Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

Took out some of my silver maples today, they are in plastic flaps. They're starting to tarnish with a cloudy white but mostly clear substance that almost looks like they had a bit of clear liquid spilled on them and then it dried up. They're kept in a dry place, though it gets very humid here.

It's kind of odd, because I have some SAEs in similar flaps stored in the same location and they do not have this crap on them.

Any ideas on how to prevent this? I would put up a picture but my camera is busted atm.

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

Silver turns brownish over time. Use toothpaste to bring back the silver color.

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

I don't think I'd clean coins - that actually can lower the value. Especially since toothpaste is an abrasive.

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

Toss in some silica gel packets or some other kind of desiccant. Read up on how to prevent silver from tarnishing. And don't confuse tarnishing with toning. DYODD.

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

No toothpaste!

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

This is why I buy SAE's over Maples. I haven't thus far had this happen to an SAE.

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

It could be the slips you're storing them in. The clear, soft plastic slips come in two varieties: a softer one that contains, IIRC, PVC which leaves crap on coins; and a slightly less ductile, more brittle variety which doesn't. I remember this from my active coin collecting days.

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

After reading this thread and another one I checked my stack and yes, it seems to be a specific problem of the maples. This is not the usual tarnish but some strange white coating that develops over time. I've found some small specs even on originally wrapped 1992 coins but the 2008 batch was especially hit. The silver might still be there but the beauty of the coin is gone...

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

Oh, okay. That's interesting. I don't think it's that big a deal, since silver Leafs are mainly just for the bullion content. I mean, I would buy ASE's if I wanted a pretty coin--but that's just me.

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

All my 2008 Maples are ruined with these "milk" spots. Im done with them

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

My thanks to the OP - I thought it was something in my environment causing the spots, I didn't realize it was so common.

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

NGC has a company that professionally cleans & conserves your coins called NCS. Please check that out, ok? :wink:

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

I'd say clean the things if you want, it's bullion.

It has to be the PVC plastic holders. I've got around 100 maples from scattered years from the 80's till now and all but a couple in the original mint plastic sleeves, no tarnish or toning on any of them.

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

I have a bunch of silver maples with no spots or narnish at all. But i put mine in airtites as soon as i get them... GL

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

I've always wanted to get some sliver maples, but after so many recent issues of white spots and what not from FAR too many people, I'm sticking with the ASE's for now.

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

How can you tell the difference between tarnishing and toning?

I store my maples in the mint tube. No milk spots, but I do see a ring of haze almost forming around the edges. It's bullion, I'm not worried too much about it, but was just wondering it it's toning, or tarnishing.

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

Send 'em to me.

:111::111::565::5_1_120::getdown::banana::wavey::b anana::111:

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

I bought a bunch of old 100 ounce bars in 1999 for .25 cents below spot.

THEY were filthy dirty BLACK BLACK BLACK.

I bought a jar of Blue Magic at Pep Boys and spent a few hours getting my old white underware rags reallly black with silver TARNISH.

Gosh - those were under $400.00 a bar. Wish they were $4,000.00 now!:wink::36_1_28::111:

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

Cheapest of those I bought was in early 2005 for about $675. Sounds cheap now. But, yeah, take the polish to them, no problem. Some of those Englehards got sort of nasty but 10 minutes with an old sock and some metal polish= instant silver porn.

Re: Silver maples starting to tarnish
 

I remember those prices HS. Funny how psychology works - it was so cheap that nobody wanted it. Silver Maples were getting close to having a higher face value than intrinsic value! I also remember wondering "What's this rhodium stuff", and is it really worth $500 an ounce? LOL Never did I think rhodium could go to $10,000 an ounce.