Coinery Posted March 2, 2023 Posted March 2, 2023 I’ve always placed my favourite coins into coin flips and stored them in wallets, but this clearly stops any further toning. In the past I’ve tried every little trick in the book, eggs, liver of sulphur, etc., but I’ve found that nothing really works that well. At best a uniform and ‘transparent’ grey! SO how long to tone a cabinet coin, anything that speeds the process along? What’s your experience/examples? I’m guessing a good clean with acetone to remove any grease that may be protecting the surfaces from the atmosphere would help? The below coin is my example of something I know would look so much better with a nice tone! It’s a really large, solid flan, with good surfaces, it should take a tone well…but will I live to see it? Quote
blakeyboy Posted March 2, 2023 Posted March 2, 2023 I only have experience of toning bronze, but an important factor must be common to silver, namely that of temperature. I have a lamp that's on a lot, with a compact fluorescent lamp in it, mounted base down. If you slide a penny that someone has 'cleaned' in between the glass coils, it's supported by its edges, and sits at a nice temperature, and re-toning is surprisingly fast, and even on both sides of the coin. Acetone first is a good idea. 2 Quote
Coinery Posted March 2, 2023 Author Posted March 2, 2023 35 minutes ago, blakeyboy said: I only have experience of toning bronze, but an important factor must be common to silver, namely that of temperature. I have a lamp that's on a lot, with a compact fluorescent lamp in it, mounted base down. If you slide a penny that someone has 'cleaned' in between the glass coils, it's supported by its edges, and sits at a nice temperature, and re-toning is surprisingly fast, and even on both sides of the coin. Acetone first is a good idea. Wow, temperature, that’s interesting. I always had it in my mind a damper atmosphere would work better…I guess that’s from thinking of other metals oxidising more in those conditions? Really appreciate your comments, very interesting! 👍 Quote
jelida Posted March 2, 2023 Posted March 2, 2023 Get an ice cream container, place a couple of tablespoons of flowers of sulphur in the bottom, place tissue over and the coin to be toned on top; replace the lid and place in a warm place. The coin tones very gently, more rapidly the higher the temperature. Check every day or two. Natural toning largely relates to atmospheric sulphur compounds, this just accelerates the process. Jerry 2 Quote
Coinery Posted March 2, 2023 Author Posted March 2, 2023 19 minutes ago, jelida said: Get an ice cream container, place a couple of tablespoons of flowers of sulphur in the bottom, place tissue over and the coin to be toned on top; replace the lid and place in a warm place. The coin tones very gently, more rapidly the higher the temperature. Check every day or two. Natural toning largely relates to atmospheric sulphur compounds, this just accelerates the process. Jerry Fantastic! Many thanks for this…a definite correlation with heat, then! Perfect! Quote
Coinery Posted March 2, 2023 Author Posted March 2, 2023 Just ordered 100g of sulphur flowers, so we’ll see? In the meantime does anyone have any ‘before and after’ examples of silver treated in this way? Quote
blakeyboy Posted March 2, 2023 Posted March 2, 2023 2 hours ago, jelida said: Get an ice cream container, place a couple of tablespoons of flowers of sulphur in the bottom, place tissue over and the coin to be toned on top; replace the lid and place in a warm place. The coin tones very gently, more rapidly the higher the temperature. Check every day or two. Natural toning largely relates to atmospheric sulphur compounds, this just accelerates the process. Jerry Transfer to small dipping bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley and dill. Serves 4-6 people. 2 Quote
blakeyboy Posted March 2, 2023 Posted March 2, 2023 If you are in a city, you may find that traffic pollution, particularly nitrogen compounds, are in fact having the biggest effect on silver.... 1 Quote
Silverlocks Posted March 2, 2023 Posted March 2, 2023 11 hours ago, Coinery said: Wow, temperature, that’s interesting. I always had it in my mind a damper atmosphere would work better…I guess that’s from thinking of other metals oxidising more in those conditions? Really appreciate your comments, very interesting! 👍 As a general rule of thumb, rate of reaction doubles for about every 10°C temperature. 2 Quote
Coinery Posted May 5, 2023 Author Posted May 5, 2023 Well, eight weeks so far has given me this! I’m really pleased with them and will carry on a little while, yet! Much better than my phone pictures show…I SO wish I had my old camera set-up! Quote
Coinery Posted May 5, 2023 Author Posted May 5, 2023 On 3/2/2023 at 8:27 AM, Coinery said: I’ve always placed my favourite coins into coin flips and stored them in wallets, but this clearly stops any further toning. In the past I’ve tried every little trick in the book, eggs, liver of sulphur, etc., but I’ve found that nothing really works that well. At best a uniform and ‘transparent’ grey! SO how long to tone a cabinet coin, anything that speeds the process along? What’s your experience/examples? I’m guessing a good clean with acetone to remove any grease that may be protecting the surfaces from the atmosphere would help? The below coin is my example of something I know would look so much better with a nice tone! It’s a really large, solid flan, with good surfaces, it should take a tone well…but will I live to see it? Quote
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