Im not a coin guru by any means, I own several Golden Eagles and recently purchased my first "Graded" AGE(2006 PCGS MS70). My other Gold Eagles are a yellowish/light Gold color and my new PCGS coin has a deep yellow/orange tone. I attatched a picture of the the new coin next to an older 1986 coin below, my camera wont pick up all the details but in person there is a clear noticeable difference in color. Is it normal too see different shades in Gold Eagles? Thanks in advance.
This is largely due to the copper in the alloy, which is more subject to chemical activity, right? I received this morning a Liberty set with the $5 gold, and there's a pronounced red spot right in the middle of the wing. Darkest one I've seen so far. I'm not complaining, as I got the set for well below the melt value of the gold, but I'm still a little surprised the manufacturing process allows that kind of nonuniformity in the alloy.
AGE's have 10% copper. And since the one is totally exposed to our dirty air I would expect it to tone a little faster and even the slab is not hermeticly sealed.
I understand Doug's point here as has been discussed before, but I must disagree that gold itself tones. It may change apparent color when alloyed however. The reason that it is confusing is that gold does not chemically interact with copper or other alloys ( i.e. toning) in the environment we find gold coins. Esoteric chemical and physical environments can cause chemical reaction between gold and surrounding molecules such as in Aqua regia, but not just setting in a slab. IMO. Jim
You are always running experiments Jim, run the one I've told skeptics to run. Buy a .999 gold coin. Leave it out exposed to the air for a year. At the end of that year take your coin to a shop and compare it to freshly minted .999 gold coin. You'll see a color difference
Doug, that is not a real experiment , that is potluck serendipity. To confirm within a reasonable doubt would require a sample of at least 100 new gold coins, and separate comparisons for gold coins in each different environment. Since "toning" as normally used, is a chemical reaction to non-coin factors such as environmental gases, separate test environments of open to air and vacuum sealed would need to be maintained. If 5% or more toned in air and 0% toned in the vacuum within the year, you would have a believer, otherwise, it doesn't confirm. Alas, I do not have funds to obtain 200 new gold coins myself, so I must decline this interesting experiment. To me there is a difference from pure gold turning color and pure gold "toning", as the color of gold is more a quantum energy level change of electrons, and toning would be a chemical reaction of those electrons. Jim
A rose by any other name ......... Do it with 1 coin Jim, even a tiny one will work. And at the end of that year, you can sell the first and do it again. And I don't care if ya do do it 100 times, the outcome will be the same. The color will change. But you can call it whatever ya want
