We are regularly asked about milk spots on silver coins. What are they? Do they affect the value of my coin? Should I try and remove them?
We’ll provide all the answers in this article.
How do Milk Spots get on Silver Coins?
Milk spots can appear at any time after a coin’s been minted. It could be days, it could be years before they first appear. The problem actually occurs as the coin’s being made – when it’s a flat, circular disk known as a blank, or planchet.
The blanks are heated and cooled (known as annealing) to stop the silver becoming too brittle. But the fatal process happens before annealing when it’s being cleaned and degreased with solvents. Sometimes not all of the solvents are removed before the blank is heated, imprinting imperfections into the silver. The newly minted coin may look perfect, but the leftover solvent goes undetected and, as time passes, starts to show.
Do some Mints suffer more than others?
Milk spots are a common occurrence, and can affect all modern bullion silver coins and even bars. It is not possible to know which silver will be impacted. Even coins sealed in capsules can develop milk spots in the future without any warning.
The Royal Canadian Mint developed a proprietary technology known as “MINTSHIELD” to reduce milk spots on their silver maple leaf coins. This has been used since 2018 and the results have been very encouraging.
Is the value of my Silver Coin affected by Milk Spots?
You’ll be happy to know that the value of bullion coins are not greatly affected by milk spots. Bullion dealers see silver as silver, no matter what marks appear on the surface. An ounce of silver is an ounce of silver.
Perfect coins will of course fetch slightly higher premiums and be more attractive to a collector than tarnished ones, so we advocate doing what you can to look after your coins through careful handling and storage. The use of airtight containers and gloves when handling, helps a great deal in this respect.
It’s a different story with proof coins (the highest quality commemorative coins) though. People who collect these look for perfection, and milk spots can be ugly. Dealers, however, are often lenient – understanding that it is mostly the precious metal content of the coin that is valuable.
Should I remove Milk Spots?
We would advise an “avoid if possible” approach to trying to remove milk spots from silver coins. Silver coin cleaning has always been a risky business and is likely to cause scratches or abrasions. If you are sure you’d like to give it a go here are some options:
- Use anti-tarnish gold and silver polishing cloths. We recommend the Town Talk cloths.
- Another method for lighter spots involves a clean, soft-white rubber. Make sure there’s no dirt on the coin and rub it gently over the mark.
- A more extreme method is using baking soda or fabric softener. Be sure to check out a reliable recipe before attempting this.
- For some really bad coins, a silver dip or chemical solvent might be necessary. Jewellery wipes can also be very effective in getting rid of marks.
In all cases, seek advice from your dealer on how to treat your specific coin, as any attempts might damage the coin further. Even the pros struggle to remove these stubborn spots sometimes.
Here To Help
If you’d like to speak to a member of our award-winning customer service team for some precious metal investment guidance, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Call us on 01769 618 618, or you can email us at sales@bleyer.co.uk, and we’ll get back to you asap.
