Toned vs. Untoned Preferance

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

To tone or not to tone, that is the question...

 

Nice album toning (blues and purples) around the outside is best. That green mint set toning that can be splotchy is second . I don't like that spotty dark toning. I have a Morgan that toned over years in one of those small manilla coin envelops (very nice).

 

Isn't it amazing that the 99.9% of all toned coins are minted in the USA and all within the last 150 years.

Must have been a change in the climate way back then and it caused this action of distruction on "silver colored" coins. thank about it!

 

You are right, as it would depend on the amount and type of toning you are talking about.

The toning I was refering to is the kind shown by Midas with the tri-color (red, yellow and blue) hues. In fact, the honey toned nickel seem to be one which is fairly normal in older coins. The more money paid for such items the more items you will find turning up with these colors... you wouldn't want to bet on this one would you Doug?

 

I don't like wild toning and probably wouldn't buy the coin. I like a plain grey color that is pretty even over both sides of the coin because it looks natural to me. I don't think anyone would bother artificially toning a coin that way.

I also recall reading someplace that once a silver coin is toned, it is fairly well protected from any further deterioration provided it is stored with a little care. Is that correct?

 

I prefer my coins to be white or evenly gray toned. I'm not too fond at all for these rainbow coins, they seem so unnatural to me

 

there might be a million of one variety of one coin. but only one is going to look the way it does after it tones. Like a fingerprint if you will....


yes, i dug this up from a few pages under.....

 

That's a great looking coin!

I used to be partial to blast white coins. As my numismatic knowledge increased over time, I realized that silver, unless completely protected from the elements, will eventually tone as a result of chemical reaction with whatever is nearby whether it be storage in a coin cabinet, in a silk pouch, in a manila envelope, at the bottom of a mint bag, etcetera. A lot of times the toning is rather attractive, sometimes not, but this is all subjective that should have no bearing on a coin's technical grade.

While my appreciation for toned coins has increased, my suspicion has increased for coins at the extreme ends of the spectrum - completely blast white and monster toned coins - pre-contemporary coins that are blast white, as probably discussed before, raises the question of whether the coin has been dipped; and monster toned coins, while completely possible under natural circumstances, will quite often the question of whether it's been doctored.

 

GD knows my opinion on those all too well.

I have to say with me silver coins are either greyscale toned or white. I don't want to get involved with much beyond that. The most important words to me are 'subtle' and 'even', if it neither then i want it full blast white with mint bloom. I prefer cleaned coins to rainbow toned coins.

Copper coins full red thankyou.

 

I wouldn't bet on that one GD, i've been buying a fair few cleaned coins lately;

(These things look better cleaned than encrusted).



(Ex-hoard or metal detector find, looks to have been professionally cleaned when found now retoning. I do like this kind of toning though it's my fave kind).




Another cleaned coin, professionally done again. Toning process restarted looks like its going to be another nice grey one when it's done.




One more cleaned one. This time a brighter white. Looks like it had one of those yellow/olive scale tones which i generally don't find all that appealing. Although some coins look decent with it, most to me do not. I kinda hope as retonng starts it might turn to grey tone but it's very unlikely.

To me the absolute perfect tone any coin can achieve is steel blue/grey.

Although i always try and buy coins with tones like this;

 

I have to agree with Sylvester on this one; the steel blue/grey toning looks best on a coin. The picture of the rainbow toned coin above is not attractive in my opinion. It looks artificial even if it is not, and takes away a little bit of the historical accuracy from the appearance.

 

I agree Cloudsweeper. It also makes me think it's artificial. Maybe it has alot to do with US storage methods and how they are different from UK methods.


In the UK you just don't see coins with tones like that. The only British coins i've ever seen with rainbow toning are owned by US collectors and are in the US. Nearly all of the ones i see in the UK are greyscale. Some have a hint of blue perhaps.

Magentas and golds are uncommon, the only place you see it is on the perhipery of the coin and it's usually very light. We're talking rose reds more in line with burgundy rather than bright flourescent pink too.

I really hate spotty/speckled toned coins too.

 

I forgot about that. Yes i stand corrected i did see one Edward VII 1902 Proof set, the gold was wonderful. The silver had toned awfully and was rather nasty. I think the original boxes they were issued in do more harm than good and tone many rather nastily.

Another reason why i avoid proofs. Can't abide it.

Although amusingly rainbow toned hammered coins are fascinating, simply because on really poor designs such as long cross pennies and Edward I stuff it outlines the design more, design feature you wouldn't see otherwise. But on milled i find colourful toning distracts from the design, it gets in the way, it's like trying to see the design through fog.

 

I do spend most of my time collecting circulated coins it must be said. I rarely buy UNCs. Only 20th century coins are UNC.

Usually with everything else EF is suffice, if i'm lucky.