Featured What You Need to Know About: The Science of Toning

I have challenged dozens of so called "coin doctors" to show us a coin of their creation that can get into TPG plastic. So far, I'm undefeated.

Now I understand that their are coin doctors capable of fooling the TPGs some of the time, but I promise it isn't easy, the group is small, and none will publicly reveal their secrets.

 

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I've spent some time lately researching various processes and am planning on conducting some experiments myself. This is just so I can better identify types of AT even though I tend to avoid toning in general. I'd be surprised if lots of coins aren't slipping into holders based on what I've found, but that's reassuring to hear Leghigh suggest otherwise.

 

Fair enough. I'm not going to bother with figuring out the techniques for emulating the splotchy natural toning... since I'm not going to try to fake the effect on real coins because I'm not that kind of person. I'd rather work on creating stunning artificial toning on my fantasy coins. All I'm saying is that it's totally doable and that people who think "natural" toning adds a great deal of value to coins are opening themselves up to fraud. Keep the value of toning low and it will not be worth the time for a faker to bother with.

 

A coin doctor that's a fan of blaming victims? Never would've seen this coming.

Your logic applies to anything that has enough value for a counterfeiter to turn a profit. If only we had kept the value of Morgan and Trade Dollars low, fakers wouldn't have bothered with it!

As if something like that would be possible. At the next big ANA show we'll just all decide toning doesn't have value, and that all toned coins must sell for no premium, and that'll get ridda' the coin doctors!

People's preferences are always subject to change, and the demand for toned coins is certainly subject to fluctuations. But barring the destruction of numismatics as a hobby, and people being attracted to pretty colors, the demand for toned coins isn't some on/off switch.

 

At least counterfeiting a Morgan Dollar requires a certain level of effort, equipment, and expertise. Artificial toning is freshman chemistry stuff anybody can do in their kitchen or bathroom with minimal investment. It's easy to do extremely vivid colors that people would quickly identify as artificial. I do not doubt that a little experimentation would allow one to produce the splotchier or more random look of natural toning by introducing other materials, like various papers, between the chemistry and the silver. And then of course there is the gray area of accelerated "natural" toning, which has been alluded to here before. I wasn't wanting to get people angry... just tossing a warning out there. Good luck in your efforts to distinguish the natural from the artificial!

 

Then the wise thing is to destroy the market by making techniques widely known. Seriously.... this is very similar to the idea that we shouldn't openly discuss problems with counterfeits because some "evil Chinaman" may be listening. God forbid collectors learn anything for themselves when we can do the "right" thing and "protect" them, well, except for the fact that we can't. If it is, in fact, so easy to replicate accepted "natural" toning, we're not protecting collectors by keeping quiet, but are complicit with those pocketing from their ignorance.

 

That's the thing though, most people who believe anyone can spend a few minutes in the kitchen and create huge premiums just don't like toned coins at all. Someone somewhere would have let the cat out of the bag if it was so easy. Plenty of people have played around with some coins trying to replicate the look that gets the huge premiums and failed. I would encourage anyone who believes the other poster to play around with some coins and see for themselves that only the internet makes it sound like gradable toning with the right look can be done by anyone.

In my opinion it is just as much of a disservice to collectors to lead them to believe that anyone can spend a few minutes and create a gradable toner.

 

I taught freshman chemistry at a university as a teaching assistant for 4 semesters and had no idea I was breeding coin doctors!

You're right in that "it's easy to do extremely vivid colors that people would quickly identify as artificial," but my point, as is Paul's, is that it's extremely difficult to produce toning that fools us and the TPGs. Anybody can produce results like you have with your fantasy coins, in their kitchen or bathroom with minimal investment--but not everybody can produce the patterns on NT coins we've seen in this thread.

And the ones that supposedly can, always have a cop out of some sort. If I had the money, I'd handle coin doctors James Randi style.

 

Yep, a James Randi style challenge would work. I bet if you offered a $10k prize for the most natural looking artificial toning, you'd get numerous results that were indistinguishable. Maybe you could pool some money from a bunch of toning dealers and/or enthusiasts to offer the prize.

 

Of course you would, BECAUSE people would buy a bunch of natural ones and lie and say they made it trying to get the $10k

 

Okay, fair enough... so the entrants have to start with mint state brand new coins that they request (and pay for) from the group sponsoring the contest. They're all the same, maybe eagles... and have a little chop-mark on them to prove that they are from the sole source. If you're concerned about the difference between 90% coin silver and .999 fine then the coins used could be common-date average peace or Morgan dollars, cleaned and chop-marked as part of the project. It's not a problem to verify.

 

The chop-mark is key. I would suggest that artificial toning be acceptable as long as the coin is chop-marked to show and attest that it has been so altered. The mark need not be large as long as it is clearly discernable and difficult to remove. It might be something as simple as a stylized "AT in a cartouche. Not larger than 1/8".

 

or get some rolls of BU 1964 Kennedy Halves as the test subjects. I'd be happy to create the chop-mark punch for you.

 

Actually it is fairly simple to do. I’m not talking eggs or cauliflower, or blow torches. I’m not even a chemist and the coin shown above graded Morgan that is burgundy in color I was able to replicate that in my kitchen in a matter of 20 min. With that being said, I have other methods, one which literally takes about 5 minutes, another which takes a few days and then one that can take up to a month. I generally don’t do it to high value coins but I can tell you one thing, to get a credible tone on a silver piece, it must have a nice luster and I’d avoid dipping even if there is already a patina visible to you.