The Toning Premium Thread

How do you know its approaching black?

 

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How is that obvious? I see enough luster on the coin.

 

Ill add a different side to the story. heres how I rank the appearance of the coin in order of importance

1 Color
2 Spots ( One spot and im moving on)
3 Hits/ Marks/ Scratches ( Too many distracting hits and im moving on)
4 Luster ( Extremely dull and im moving on)

Its also important to note that charcoal does not equal almost black. Black does not equal the end of reaction with the silver (the final color).

 

Sorry , that's what I meant to say.

 

Due to different photo techniques and setups, that the obverse image is on the dark side with absence of luster is not a dead give away that the coin appears this way in hand. I've seen images that show the same coin with luster in one shot and without in another. I'm sure estimates and guesses would have been different had we known. You've spoiled us with all your sparkly toners.

Examples

 

Robec

 

I own the coin, can see it, and the color is almost black.

The luster on the reverse is blazing which is obvious from the photo. The luster on the obverse is muted which is also evident from the photo. Are you saying that you don't see the difference between the obverse and reverse? Nobody said the obverse was lackluster, only that the luster was subdued.

In my eyes, charcoal is not an attractive color and for all intensive purposes can be treated as black. Once the toning of a coin has progressed to that stage, the collectabililty and value of the coin suffers because most of the numismatic community will shy away from these coins. The reason they shy away from deeply toned coins that display charcoal toning is that most of them have subdued luster. While you may collect them, you are the exception to the rule.

I think it is important for you to understand that when someone makes a statement, it is not an indictment of your coins or collecting habits, it is just an opinion.

 

What I am saying is the black can be reversed. Everybody seems to think black is the end all result. I can assure you that it is not. I dont collect black coins. But I love purchasing them at discount.Harvest. Then Voila, A beautiful monster has emerged! Its also worth noting that if the reverse has deep luster so does the obverse. I see no difference. Real toning collectors are well aware of these factors.:thumb:

 

I would concur with Lehigh. He is an expert in toning and he says that collectors shy away and devalue charcoal coins. I would add that they are right to. I have dipped some, and seen many more dipped, black or dark charcoal coins. When toning gets even charcoal, and definitely when black, the luster is definitely impaired. Many times there is even corrosion of the metal beneath the luster, forever scarring the coin. This is precisely why coins in the old days were retoned, if when dipped there was scarring from excessive toning, coin "doctors" would retone the coin trying to hide this fact. This is why toned coins carried a negative premium for years, because toning can hide this fact.

I may not know or understand much about modern pricing of toned coins, but I know, seen, and have done that. Black toning means coin damage.

 

Who says Lehigh is an expert? Himself? .

 

I respect Lehigh's opinion. He seems very knowledgable.

Even if he is wrong I would say that any black toned coin, ESPECIALLY matte black, is damage. I have literally seen hundreds of these dipped and at a minimum the luster is impaired, but usually for matte black coins the underlying coin is corroded and pitted from the damage. If it is glossy charcoal, then usually the luster is compromised to various degrees, but usually no surface damage. All other colors usually do not greatly affect the underlying coin.

I am not sure how many toned coin collectors have dipped coins, so that is why I am sharing my experience. I do not really understand this market, but then again never understood the error coin market, so I am trying to keep my mouth shut and just read. I just thought I would share what I know from first hand knowledge.

Chris

 

A connoisseur of buying toned coins, or a connoisseur of toned coins?

 

lmbo

 

Do you have some propietary method of restoring black toned coins that is unknown to the rest of the numismatic world? If you are talking about dipping then I submit that dipping black coins is a crap shoot, and the luster on the flip side is not an indicator of how the coin will look after dipping it!

Furthermore, I refer to myself as a toning enthusiast and have been collecting toned coins for almost a decade. If anyone is declaring themself an expert in this thread, it is you, evidenced by the sentence quoted in red.

 

I would never dip a coin. You let the silver do what it naturally does. React! Jeez o peets you would think with a bachelors in metal you would have at least touched on that subject once.I am not going to jeopardize anything by proving the grand pupa of toning wrong.

 

laughing my butt off.....trying to cut down on the language