I have no idea if this question has ever been asked before, but . . . Is it possible to cause a coin to be toned? If so, How?
Yes of course it is. That is what artificial toning is. As to how, there are as many different ways as there are coins.
Sure, there's all kinds of artificial toning but coins that have AT are considered "damaged" by most collectors. There are ways to "encourage natural toning" though...some say this walks the AT line, but I don't really know. I have never tried any of the methods though so I don't really know which work or don't work. I'm sure others can advise you better.
Not sure why anyone would intentionally speed along a coins corrosion, but yes, artificial toning is unfortunatelly rampant at this time. Guy~
Take a look at coins being offered as "Monster Toning" on eBay. Some people love lots of color and are willing to pay big bucks for it. Coin doctors are very happy to provide the coins these people want.
FYI, asking for information about how to AT a coin is a very taboo subject. Collectors will brand you as a coin doctor, and the coin doctors don't want to share trade secrets. Toned coins are great. Buy them already toned and leave the AT'ing to the doctors.
Maybe then the question should have been worded, how can one identify an AT coin? See here in the islands, I live in a remote country area on a small rock in the middle of the ocean. I don't watch the TV and don't read the newspaper. I am very uninformed about dishonesty and the like. So if I seem or sound uninformed . . . it's because I am. Hey I only found this site about a month or two ago. :rolling:
This is something that comes up on every coin board all the time. I think the best way to see with your own eyes the difference between AT and NT is to play around yourself. Talking about silver here. Google "artificial coin toning" Using the techniches you read about doctor some cheaper silver coins up yourself. Then compare them to toned coins slabbed by PCGS or NGC (not to say that all the coins in those slabs are NT) I Have a morgan that I did and it fools most everyone. I used a combination of high heat and chemicals and then a subtraction process. If you are going to spend your money on toners There's nothing taboo about learning the most you can.
Another thing I will say. If you are looking at raw toners on ebay always check the seller. There are many of them who sell different silver coins with identical toning. Dead give away for AT.
Until you have extensive experience with rainbow toned coins, don't buy raw coins. It is difficult enough to try and weed out the slabbed AT coins much less the raw crap out there. There are many AT coins in NGC & PCGS holders. Some are easy to spot and others actually look so good it is scary. IMO not all AT coins are bad, I have several in my collection that are extraordinary and fairly easy to liquidate because of the NGC slab.
I always figured there were quite a few AT coins out there in top tier TPG slabs...but I don't know how to identify them. If you would be willing to post a couple pics and explain how you can tell a slabbed AT coin it could be very helpful to the rest of us. I have always wanted to add toned coins to my collection but I have always worried about AT even with slabs so I haven't really seriously considered any I have seen.
Then suppose we pose the situation this way: If a coin begins toning, and then it gets slabbed, will it continue toning? or does it stop toning once it's been slabbed?
A lot of artificial toning is easy to detect. But, if you're unsure, I'd ask here first. I know Lehigh collects some nice toned coins and could probably help you determine what is what if buying toners is what you want. Guy~
Supposedly the holders are air-tight and "freeze" the coin in time, but we all know that's probably not true. I'm sure a nice secure holder lessens the effects, but I wouldn't trust JUST a holder.
Toning is caused by the environment the coin is in. Remove it from that environment and it will stop toning. Of course you have to move it to an environment that won't cause it to tone even differently. Avoiding any toning at all is nearly impossible because it is the nature of metal to tone. Proper storage can however greatly reduce the likelihood of toning - and that is the key - proper storage.
The coin will keep toning because no slab is airtitight , proper storage like GD said will greatly reduce the speed of toning , keep moisture absorbants , in wherever you keep your coins , keep out of extreme heat , use the best holders you can afford like Intercept shields . Humidity is your worst enemy .:smile:hatch::hammer: rzage
You're right. It's not true. Slabs are not air-tight. I was talking to someone at ANA who got a call from a collector in a flooded Iowa town. His coins were stored in a safe deposit box and the bank flooded. His slabbed coins had gotten wet inside the slabs.
I own mostly toned coins and on Ebay there are people that sell "toner". There are extremes as far as what is obvious and what is natural and of course a big questionable grey area. One good start is to look at as many NGC and PCGS coins that are toned to get a feel for the color change pattern. Keep in mind many different reactants cause toning and the change in colors will differ from reactants. I have had many dealers offer coins that were AT and even had one go as far as telling me that his $20 AT coin would be worth $200 if I had it slabbed and was offended when I told him his $20 AT coin wouldn't get slabbed nor ever be worth $200. Be careful of buying unslabed toned coins off Ebay as well as from dealers until you are familiar with what to look for. Some of the prettiest toned coins were stored for years in Raymond Wayte albums and this toning will be different than the Morgan Dollars stored in bags in bank vaults.
