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Picked up an 1878 CC Morgan (VF) at the Fairfield coin show.

 

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Been outta town only got 2 things at ha last big auction a couple beauties tho ill post em as soon as I get them didn't buy the 1804 silver $1 tho would if I won the powerball lol

 

Background History Discovered of Blue/Violet 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar Proof !!

I found out the background information (history) on this monster toned Kennedy Half Dollar Proof on another coin board and thought I would share. This information came from the owner of Key Largo Rare Coins and was corroborated by Shane at KryptoniteComics (a former business partner of KLRC) and a current very active seller of toned coins on eBay.

About five years ago, a local newspaper in southern Florida wrote a "color story" about a local coin business called Key Largo Rare Coins (KLRC). The newspaper article led to a number of local residents to call KLRC, with requests to appraise and possibly acquire several collections of old stored (packed away) coins.

One of the collections that KLRC appraised (I guess it was around 2008) had been stored in a garage at a house in the Florida Keys for a decade or more. The coins included a large number of old proof sets (still in the original mint cello) that were wrapped in newspaper and stored in boxes (from an old move) and had been untouched for years. The woman that wanted to sell the coins wanted to raise some money for Christmas shopping.

Many of the coins inside the Mint Cello packaging had toned from the sulfur in the newspapers slowly permeating into the cello packs over a 10+ year period. Shane still has some Proof Sets from that collection some of which were very "crusty", as he put it. So not all the coins in that box fared as well as this monster.

I thought this was interesting to find out such a rich history/background of a toner. This type of toning is the DEFINITION of NATURAL TONING. It happened very slowly, took a very long time, and was unintentional.

The owner of KLRC had kept this Proof Set in his personal collection since 2008, and he sold it on eBay about a month ago, where I paid $125 for it. I personally cut open that original cello pack proof set, releasing this gorgeous blue/violet Kennedy, put it in a safe-flip, and sent this coin into PCGS using their Secure Plus Service so it could be sniffed for illegal chemicals. It passed the sniffer and the eyes of 3 PCGS graders and came back PR67 about 2 weeks ago.

 

Picked up a favorite of mine on Ebay.

 

Now that is about the most beautiful Pilgrim Commemorative I've ever seen!

 

The grading on the holder is questionable but I didn't pay for that grade either. I wonder what it might grade if slabbed. I haven't received it yet but I believe the coloring on the obverse is a reflection.

 

1929 USA Mercury Dime

 

1864 USA Shield Two Cent

 

So it was improper storage?
Let's not confuse "natural toning" with market acceptable. WL, you know I like most of what you post, but you seem to have found a way to get around the "questionable color" roadblock by using the Secure Plus service. As you stated in previous posts, you have had coins come back as questionable color and then sent them back through Secure Plus where they were then graded. This baffles me since, according to PCGS, the sniffer is used to detect:

"Commonly used organic materials applied to coins include plastic resins such as Bondo, putty, caulk, wax, lacquer, varnish, acrylics, paint, ink, acetone, glue, and citric acid."

Those above mentioned 'doctoring' techniques aren't related to color at all. They are used for hiding imperfections on the surface of the coin, especially dings and scratches. Therefore inflating the coins value. In the eye of PCGS, toning doesn't increase value, the grade does.

You said it yourself: "had toned from the sulfur in the newspapers".
This toning can be easily reproduced in minutes by ways and means the sniffer will not flag. Also, the sniffer doesn't sniff for "intent".

It seems to me that PCGS is less likely to give a coin a "questionable color" body bag if the submitter pays for their premium service.

 

Most definitely improper storage. As to intent, I don't think there was any intent to deceive.

If these coins had been wrapped in newspaper for 10+ years prior to the 2008 appraisal it was for storage not for the possibility of colorful toning.

I don't remember anyone paying premiums for colorful coins in the years prior to 2000. Blast white was still King.

The only intent I see is WL intending on adding to his "Color of Money" registry.

 

GBroke, when the USMint wrapped Matte Proof Lincolns in tissue paper that contained sulfur from the years 1909 through 1916 -- and that tissue paper imparted toning colors on coins over the years ... what would you call that?

Tell me then how you would define "Natural Toning"?

Does pushing a coin into a album that contains sulfur and then seeing that coin pick up color over 10 to 20 years count?

How about Morgans that sat in sulfur laden canvas bank vaults for years? I am sure you would say "that's not natural toning but improper storage".

Your post really kind of amazes me with your moniker of "Naturally Toned". so where do all of your so called "Naturally Toned" coins come from?

 

Not sure what your point is Bob. That has nothing to do with what I said.
Intent is a mute point and has no bearing on a coin receiving QC.
I am simple stating that the premium paid for Secure Plus service appears to be "hush" money when it comes to the market acceptability of the color.

 

Again, we are talking about market acceptability, not intent or artificial coloring. I never inferred that your coins were artificially toned.

Are you accusing me of toning coins WL?

Of course many look the same. That's what happens when you buy full albums.


I didn't mean to get your panties all bunched up.

 

Book toned does not = NT... in fact, book toning is probably the easiest type of toning pattern to AT/duplicate on the planet. I've heard they even grow Book toners in a garden on gilligans island ; )

Book toned coins do sometimes enjoy a higher percentage of TPG acceptance as MA than others, which is what makes WL's coins so prominent in their appeal imo. (ie.- they present rare patterns of toning that are both pleasing and which professionals have deemed to be MA).

The sniffer btw, will pickup agents that are sometimes used to accelerate toning... PGCS does not list every element that the sniffer sniff's for, for good reason.

That coin is sweet, and I'd love to add it to my collection.. MA, or QT, or NT, or AT.... whatever.

 

Yours is super. Here is mine for comparison. Yours looks better.

 

New but what year????

http://www.cointalk.com/threads/date-help-needed.234671/

 

That's a beauty!

 

Got myself a Caligula. Ive needed him for awhile.


Caligula (37 - 41 A.D.)
AE30 AS
SEGOBRIGA, SPAIN
O: C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS IMP, laureate head left.
R: SEGO BRIGA in wreath.
Segobriga Mint
30.5mm
10.1g
Burgos 1724

 

Finally found a decent 1942-D Jeff, for a decent price too. Now I a few holes in the late 40s and a few in the 50s to fill... slowly but surely...

 

one to fill a hole, the other a minor upgrade...