Tarnish?

[pomme007]

Re silver American Eagles and silver Maple Leafs: Do these coins tarnish easily? Or are they manufactured with some sort of coating to prevent tarnishing?

FYI I’m thinking of getting a few as Corporate gifts and want something that will stay looking nice. Thanks.

[Bimetallic]

They tarnish if you don't seal them in Ziploc bags or something.

They don't have an anti-tarnish coating. New Maple Leafs have a finish that prevents milk spots, but that's different from tarnish. Eagles have no special finish or technology, though 2021 Eagles will have anti-counterfeiting technology (Maples already have anti-counterfeiting technology).

[pomme007]

Thank you Bimetallic. I’ve been looking online today, and it sounds like I also might want to purchase something called an “Air-Tite” container for each coin to help preserve its appearance. Sound right?

[Tgraham]

You can't go wrong with air-tite cases. It would be worth it, to help protect your investment or gift. It's funny when you put an oz of silver in someone's hand. It's a certain face they make. From : "Wow , that's heavy!" To : " It's really pretty." Most online sellers will send your rounds in little plastic flips and inside a Ziploc bag. 

[DBCooper]

I find Eagles tarnish real easy. IMHO they are one of the worse coins for it. personally not an issue for me. as they are just bullion to me. however if you want them as corporate Gifts. then put them in air tites for sure

Regards

DB.

[Bimetallic]

17 hours ago, pomme007 said:

Thank you Bimetallic. I’ve been looking online today, and it sounds like I also might want to purchase something called an “Air-Tite” container for each coin to help preserve its appearance. Sound right?

For corporate gifts, sure, Air-Tites are a good idea. Or really any capsules you can find at a good price. They don't need to be Air-Tite brand – that's just a particularly common brand. Don't overpay.

For your own investment or collection purposes, you don't need capsules. Just keep them in the "flips" they come in, and put two or three flips in a Ziploc bag. That will prevent tarnish, and it's much cheaper than buying capsules. If you want to be extra cautious, you can toss some anti-tarnish strips in the Ziploc bags. The most common brand is 3M, and they're cheap on Amazon. They absorb the sulfur compounds in the air that cause tarnish. You don't really need them if you're using Ziploc bags or capsules (and they won't fit inside capsules), but they're an extra layer of defense, probably matter most if the Ziploc gets perforated.

The Ziploc bags I recommend are the snack bags. They're perfectly sized for two or three coins, less flippy-floppy than the regular sandwich bags.

This is all relevant for loose coins only. If you decide to stack a bit of silver yourself, you'll probably want to buy a tube or three of Eagles, Maples, etc. You get much better pricing per ounce that way. In normal times, a tube of Eagles is less than $400. Tubes are pretty well sealed by their lids. You just leave the coins in the tube and they're fine, and won't usually tarnish. If you want you can throw a 3M strip in a tube for extra protection. (The reason you need Ziplocs for the loose coins in flips is that flips are open on one side and don't seal.)

[pomme007]

Thank you. Very helpful.