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n/a
deleted
59 Posts |
 Posted - 04/05/2007 : 22:28:46
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I only have one piece of pure silver- a 1999 silver eagle that I bought around that time. It is badly tarnished on one side despite the fact that I've never handled it at all really. I know you're not supposed to clean coins- is this a storage issue? Is there a way to avoid it? Eventually I'd like to get more of these, but I'd like to avoid them all looking like crap.
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One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy;
there every man stands for what he actually is, and can show himself to be.
-- Theodore Roosevelt
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Ardent Listener
Administrator
USA
4841 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2007 : 22:45:14
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Maybe this will help..........
Prevention
To keep your silver free of tarnish-inducing elements such as sulfur or acid, regularly clean your silver in a small amount of mild dishwashing liquid diluted in warm water.
Always thoroughly dry your jewelry after exposure to water. (The oxygen in water is a major catalyst for tarnish.)
When storing silver, keep it in a dry, sealed container or bag with anti-tarnish paper.
Avoid letting your jewelry come in contact with rubber bands. (The sulfur in rubber is a catalyst for tarnish.)
If you are taking any type of medication that changes the acidic concentration in your skin, make sure that you clean your jewelry regularly when wearing.
I can't explain why some silver bars tarnish and others don't. I have a sterling silver bar (Franklyn Mint) that never tarnishes. I leave it out in the air for years and never clean it.
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For good times to come or bad times to come, now is the time to save your copper or nickel coins. |
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horgad
1000+ Penny Miser Member
USA
1641 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2007 : 10:53:20
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Tarnish on silver is Silver sulfate. Without exposure to sulfer, silver should not tarnish. Unfortunately, sulfer can be in the air, on your skin, and even emitted by some storage materials. To prevent tarnish you need an air tight, non sulfur emitting storage container, and you need to always handle your silver with gloves.
"It is badly tarnished on one side "
Maybe it was sitting on something that was emitting sulfer?
"I have a sterling silver bar (Franklyn Mint) that never tarnishes."
It is fairly common to cover silver items in a thin clear laquer like coating that will prevent tarnishing until the laquer wears off. Some people even apply this protective coating to collectible coins, but that practice is highly debated in the coin world... |
Edited by - horgad on 04/06/2007 10:54:48 |
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n/a
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59 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2007 : 21:39:28
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Thanks for the info. It has been in a plastic holder for a long time, but I'm guessing I left it sitting on something bad for a period of time after I bought it. I've moved around a lot.
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One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy;
there every man stands for what he actually is, and can show himself to be.
-- Theodore Roosevelt |
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n/a
deleted
479 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2007 : 22:07:04
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I have some Clad coins that display similar characteristics.
I have a Kennedy Half Dollar that is completely tarnished on the obverse lower right and not at all tarnished on the obverse uper left.
This "tarish" can be reduced with "silver polish" but not eliminated, then it comes back.
I don't understand this process.
It has nothing to do with silver.
There is a distinct line running roughly south west to north east across the obverse only.
On the South east side of this line, the tarnish comes back after cleaning.
On the North west side of this line the tarnish has never existed.
My only point is that metals other than silver show this same type of odd "tarnish"
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I think Norman Livergood's Essay, "Dollar Imperialism" is the best summary out there.
You must be logged in to see this link. |
Edited by - n/a on 04/06/2007 22:08:24 |
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Silver Tarnish
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