You'll definitely have to post pics once you get it. From the original pictures you posted, I think it's gorgeous. Now the question becomes, how much did the seller change the picture contrast when taking it.
Yeah no way you could live with yourself passing on a coin like this, glad you got it. Hope it looks great in hand
I think at certain angles it will be close to this in hand. Sure, it will look different in other angles/light, but I think it will still be unique and attractive. I think he said whoever takes pics for CRO coins took these pictures.
This doesn't have an appearance like much of the toned gold I've seen. Toned gold doesn't usually have that smooth, uniform appearance, because the gold isn't what's toning - it's the silver and copper in the alloy. Gold usually tones in a different way than a Morgan. If you were to hand this coin to me raw, I'd probably call it processed/altered/artifically toned every single time. I'm very curious to see different/better pictures!
I've seen enough toned gold to know that it does indeed tarnish naturally, and even does so with only trace levels of other elements in the metal. It is the rate at which gold oxidizes and the circumstances under which it does so that are so different from the other coin metals. Those who contend that gold only tones where impurities are concentrated likely have a limited exposure to toned gold as their reference. Many have seen brilliant gold with a copper spot or two. In those cases, the coin was probably not exposed to the right conditions for the gold to tone, yet the concentration of copper / silver in the subject area was clearly oxidized sufficiently by the same environment that was not able to oxidize the gold. The coin below is toning in and around the protected areas pretty uniformly, and not in a few isolated areas where copper is concentrated. Toned gold coins are much less common because most pieces probably were not suitably exposed for long enough, and because many of those were likely dipped to meet the expectations of those either unfamiliar or unhappy with its natural look.
@ToughCOINS does this one look unnatural to you? I was told it was most likely manipulated with heat to get the color it has (Which doesn't bother me at all, I love the coin regardless)
Thanks, good to know what to look for. I love gold with character but of course prefer it to not be man made character. The annoying thing with this one is they messed with a pretty conditionally scarce coin.
Update: I sold the coin the same day it arrived. I probably should have held off for a better offer. Here are a few of my pictures, which are not great, I know. Also, look at the link for a short video of it in hand. Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BfbnrFoBlsq/?hl=en&taken-by=elizabethtown_coins