1988 proof sovereign

[newgold 0]

Need some advice on a 1988 proof sovereign. I paid £100..spinks say £175. The problem I have which I have not come across before with any of my other proof gold coins is there is some sort of tarnish on the coin. There is also a small amount of a fingerprint on the surface right of the horse head, but this does not show in the picture. Does anyone have any idea what this tarnish is?

Regards

[Master Jmd 80]

it looks dusty to me!

[Chris Perkins 228]

Sometimes proof gold coins do tone, probably with a little help from the finger print.

Personally I'd reject it, if it is not as described. There is no way any one would pay £175 for it like that, in fact I feel £100 was steep. Modern proofs should be absolutely perfect.

[newgold 0]

yep I agree and that is what I am doing...just wondered what this tarnish was as none of my other gold proof coins have it. I didn't think gold did tone! I have some very early victorian sovereigns which are in better condition. I was thinking along the lines was this a fake coin and the base metal was responsible for the tarnish

[Chris Perkins 228]

No I wouldn't have thought it was a fake, it probably ended up toned either because of handling or being stored in the wrong conditions.

It is unusual for gold to tone but not impossible with modern proofs. I had a 1988 Proof gold set the other month, and one of the coins in that was slightly toned in a similar way.

If any one knows the reason why proof gold can tone, when gold is pretty inert, I'd like to know too.

[Emperor Oli 0]

I just googled "Why does gold tone?" and got loads of results about banjos

[Chris Perkins 228]

I expect that has something to do with 'Gold Tone' and the Sneaky Vipers, the legendry 1940's banjo based band....

Not really, I have no idea why you should get Banjo results!

[Sylvester 15]

If any one knows the reason why proof gold can tone, when gold is pretty inert, I'd like to know too.

It's the copper mixed in with the gold that tones... gold coins with any slightly unmixed copper in them will begin to tone. And gold coins can even develop verdigris.

[Chris Perkins 228]

Thanks, yes that's sensible, I think I heard that once before.

Don't they use gold/silver alloy for the newer gold coins?

[Sylvester 15]

Thanks, yes that's sensible, I think I heard that once before.

Don't they use gold/silver alloy for the newer gold coins?

Don't know, but if they did surely you'd end up with white gold rather than yellow gold?

(i still think it's 22ct gold and the remaining 2cts is substituted with copper)

[mint_mark 9]

Here's a page all about it...

http://www.gold.org/jewellery/technology/alloys/

Fascinating, but it doesn't say which particular alloy the royal mint uses for gold coins.

[Chris Perkins 228]

I'm damn sure it's gold/silver these days. Refer to the Britannia's on p484 of Spink 2004.

[Sylvester 15]

If only i had a Spink... (still got an old Seaby's catalogue somewhere).

Even if it is silver that's now used, silver tarnishes, so it's the silver toning.

[Chris Perkins 228]

No, in 1988 it was definately copper I think, I'm talking very recently they changed to silver, 1993 onwards or something.