Why are toned coins so popular?

Let me say up front, I am not trying to belittle toned coins or to put down those who collect them. I am really trying to understand.

I just don't get it. What is so attractive about a coin which has been so disfigured? I know people love them, but I just don't understand why. I would never buy one, at least not unless it was at a considerable discount. I find all those colors too distracting and disfiguring. Give me a nice clean BU coin any day.

So please, can we have a civil discussion of what makes them attractive to you. It is just one of those aesthetic things which cannot be explained? Or am I missing something more?

 

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Because they are unique. If you take a blast white MS65 morgan, it will look like every other blast white 65 morgan out there. If it has attractive and unique toning, it is one of a kind.

 

+1
Edit: Also, metals are reactive, toning does occur over time. Collectors prize original surfaces, and toning attests (or so we hope) that a coin has not been recently cleaned.

 

But there are plenty of ugly things in the world which are unique. That to not make them attractive.

 

Some of the toning that silver takes is so BEAUTIFUL!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

Indeed. Every circulated coin in my pocket right now is "unique", too, but I'll guarantee that they wouldn't bring a premium due to their "unique" patterns of dings, scrapes, and worn areas.

Toned coins bring a premium because some people think they're attractive. But it's also apparently important to really believe that they were toned "naturally", with the chemical contaminants that impart color deposited over a long time, rather than quickly in a lab -- never mind that the deposited compounds are exactly the same either way.

 

If everyone liked the same thing, which automobile do you think would take over the market?

Chris

 

Attractive toning adds another dimension of artfulness to coins. (which already are artful)

 

This is why ugly toned coins do not go for a premium, only pretty ones.

 

Idk, they're pretty. SOMETIMES.
I've seen people with disgustingly hazed Ike's fawn over the "toning".
I like just a bit of color around the edges, I not a fan of crazy rainbows.

 

they are beautiful, sometimes.

 

It is the eventual presentation of every metal, It says that the coin has some originality.
Weather or not Nt or At, Buy what you like.

 

I think there are some very nice looking toned coins, and some very not nice looking toned coins. I think that matters more than just having toning when it comes to adding (or subtracting) value.

 

it's all in the eye of the beholder. I love toned coins. blast white coins look very boring to me on some coins. granted I have bought ultra cameo white Canadian coins and like them a lot. at the present time I am doing a toned Canadian caribou quarter set 1937-1967 and toned 50 cent collection 1937-1967. toned coins have so much character and are very pretty to me. with time you can tell which coins are artificaly toned and which ones look natural.

 

how old are you ? and how long have you been collecting coins ?

 

here are a few of my toned coins that give me the warmest fuzzy feeling inside me.... that bring me great joy...











need I say more ???

 

I really like attractively toned coins. It shows originality and character. In fact recently I've gotten away from collecting anything in blast white, particularly in my morgan and peace dollar collection. Because they all started to look exactly the same.

That being said, I won't go out of my way to buy a toned coin at some of the ridiculous premiums I've seen. No matter how many times a seller uses the term "monster" in their description.

 

I've only been collecting for a year and never asked the question but I assumed toning made the coin more unique. That and some of the toning just looks nice. Toning is corrosion though, and will the coin continue to corrode over a long period of time? Couldn't it become black?

 

Its color



Disfigured... huh?



Not at all...