Exactly. For my toned Morgans, and anybody who is regular here know that I have a lot of them recently acquired, the premium is generally about 2-3x price guide. It really depends on how badly one wants a specific coin for its color. However, these vividly toned coins that have a consistent toning pattern are NOT AT. The first dead giveaway is the fact that you can see the textile pattern, as well as vivid colors on both the obverse and reverse of the coin in question. Lying against fabric like that for years and years can create a variety of colors---surprised that the experienced collectors here would question that type of toning, as it is clearly textile in nature, and quite common. As regard the price---I have seen many more even higher. Most of those are consigned coins, and that is what the consignor is looking to get out of it for both him or herself and the consignee.
Here are my 98o and my 83o for example. These are from my personal collection. They are a little less extreme than the OP coin, but the same pattern and type of toning, but you get the idea. No way AT.
Here are another two that I own, and once again, contact patches from textile on reverses. All slabbed and no question to me that they are NT.
The images would chew up a lot of bandwidth and I'm not sure everyone would appreciate it. I'll post one below and if anyone wants to see more click on the link below. These are not my coins (well, one is). They are images I shot for a dealer last year. Lance. http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/gg37/lkeigwin/Bozarth Numismatics/12-14-11/?albumview=slideshow
I get the underlying pattern, and can see the bag toning represented strongest on the cheek,,,, but ya'll are missing the river delta,, where did them flow lines come from.. that's the extreme aspect of the coin, not the base underlying common toner pattern. Show me some others with those flow lines,, not a bunch of common morgan toners. Gbroke, yes, I do feel that way,, thank you for reminding me (us) ; ) Premium,, crazy, yes.. naked in shower, under cold water, throwing $100 bills down the drain, enjoying the hobby... baha.
Also my own. This one has been questioned due to the vivid colors. However, if you notice, the colors are PROGRESSIVE--they gradually blend into the rainbow, as opposed to looking as if it was "poured on." Definitely NT.
Lance, There is no doubt that there are thousands of Morgan Dollars that display more vibrant and colorful toning than the TT coin shown by the OP. But every coin in that link displays toning that is consistent with patterns and color schemes that are considered "market acceptable" as a result of either bag, album, or EOR toning. When you said you could show us more extreme examples, I think we all were/are expecting to see slabbed toned Morgans with toning patterns that are unique like the coin in the OP. The only coin that I have ever owned that comes close to this is a coin from the Binion Hoard with similar blue coloration and extremely strange pattern. I have no idea how either of these coins developed their toning, but I fear that both would be in danger of ending up in GENUINE slabs if cracked and resubmitted. So while the TPG's may have considered these two coins "market acceptable" at the time of grading, I personally do not consider them "market accpetable." Now I don't want to come off as one of those collectors who admonishes others for collecting what they like. To the contrary, the AT vs NT issue is a never ending debate that can really only be solved by an individual collector deciding that he either likes the toning or not regardless of the originality of the toning. That said, the "market acceptability" of the toning will weigh heavily on the liquidity of the coin at sale time and paying huge premiums for questionably toned coins is a very risky way to spend your numismatic funds.
I didn't say I'd show you more extreme examples. Just extremely colorful ones. I agree that the pattern of toning on the subject Morgan is unusual. But a couple of thoughts come to mind. One, with the number of surviving Morgans and their penchant for color and the strange ways they were stored, I'll bet there are many very unusual ones. And two, world-class graders saw the subject coin in-hand. Knowing their skepticism over doctored/AT'd coins, and their tendency to err on the conservative side, the fact that the coin was judged acceptable and cleanly graded carries more weight with me than our opinions based on photographs. Not saying the TPG's don't screw up once in a while. Perhaps this is one. It's not one I particularly like, FWIW. Lance.
One thing we forget bank mint homes were all heated by a carbon based item coal and wood etc. :devil:I unless there hair lines + thing that show the coin has been cleaned only the coin knows or the Pcgs coin sniffer:devil:h
wow that's crazy tone. The point being not crazy color but crazy pattern. Can improper storage of a coin make it tone like that. It appears to have ripples on it, I've never seen one like it. I've seen those colors before and usually they are in a no grade slab.
Yeah,, I've never seen anything like it. Lehigh gave a really good comparative. The best I could do is only to compare a small secion of a toner I have that presents faint signs of liquidy flow like this one. In between the lower stars you can see a mini-version, but the flow lines look more like a topography map than a river delta... and it's only on a very very small portion of the toning.