Oxidization?

General discussions about canadian coins.
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knsgee
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2018 5:36 pm

Oxidization?

Post by knsgee » Wed Mar 02, 2022 10:17 am

It appears that oxidization is a major problem with at least the latter years of the Canadian minted pennies and I was wondering if there is anything one can do to prevent it or at least lessen the detrimental effect it has on the appearance of, at least as i have discovered, Canadian pennies minted from 1990 to 2012.I am probably showing my ignorance but I had a large quantity of pennies as described above in pristine condition stored in coin wrappers which I decided to unwrap and insert in coin holders followed by insertion in display book. I was very careful using gloves or thoroughly washed bare hands at times.however it seems oxidization did a number on them and there appearance has now been seriously degraded.
I was curious as to what effect this would have as to their grade and also if there was anything i could have done to prevent the degradation of their appearance or anything I can do now that would recover some of the luster they had before the air got at them.
Also make me feel better and tell me of others that have encountered this same problem.
Regards to all and prayers for the unfortunate but incredibly brave souls in Ukraine!

Bill in Burl
Posts: 1469
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:41 am
Location: Golden Horseshoe, ONT

Re: Oxidization?

Post by Bill in Burl » Wed Mar 02, 2022 1:45 pm

What were your "coin wrappers" made of? paper? pliofilm? Plastic? If they were stored in anything that was open to the free circulating oil and there was any humidity, then they will tone. Anything air-tight and low humidity are the best.
Bill in Burl

john1000
Posts: 66
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:01 am

Re: Oxidization?

Post by john1000 » Wed Mar 02, 2022 7:56 pm

Go to your local pharmacy ask them to save you a few days of those pill drying tablets in their bulk containers, put a few of the tablets into a large air tight container, problem solved.

knsgee
Posts: 29
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2018 5:36 pm

Re: Oxidization?

Post by knsgee » Thu Mar 03, 2022 3:11 pm

Hi Bill in Burl and john1000,
Thank you gentlemen for your replies!
I now believe my problem to be mold however I have no idea how it infested these coins. The coins all pennys and there are a lot of them (several hundred rolls) came to me from a neighbour friend that learned that I had recently started a coin collection. They were mostly wrapped in paper type wrappers that could be obtained at a bank although there were no promos evident on the paper wrappers. There were about a dozen plastic holders with RBC embossed,so perhaps all wrappers originated there. The wraps all appeared dry and not having sustained any damage of any sort and the rolls were stored in plastic strong box, the first of two which i received weighed approx 80 lbs just about all attributable to the pennys within and interior was bone dry. The latest date on Cdn pennys was 2011 and there were a lot of them all of which seemed to have been obtained right from the mint but I suspect very soon after from the bank that received them for circulation. The same was mostly true for all the Cdn pennys from year 1988 to 2011. there were many other older pennys the oldest 1940 and the remainder 1940 to 1988 in various states from just a few in really bad shape to thru all the various conditions that one would expect.
My friend said to keep all I wanted at i cent a coin and return the remainder which he was going to deposit on behalf of the relative that had saved them.
By the way I subsequently received a second box of coins not quite as heavy as first but apparently the 2nd of six total !!
I just discovered the mold problem a day or so after having inserted about 80 coins in a display book.
My house is dry or at least kept at the recommended humidity levet and the coins have not been exposed ti any unusual conditions since being in my possession, but i have now noticed smudges and a duller appearance on many coins and also on many just small dots of what I believe to be mold and i have tried to remove with a needle which resulted in my conclusion that they have penetrated the surface of the coin. Many of the older coind are now covered with a blue and or green mold.
I apologize for the length of this but thought you guys and perhaps others would be interested in this sorry tale.
I just looked at Google and a suggestion there regarding pill drying pills may help out??
I would be curious to hear of any comments.
Thanks Again

TBH
Posts: 248
Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2008 12:09 am
Location: sunshine coast BC

Re: Oxidization?

Post by TBH » Thu Mar 03, 2022 3:45 pm

It's not mold, it's either verdigris or PVC damage.
In either case it's due to improper storage.
Likely initiated by the wrappers as mentioned by Bill in Burl.
Once it penetrates the surface the coin is toast , these modern coins have lost any collectible value.

Bill in Burl
Posts: 1469
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:41 am
Location: Golden Horseshoe, ONT

Re: Oxidization?

Post by Bill in Burl » Thu Mar 03, 2022 3:55 pm

Don't use a needle to try to remove any of the stuff. Use a hawthorn or rose thorn, as they won't scratch the coins as much. I can only guess that the original owner of the coins had tried to rinse/wash some of them to remove hand gunk. If they were put away, even damp, then that's where the problem may have started. The normal relative humidity in a house is 60-75% and that is way too much for coins. You need 10% or so, using the pill or medicine packets, as suggested above. Copper contaminates easily.
Bill in Burl

john1000
Posts: 66
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:01 am

Re: Oxidization?

Post by john1000 » Thu Mar 03, 2022 5:38 pm

A busy Shoppers Drug would have hundreds everyday which I guess they just discard as waste.

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