Table of Contents

8. Myths and Misconceptions

8.1 Is tarnished silver damaged?

Explanation of the Question 

An originally shiny silver coin or silver medal can discolour over time. This often gives the impression that the silver is damaged or of inferior quality. In fact, this is usually a natural process that can occur with silver.

 

Answer

In general usage, tarnished silver is usually not referred to as damaged. From a materials science perspective, however, it is a chemical change to the surface. Silver atoms react with components in the environment, especially sulfur-containing compounds from the air, and form new chemical compounds, such as silver sulfide (Ag₂S). This creates the typical discolouration of the surface. These discolourations can – especially in modern collector coins and medals – impair the visual appearance and thus their attractiveness to collectors.

Therefore, attempts are sometimes made to remove these discolourations by removing the silver compounds that have formed.

Abrasive cleaning, as can be done with polishes or many commercially available silver cleaning cloths, is generally not advisable for high-quality collector coins and medals.

While chemical silver cleaning agents can remove the tarnish layer and largely restore the original colour, in our experience they cannot reconstruct the original atomic surface state. Because the silver atoms have combined to form a new substance, these atoms are no longer present in the original coin surface. When the tarnish layer, which consists of silver sulfide (Ag₂S) for example, is subsequently removed, the silver atoms contained within it are also removed. As a result, the topography of the surface changes permanently, even if usually only in the micro- or nanometre range. These microscopic changes can alter the reflection behaviour of the surface. Depending on how heavily the surface was tarnished, the altered reflection behaviour may be visible to the naked eye.

Both tarnishing and the removal of the tarnish layer can alter the original surface quality of high-quality collector coins and medals, which may affect their collector's value.

 

Explanation

Whether tarnished silver is perceived as devaluing depends, among other things, on the following factors:

• Type and intensity of discolouration,
• Evenness of the tarnish layer,
• Rarity and collector interest,
• Minting quality,
• Individual preferences of the collector.

While a naturally developed patina is often considered desirable or even value-enhancing for historical coins, collectors of modern collector coins and medals usually prefer the original mint condition.

For this reason, even slight discolourations can affect the collector's value of modern issues, although this is primarily a natural chemical change to the surface and not mechanical damage.

 

Not every discolouration means that a coin or medal is irreparably damaged. However, for modern collector's items, it is advisable to slow down tarnishing as much as possible through suitable packaging and proper storage.

This article is part of the Satoshi Silver Academy – a knowledge platform all about modern coins, medals, blockchain technology and high-quality collectibles.