Anybody know if rolls will tone thru out or is it just the ends? I've got a bank roll of Jeffs toning but I ain't opening it to see what's happening inside.

Only the part in contact with paper or the atmosphere should tone.

It's really a question of time - given enough, all of the coins will tone to some degree.

In the old days collectors experimented with hundreds of ways to try and stop coins in rolls from toning. The only one I can recall that ever met with any success was to wrap the rolls in tin foil. I never actually tried it myself, but I was friends with a collector who passed away recently that did. He left rolls of cents wrapped for 25 yrs if memory serves - when he opened them a couple years ago - every coin was mint red. To the best of my knowledge he never performed the experiment with silver, clad or nickels.

Interesting.

A friend and I were talking recently on how some Lincolns could remain red all these years. I'll have to pass that info onto him.

Enviroment is definately a major player. My dad was actually "kind" enough to leave some copper coins of a certain country in some sort of "glassy" container, which I suspect is nothing more than a jar. Most of them averaged at least 30-40 years old and they were shocking bright red. As a test, I took one of them out to see how fast they would tone.

Needless to say, it didn't take 1 week to show some effects - and right now it's chocolate brown.

That's one of the peculiarities of old items that are moved from one environment to another. It's almost as if the aging process is put on hold and then once the environment changes it is greatly accelerated. For example, artifacts found underwater in the ocean may last for years, even centuries, with only minor deterioration. But once removed from the salt water and exposed to air they can almost literally disintergrate before your eyes.

I have seen plenty of rolls both copper and silver that had nicely toned coins inside the rolls and not just on the ends......but it all comes down to the storage environment........if paper rolls are left in a warm humid place then the toning will move from the edges of the coins inwards toward the center. If left in the environment long enough you could get a whole roll of toned coins......but it take a long time.

Does the amount of light play any role in toning? I've heard people say "depends on the amount of light". Does that mean lots of light or a little?

The amount of light shouldn't matter....but if the light is in the form of sunlight then their is a potential heat source which absolutely affects toning.

Not really, it's primarily the amount of sulfur the oin is exposed to (air, paper, or otherwise)

Wasn't sure if sunlight had an effect on the sulfur compounds or not (besides heat). Thanks for all the information. Wonder when we will be using sulfur in chem lab again...hmmmmmm

Now now, don't turn all your coins black

I got some cheap ones to mess with. Maybe some of the gothic collectors will like toned black coins.

Whilst you are at it , get a pinch of Iodine too
Mix sulfur with vaseline ( point of a knife like )
Add just the tiniest amount of Iodine
Put a blob of this in a closed box and put the coin next to it not touching
Turn the coin over until satisfied
Now you got a coin box not to be confused with the magicians coin box which makes coins appear and disappear

Interesting idea there. Come to think of it, mom might have some Iodine at home.

I love screwing around with stuff.

I do not think we talk about the same stuff
Sulphur would be S8 crystaline and pure
the Iodine I would be the solid chemical that upon heating does not go liquid but sublimates into vapour
It is the only element I can remember that sublimates strait into vapour

Do not mix or heat things you do not know because gasses are dangerous

All is correct. I've used both in numerous labs. There's an old chem set I had which should still be at home (almost positive it had solid Iodine). Iodine gas leaves some nasty stains on everything (forgot to take my papers out of the fume hood).

I think it is the only element that does sublimate....can't think of any other. Now compounds, there's a lot.