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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Mark Feld, post: 687874, member: 11467&quot;]The difference I see is that exposure to gases (other than in an album, etc.) is not an activity, storage or preservation method intended for coin collectors to utilize as part of their collecting.</p><p><br /></p><p>And I don&#039;t think it&#039;s intent that should or does distinguishes AT from NT. Toning caused by placing coins in a coin album, is NT, regardless of intent, while toning caused by leaving coins on top of a heater is AT, regardless of intent. Coin albums were meant to hold and preserve coins, while heaters weren&#039;t. </p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;I realize that there is no definition of AT and NT that will ever be (even close to) universally accepted. And that there will always be a large gray area between AT and NT. But I do believe that major consideration should be given to whether the coins are stored in products meant for coin coins/collectors and whether they are exposed to environmental conditions meant for coins/coin storage/coin preservation.</p><p><br /></p><p>Edited to add:</p><p><br /></p><p>Below are definitions (which I think make for a good starting point) offered by poster &quot;Sunnywood&quot; on the PCGS and NGC forums. He is an extremely knowledgeable and advanced collector of toned coins and I think he has a background in chemistry, as well.</p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;Natural toning is a process that results in the formation of oxides, sulfides, or other compounds on the surfaces of a coin during the ordinary course of events, including <p style="text-align: left"><span style="color: green"><font face="serif"><b><u>ordinary</u></b></font></span></p><p>and traditional storage methods. Natural toning results from reactivity between the surfaces of the coin and naturally occurring gaseous molecular compounds in the ambient atmosphere where the coin is stored, and/or contact and reactivity with materials such as envelopes, tissue paper, cabinet felt, coin albums, paper, cardboard, etc.&quot; </p><p><br /></p><p>&quot; Artificial toning is the inducement of <p style="text-align: left"><span style="color: red"><font face="serif"><b><u>patination</u></b></font></span></p><p>by means other than natural toning. In particular, any toning facilitated by the deliberate introduction of additional chemicals or materials not ordinarily associated with coin storage, or higher <p style="text-align: left"><span style="color: red"><font face="serif"><b><u>saturations</u></b></font></span></p><p>of naturally occurring compounds, or exposure to elevated temperatures, must be considered artificial toning. Basically, we are talking about the use of heat and/or chemicals (including gases) to induce toning formation, or to accelerate toning formation.&quot;[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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