It looks like whatever the Perth mint is doing to make the coins that bit cheaper like the Funnel Webs and the Saltwater Crocs and now the Kangaroos that milk spotting is part and parcel of this lower premium price. Bluestacks Kodi Lucky Patcher
I haven't bought anything from the Perth Mint or from Canada since the milk spotting became prevalent. I initially dropped down to just buying a couple of coins to give as gifts but even those I have stopped buying. Who wants a milkspotted coin once a year? I guess I was winding down on my buying anyway so it wasn't a difficult choice to make, and at the most I was only buying a roll of 1oz Lunars and 3 coins of each series just to keep the sets going. So they probably are not feeling the pinch from me. It would be nice to support an Australian business but the quality just isn't there anymore. At least, not in the coins. I will still buy bars but I can get them second hand anyway. Shame as they had a really good reputation for quality.
Yes anyone can see that is not natural toning. Its chemical reaction and marring of the coin. The mint is totally to blame, no question.
X-Ray spectroscopy has shown that the milk spots are Silver Chloride deposits. The blank planchets are washed with Hydrochloric Acid and rinsed before being struck. If not all of the Hydrochloric Acid has been washed off then the remaining acid slowly reacts with the silver metal to form Silver Chloride (milk) spots.
Interesting, so I wonder how this MINTSHIELD product works? https://www.mint.ca/store/campaign/Mintshield-7700022?lang=en_CA product works? Has the new product stopped the milkspots? Does anyone have any 2018 silver maples and are they milkspot free?
They are claiming that it "reduces white spots" and not eliminating them. That would suggest that it is something like washing the planchets more thoroughly. The name implies some sort of coating but the name could be a marketing invention and have nothing to do with how it works. If they switched from Hydrochloric Acid to Nitric Acid then any left over Nitrates and even Silver Nitrate can be removed by heating. The Nitrates will decompose upon heating and even if some Silver Nitrate had already been formed that will decompose into the pure Silver metal and the nitrate that will decompose. I have no idea if that is what they are doing, they are keeping it a secret, but it would make sense. Another technique would be to rinse with a chemical that has a high affinity for chloride ions and therefore remove them much more efficiently.
It sounds like that it wouldn't take that much to do some of the above. A one off investment that can give you spot free coins. The worst I have ever had have been the Philharmonikers, Maples and the kangaroos and because of the spots I just don't really want to buy them. So if I stay away I would assume a lot more people would also. It would be in their interest to produce better, cleaner coins, even if it costs a little more. Clean, cheap silver bullion rounds or coins is what a lot of stackers want. Thanks for your insights Ian, Cheers.
when i first saw the title, spotted roo https://www.silverstackers.com/foru...an-mint-spotted-kangaroos.91726/#post-1084590 wow could it be new species never seen one before , the way about spotted kiwi
