This came from a single proof set. I had to take the coins out since some of the coins broke their "walls" - so to speak - and were touching other ones. I actually bought this a while ago, but I figured since I was home now and not doing anything I'd try to photograph them. The Cent - the obverse was hard to photograph, but the reverse has a kind of target toning on it. The Nickel - violet (reverse is the same) The Dime - some reddish on one side (reverse is the same) The Quarter - nearly all russet The Half - similar to the quarter, but not as intense
I would have to see the coins in hand. Certain toning I like and others I detest. At my local coin shop had some toned coins this week that were priced higher than coins with better strikes(in my opinion).
Yeah, it's hard to photograph, and seeing them in hand is better, but the Lincoln cent is definitely the coolest
yup, I have another set, 1964, but only 3 of them were toned, and not this nice (except the nickel was the same).
Thanks Sorry to bump this thread, but I got a better picture of the cent (edit: not as better as I thought)
I've seen this happen on 1961 proof sets before. Strangely enough, it does seem most prominent when the inner seals have been broken, and the coins are loose. Perhaps there was a slightly different composition to the plastic envelope that cause it to become brittle with time, but also caused toning of the coins. I'll bet I've seen half a dozen 1961 sets just like this. They're nice!