Milk spots (Britannia).

[graham200666]

On 07/06/2021 at 04:48, SilverStorm said:

Slightly off-topic, but do any of you have 2018 and newer Canadian 1oz silver maple leafs?   They are supposedly free of milk spots (or greatly reduced) as they have MintShield built into them.   My small SML collection are all 2021, so it's too early for me to say it works.    I'm surprised that the Royal Mint doesn't implement similar technology to reduce milk spots on their Britannia's.    

Link: MINTSHIELD™ Surface Protection

 

Silvestorm, I have just checked 5 tubes of 2019 maples and a quick look which still to 20 mins i could see no sign of any milk spots. Is the first time ive opened them since buying and was really happy with them.

When i started this thread it was about 2 brits (2019) that had milk spotted. These coins were not in my main stack in the safe but were in a display case.

I had 10 coins in it, 2 from each year from 2017. I put the coins in the case 2 months ago and there was no milk spots on the coins at the time. I put one of those little silica bags in the case at the same time in case of moisture.

I have noticed that some of the other brits from other years in the case have what i think are tiny milk spots starting. Now as i said i checked all the maples i had in the safe and also 3 tubes of 2019 brits and none have milk spotted.

So not too sure what has gone on with the brits and the milk spotting but i think you can relax about your maples.

In the safe where all the good coins were kept i put a large moisture absorber tub which you can buy for caravans to keep damp at bay. Ive put a photo of it here. Make up your own mind if it has stopped any of the other coins from milk spotting but look at how much water it has taken out of the air. Thats about half inch of water in there and was in the safe for 3 months in a heated room.

 

[SilverStorm]

18 minutes ago, graham200666 said:

Silvestorm, I have just checked 5 tubes of 2019 maples and a quick look which still to 20 mins i could see no sign of any milk spots. Is the first time ive opened them since buying and was really happy with them.

When i started this thread it was about 2 brits (2019) that had milk spotted. These coins were not in my main stack in the safe but were in a display case.

I had 10 coins in it, 2 from each year from 2017. I put the coins in the case 2 months ago and there was no milk spots on the coins at the time. I put one of those little silica bags in the case at the same time in case of moisture.

I have noticed that some of the other brits from other years in the case have what i think are tiny milk spots starting. Now as i said i checked all the maples i had in the safe and also 3 tubes of 2019 brits and none have milk spotted.

So not too sure what has gone on with the brits and the milk spotting but i think you can relax about your maples.

In the safe where all the good coins were kept i put a large moisture absorber tub which you can buy for caravans to keep damp at bay. Ive put a photo of it here. Make up your own mind if it has stopped any of the other coins from milk spotting but look at how much water it has taken out of the air. Thats about half inch of water in there and was in the safe for 3 months in a heated room.

 

Thx graham for the update.  It is good to know your SML are in good condition.  I have one SML coin out in the open for testing and handling purposes, it’s also my guinea pig to see if it will milk spot.  

I’m surprised how much water that tub pulled out while inside your safe.  That’s incredible.   Considering how much moisture there is in the air, getting a dehumidifier might also be a good choice too. 

So it seems that storing silver in the dark and moisture free area is paramount to avoiding milk spots.  

One other miscellaneous note…I recall reading somewhere (not sure if this is true or not), this person said that milk spot spreads like a virus.  Never store milk spot bullion with your spot free bullion in the same container or safe.  Again it’s what I recall reading somewhere on the internet and I can’t recall where I read it from.  Out of an abundance of caution, it might be best to take the same precaution even if there is no empirical evidence to suggest otherwise.  
 

[graham200666]

Silverstorm, I really think the tub i had in the safe helped but from what i hear about milk spots is that if its going to milk spot you cant stop it, just delay it.

I think coins that are prone to milk spotting then storage really helps. 

I tend to think that you will be OK with your maples no matter how you store as it looks like what they did at the mint has sorted it or at the very least really helped the problem.

Funny what you say about keeping milk spotted coins away from the good. In that display case they were all in capsules. Maybe milk spots is to silver what covid is to humans lol.

I will put the rest of my coins in little home made masks. lol. Maybe sell masks for silver coins on here, think some would try anything to stop the dreaded milk spotting.

[Arganto]

On 07/06/2021 at 09:48, SilverStorm said:

If that’s true, the Royal Mint et al would have done the same.  😁

Only if they could be bothered to change the process that leads to the problem! 🤣

Edited June 8, 2021 by Liam84