What is PVC Damage on Coins?
What is PVC Damage on Coins?Answer: PVC damage on coins is the result of improperly storing coins in soft plastic flips. The PVC chemical in the flips interacts with the metal of the coin, creating a slightly acidic reaction, which causes residual deposits to appear on the coin’s surface. Copper coins are most vulnerable to PVC damage, followed by silver, and then gold and platinum. PVC damage appears as greenish, milky, or grey streaks or haze. In severe cases, it looks like tiny green blobs on the surface of the coin. PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride; it is an additive used in plastics to make the material more pliable and less brittle. In coin collecting, PVC is most frequently encountered in the clear plastic flips in which coins are stored. As a general rule, the softer and more pliable the flip is, the more PVC it contains. The hard, stiff, brittle types of flips (made of Mylar) do not contain any PVC. PVC res
