How to tone coins

I just wrote articles about some of the coin toning methods I have come to know and I thought some of you may be interested in learning how coin doctors alter coins. Also learn how to make your own W-R albums and how to make a not quite convincing but very beautifull toned coin in a few seconds on your stovetop, and the real methods that yield undetectable AT coins.

Here is the link:
http://www.greenhornmining.com/?category_name=toning

Enjoy,
-Svdharma

 

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Interesting article. I'm sure that more than a few feathers will be ruffled......

 

Thank you for proving my point!

 

Very Interesting, Svdharma! Thank You for posting!
Steve
P.S. Welcome to the Forum!

 

Yeah, when I posted the same thing on CC forums they removed the link, saying I could not link to outside pages. So I copy pasted it into the thread, and this morning I am banned, thread deleted, no indication as to why. Talk about ruffled feathers.

 

I dunno, tho I appreciate the effort in taking the time to compose this material, Im divided between
1. I wish you didn't do that because it will only encourage new 'coin doctors'
vs
2. Im glad you did, now people will stop buying and paying a sellers self imposed premium, because they can't trust if its natual or artificial.

Its kind of like stumbling across instructions on 'How to make a homemade bomb' on the internet. interesting but you know it would never be used for positive purposes

 

Yup, that looks pretty much like what I'd been expecting. I sort of went overboard with the chemistry-set stuff as a kid, and I've never really lost interest in it, so it's been tempting to try this kind of "experimentation" -- I've got a few ideas for techniques that are a little more sophisticated, and might produce better results -- but those multiple-of-book-value premiums would present a terrible temptation if I succeeded. Besides, H2S stinks so bad. Better to not even start.

 

I thought i heard something years ago, about using a potato to encourage toning...cant remember the specifics tho.

 

You slice open a potato but a silver coin in it and bake it in the oven for around 15 to 20 minutes at about 250 to 350 degrees,,,
Remove and rinse under cold water for a few minutes and pat dry....Bingo instant toned coin. only to be used with silver coins.

 

Just call me Big Bird!

While I realize that if he didn't write something like this that others would, but that still doesn't justify putting stuff like this on the internet for others to use at the expense of coin collectors who happen to like natural toning.

By the way, this doesn't benefit legitimate collectors with any added knowledge of how to detect AT. All it does is give them the heebie jeebies.

Chris

 

The reason I decided to post this stuff is because virtually anyone who researches the topic can figure this out in an afternoon, and confirm it within a few days of experementation. Therefore I thought it would be best for others to also have this information. Kinda like the "if everyone has a gun" line of thought with gun control.

I agree that these are not very sophisticated methods. From my experementation, I would say that I only scratched the surface in this article. However, I have never seen a coin that the best coins produced by this method cannot rival. More sophisticated methods give you a higher success rate or more control over the final product, but not a more "natural" looking product.

I have been toying with the idea of using a wax resist with the liver of sulfur to make business cards. I would definitely do it if I where a coin dealer, but people would probably just look at me funny in my line of work. I can say that all the change I have spent in the last few days has been "monster" toned. lol.

 

Believe me, you will be able to tell with every method except the album method. The full rainbow on silver has to be done very slow relatively speaking with a very weak solution and that right there is going to rule out the majority of the wana-be CD...
You can get extremely aggressive with nickel/clad and that is probably the reason those populate Ebay.
You absolutely missed a hole category using electrolysis. This method can create killer rainbows on silver, but will not work with anything else but silver. This method is probably outside the scope of wana-be's cause it takes a little effort to learn and a lot of trial and error to get the solution at the right strength, along with contact points, and the amount of voltage used.

 

My idea of electrolysis is to put the coin in the fish tank that has the electric eel in it. Water and voltage don't mix well with most folks.....

 

It's a lot easier to just buy them wouldn't ya say?

 

HAHA funny you say that, I actually have a couple of Ike's in my fish tank for decor LOL ...and dang it, that might be another method since those have changed color as well... My catfish likes to set on one!

BTW: You can call the electrolsis method "Anodizing Silver"... I anodize aluminum gun frames, so it wasn't hard to mess with Silver for giggles...

 

Anodizing, IIRC, refers to oxidation, while coin toning usually relies on sulfides. I have not played with electrolysis very extensively because am personally kind of leary of "wet" processes, it seems more "natural" to use sulfur gasses instead of sulfur solutions, and because I am happy with the more complex methods I have developed.

 

Regardless of method we are talking endgame, and anodizing my friend is scary. You mask one side and use a crescent wire, and bam! You have a work of art... Anodizing lays a semi controlled layer of sulfur that can be stunning! However it's looks to perfect, and can be detected by PGC's...

 

I played with it using a wall wart and a few different solutions and I never managed to make anything that looked real and had good color. Good techniques for my silver jewelry, though.

 

I cant believe I am watching this happend before my eyes.Are you guys seriously casually talking about ATing coins???? I highly recommend nobody use his techniques that will produce trash!

 

Looks like somebodies feathers are ruffled.