some really nice barbers too and now they have an unappealing tarnish. I’m not going to clean them to remove it but just disappointed. I wonder if it’s from keeping them in my basement.
 
Sulphur is a major cause of tarnish. Most papers and cardboards contain sulphur, and like mentioned above moisture and oils.


Nox 600
Best find to date - 15g platinum ring and 1876 love token
 
Are you going to sell them?

no :?:

1 take a small tray. I use the one from my toaster oven.
2. line the tray with foil and pour a fair amount of baking soda on the foil
3. place coin on top of baking soda and slowly pour boiling water at one of the corners of the pan to submerge the coin somewhat.
4. pour some more baking soda on top of the coin

wait 5 minutes and take coin out and run under water slightly rubbing with your fingers to rinse off the tarnish and then take a soft towel and dry it off.

works WONDERS for me.. I like my coins clean and shiny and haven't scratched one any more than it already was yet. I use this method on all my silver finds.
 
All dug coins are deemed environmentally damaged anyways.


Nox 600
Best find to date - 15g platinum ring and 1876 love token
 
Heavy moisture/humidity will cause silver to tarnish, if they stay in that environment for long they can go completely black.
Here is one such silver ring.
Found in an area where I also found a silver quarter that was so tarnished and black I missed it and didn't notice what I had until after I tumbled it.

This ring was also found in the same site and area which was the bank of a long forgotten tiny fishing pond buried in the middle of the woods.
The moisture that never really went away from where these silver pieces laid worked on them for years so they both turned black.

PicsArt_1442004463012.jpg

I didn't suspect it was silver until I saw the 925 mark, I never saw anything silver tarnish this bad.
I used a similar technique explained above, place the object in a piece of foil in the bottom of a pan with a heated up slurry of baking soda and water because there was no way I was able to get in there and clean it by hand polishing.


Trust me, this method works.

PicsArt_1442004478460.jpg



https://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=219715
 
All silver tarnish if not protected from the air. Except, of course, items that have been coated with some kind of protective finish. Tarnishing will be sped up under certain storage conditions. What are you storing them in?

Jim
 
All silver tarnish if not protected from the air. Except, of course, items that have been coated with some kind of protective finish. Tarnishing will be sped up under certain storage conditions. What are you storing them in?

Jim

I put them on a paper plate in my basement. My basement has moisture in the air but I always have the dehumidifier running. Funny thing is the exposed part of the coin tarnished and the back side that sat on the paper plate was perfect.
 
Google it! "How to keep silver from tarnishing" All sorts of methods available...Home remedies and OtC items

I keep my coins in little plastic containers with a bit of regular chalk board chalk in there...seems to work fine..
 
Google it! "How to keep silver from tarnishing" All sorts of methods available...Home remedies and OtC items



I keep my coins in little plastic containers with a bit of regular chalk board chalk in there...seems to work fine..



Care to share a picture?


Nox 600
Best find to date - 15g platinum ring and 1876 love token
 
I put them on a paper plate in my basement. My basement has moisture in the air but I always have the dehumidifier running. Funny thing is the exposed part of the coin tarnished and the back side that sat on the paper plate was perfect.



The direct contact with the paper plate wouldn’t have the oxygen to help the sulphur but the surrounding areas would. It’s like in numismatics people pay high dollar for the mint sets with Franklin halves because the paper/cardboard in that timeframe hade extra sulfur and would beautifully tone the coins (silver) but the rims of the coins would still be shiney silver.


Nox 600
Best find to date - 15g platinum ring and 1876 love token
 
I place all of my silver coins in clear polystyrene coin holders. They seal air tight. I have coins in the holders for 8 years and they have not tarnished.
 
Are you going to sell them?

no :?:

1 take a small tray. I use the one from my toaster oven.
2. line the tray with foil and pour a fair amount of baking soda on the foil
3. place coin on top of baking soda and slowly pour boiling water at one of the corners of the pan to submerge the coin somewhat.
4. pour some more baking soda on top of the coin

wait 5 minutes and take coin out and run under water slightly rubbing with your fingers to rinse off the tarnish and then take a soft towel and dry it off.

works WONDERS for me.. I like my coins clean and shiny and haven't scratched one any more than it already was yet. I use this method on all my silver finds.

This is THE way.

You may need to repeat this over and over though.
 
Are you going to sell them?

no :?:

1 take a small tray. I use the one from my toaster oven.
2. line the tray with foil and pour a fair amount of baking soda on the foil
3. place coin on top of baking soda and slowly pour boiling water at one of the corners of the pan to submerge the coin somewhat.
4. pour some more baking soda on top of the coin

wait 5 minutes and take coin out and run under water slightly rubbing with your fingers to rinse off the tarnish and then take a soft towel and dry it off.

works WONDERS for me.. I like my coins clean and shiny and haven't scratched one any more than it already was yet. I use this method on all my silver finds.

Thanks so much for taking the time to detail all this out. I have no intention of selling my coins. I will try it! Thanks!!!
 
I place all of my silver coins in clear polystyrene coin holders. They seal air tight. I have coins in the holders for 8 years and they have not tarnished.

I know I have the same containers. Just was too busy and didn’t put the coins in right away. Lesson learned I guess!!
 
The direct contact with the paper plate wouldn’t have the oxygen to help the sulphur but the surrounding areas would. It’s like in numismatics people pay high dollar for the mint sets with Franklin halves because the paper/cardboard in that timeframe hade extra sulfur and would beautifully tone the coins (silver) but the rims of the coins would still be shiney silver.


Nox 600
Best find to date - 15g platinum ring and 1876 love token

Good points!
 
If you decide to clean them, I would also recommend what SoOregonMd & DIGGER27 have recommended. I have done it three times, and each time I have been very pleased with my results.

In my thread Help Needed. Did I Ruin My Silver Round? I used this method. Post #15 has the updated pics and my recipe of what I did.

Awesome thank you very much! I’m going to try this with some of my heavily tarnished silvers as well!
 
Heavy moisture/humidity will cause silver to tarnish, if they stay in that environment for long they can go completely black.
Here is one such silver ring.
Found in an area where I also found a silver quarter that was so tarnished and black I missed it and didn't notice what I had until after I tumbled it.

This ring was also found in the same site and area which was the bank of a long forgotten tiny fishing pond buried in the middle of the woods.
The moisture that never really went away from where these silver pieces laid worked on them for years so they both turned black.

View attachment 436106

I didn't suspect it was silver until I saw the 925 mark, I never saw anything silver tarnish this bad.
I used a similar technique explained above, place the object in a piece of foil in the bottom of a pan with a heated up slurry of baking soda and water because there was no way I was able to get in there and clean it by hand polishing.


Trust me, this method works.

View attachment 436107



https://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=219715

Very compelling pic! You have me convinced this can reverse this nasty tarnish issue.
 
I store my silver coins in cardboard 2X2 holders and the sterling jewelry in plastic containers and have no problems with tarnish. if you want to get tarnish off silver coins, toothpaste and warm water with a GENTLE scrubbing does a nice job.
 
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