"I was very pleased to see the correction submitted by Daryl Haynor. Toning is caused by exactly what he describes: thin film interference. As contaminants react with the surface of the metallic silver coin, the layer of oxidation forms and progressively thickens. The result is that different thicknesses of tarnish interfere with different wavelengths of light, giving the color. In other words, different colors result from different thicknesses of the layer of tarnish, not from any kind of mint luster. As the toning progresses, the colors change, eventually turning black when the film is thick enough. This dark toning is considered terminal by many, because so much of the surface has been oxidized (corroded) that the coin is no longer considered original by the industry. Therefore, at some point, those toners that are so prized by collectors these days will end up the color of tarnished silverware. That, of course, can be slowed by proper storage, but it can't be stopped."

I enjoyed Daryl's images so much I'm repeating both here. Thanks. -Editor

Last week I asked about the designer of this nice Nebraska Centennial medal. -Editor

"Medallic Art Co. Catalog card (MACO # 1966-004) shows the following:
Sculptor: David Seyler"

Thanks! The askART site states that "David Warren Seyler (1917 - 2010) was active/lived in Nebraska, Ohio, California. David Seyler is known for Sculpture, ceramics, painting, teaching." -Editor

"While looking through my library I came across a box of miscellaneous items that I had not looked at for a long time. one item in there was a coin price list by William Douglas of Zanesville, Ohio dated 1875. The only listing of this catalog I can find anywhere is in Attinelli's book on numismatic auction catalogs, page 101. The copy that I own is the only one I ever saw offered for sale. Perhaps our great readers might have some information on this catalog."

Can anyone help? -Editor

"I've found your articles on the medal work of Anna Coleman Ladd. Please find a picture of another medal, quite rare, I suppose."

Can anyone provide more information on the rarity and value of the medal? -Editor

"While falling down one of the many rabbit holes on the Internet, I came across a site that has a new tech that quickly and easily colorizes old black-and-white images. They also allow users to animate images and create animated "deep stories". It doesn't work that well with coin images but, with some finagling, I was able to create a deep story for Alice Paul."

Ron also posted a new video on YouTube using the new Deep Stories technology to bring Martha Washington to life. Very cool. Check it out. -Editor

"NPR's Planet Money ran a listener Q&A segment last week. It's an interesting segment with some purely financial questions (e.g., Are we in a recession?) but also some numismatic questions.

"I was approached by one of the podcast's producers, Dave Blanchard, a few weeks ago, to answer a question about coin denominations --- specifically, why America's circulating coins are spelled out (e.g., QUARTER DOLLAR) rather than abbreviated (e.g., 25 C.). Our conversation got into the influence of Christian Gobrecht in the 1830s and ended with the latest American Women quarters.

"That portion starts at 14:55 and ends at 19:33.

"During a break while Blanchard was interviewing me, for some background information I picked the brain of Len Augsburger, well known to Christian Gobrecht fans as president of the Liberty Seated Collectors Club. As I later mentioned to Len, the finished segment shines a bright light on Gobrecht as the designer of the Liberty Seated motif. One could argue that Mint Director Robert Patterson also deserves some credit for its inspiration. But as a numismatic piece geared toward a non-numismatic audience (and a couple hours of in-depth conversation boiled down to a few minutes of podcast), I think it does a solidly entertaining job exploring this area of U.S. coins."

Very cool - check it out. -Editor

Here are a couple interesting items I came across this week on Reddit. The Coin Hunt vending machine was "in the Sinclair Station south of Worthington, MN." and another reader reported a similar one in Missouri. The item on coins in war propaganda posters has a number of great images. -Editor

A couple years ago Jeff Garrett alerted us to an exhibit of similar posters at the Smithsonian. -Editor