Storing gold and silver together for long periods

[paulmerton]

Is it safe to store gold and silver items for a long time in the same box?

I remember reading something that said you should always store them separately to keep them in the best condition, but it did not explain why.

Is it only a problem if the gold and silver are in physical contact with each other, or does silver attract mystical tarnish-pixies that are easily distracted and can hop several centimetres onto shiny yellow objects nearby? Or is it just a load of nonsense and everything will coexist in harmony?

[Bigmarc]

Maybe this but I only know this from industry. 

https://www.appmfg.com/blog/4-facts-on-dissimilar-metal-corrosion 

 

 

[KevinFlynn]

Question is if silver would act as a sacrifical anode for gold under normal conditions.

[dicker]

I have not heard of this being a problem (gold is inert) but I am not a materials scientist.  

All I can tell you is that as a Landrover owner in the early early 90’s dissimilar metal corrosion was a real problem (aluminium and steel).  Landrover persisted with the same design issues regardless    

Best

Dicker

 

[dicker]

I did talk to an eminent materials scientist about the properties of various precious metals and diamonds.  

He (kindly) dumbed it down for me and told me that if you had a bar of gold and a diamond and left them for a billion year, the gold bar would look the same but the diamond wouldn’t be there as they shed atoms (slowly).

Best

Dicker
 

 

[CollectorNo1]

I've always kept Gold n Silver apart in different boxes....not because of any contamination but that's just the way I roll...be interesting to know if keeping them together causes a problem,I've never heard of  this?...

[paulmerton]

I just realised where I originally read about this... on the Royal Mint website of all places!

https://www.royalmint.com/invest/discover/invest-in-gold/a-guide-to-storing-bullion/

"Don’t store gold and silver together. Keeping them together can cause damage and tarnishing of the metal."

 

 

[dangelo]

Tell that to bi-metallic gold & silver coins and gold plated silver coins?

[Pete]

I think the Royal Mint comment requires an explanation.
Gold is inert and cannot tarnish.
Silver can tarnish but from air containing sulphur and oxides of nitrogen - in essence smoke and pollution.
I would place coins and bars in capsules or ziplock bags to keep them free from finger prints, avoid metal to metal contact i.e. abrasion and if there is some sort of rare chemical interaction ( explain if there is ) your coins / bars are actually separated by an insulator / seal. Quite safe mixed in the same box.

[paulmerton]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

Gold is inert and cannot tarnish.

Gold may be inert (to most things, at least) but it is a catalyst for some reactions.  I wonder if that has something to do with it.

[SilverJacks]

Don't put them in the wash together or the colours will run.