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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Tom Maringer, post: 172516, member: 7033&quot;]<b>Value of toning</b></p><p><br /></p><p>I too have been interested or amused by the apparent premium prices being asked (and apparently paid) for toning on coins.&nbsp; Since I make fantasy coins that are intended to evoke historical or fantasy themes, I often &quot;circulate&quot; or &quot;age&quot; or &quot;antique&quot; my pieces to make them appear older. I have several different techniques for the purpose that I&#039;ve developed that involve some combination of heat, chemicals, and/or tumbling with various media.&nbsp; Thus I have achieved various different finishes in order to make them more attractive to people interested in the THEME of the coin and the handling characteristics, rather than the mint-state of the piece. (A fantasy coin in this context is for the purpose of assisting the owner to imagine themselves in a different place and time, where the coinage would be used in everyday transactions). </p><p><br /></p><p>I could tell you about the results of some of these experiments and the techniques involved, but I&#039;m afraid that the information would be looked upon askance in this venue. The conclusion however... is that virtually ANY type of toning that can occur naturally can be produced artificially... and usually in much less time.&nbsp; With about $5000 worth of lab equipment (controlled atmosphere furnace, reagent grade gases, and a few other things) and about a year to work out the detailed recipes, I believe I could reproduce any toning you can show me. If I can do it on that sort of budget and time frame, there are many others who could do it too, and some may have already done so. </p><p><br /></p><p>So the upshot is: Toning can make a coin more attractive... and therefore may increase the value SOMEWHAT. But be aware that any type of toning CAN be faked... and value the coins appropriately. A nice paint job on a car can make it more valuable too... but the added value of the toning should never be greater than the value of the few hours of a craftsman&#039;s time it would take to achieve it.&nbsp; And... artificially toned coins should always be honestly acknowledged by the seller as just that.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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