Would you care if a coin was AT toned if nobody could tell the difference?

Hypothetically, I would still care.

To me, there is something special or magical about a coin that has defied the odds and remained or turned beautiful on its own, over time. It's similar to an original, fragile Tiffany lamp that is over 70 years old and still well preserved, without repairs. That's a lot more impressive and special to me than a modern reproduction would be, even if it looked identical.

 

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I think that's way to broad/sweeping of a statement to have merit. At the very least, you should state it as an opinion, rather than as if it were a fact.

What do you base those statements on? Have you AT'd coins yourself and then submitted therm, or seen them AT'd and submitted? And what is the sample size you are talking about?

 

I really dislike the terms AT and NT. Like Jim said, in most cases it's the same chemistry that tones the coin. I much prefer to use "market acceptable toning" and "market unacceptable toning".

 

I'll probably get hammered for this but to me toning is just a blemish on a coin, would and have never payed extra for a coin because it has toning of any kind, natural or man made. to me it just is what it is, but if I can tell it has been tampered with(AT) then it will not get purchased, and if the dealer or seller starts talking about the beautiful toning I will walk away, do we pay a premium on coins because they were naturally exposed to dirt for a hundred years and have a thick crust on them? toning---------Just a Fad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

































that should have wound someone up,lol....hahahahahahaha

 

Wound up - doubt it, but maybe someone else. So just what do you collect that has no toning on it? It can't be copper - that has toning. Can't be nickel or silver - that all tones. I can't think of anything that does not tone eventually. Remember - the original post says you can't tell the difference. It would not matter to me - certain toning I just do not like.

 

It would matter to me in an ideal world. In this world, where I have to live with not always knowing, I agree with Thad --market acceptable or not is more important. Many times, people talk about the possibility of AT coins that are nevertheless market acceptable. But the other reality is NT coins that have the wrong look and are therefore judged market unacceptable.

 

and this is why i like to buy well struck MS detailed dipped copper. I don't care if they aren't worth anything to everyone else. I like them... and apparently so do a lot of other people. they are going for more and more every month.

I really should buy jump on the wagon and badmouth and degrade and then buy them secretly.

 

Doug, I of course, agree that it can be done. But not nearly to the extent stated in the post I responded to.

 

I know I hate on slabs, but slabbing has had this effect: There used to be a lot more coin doctors out there who would "fix" coins then retone them. Since slabs, they haven't been able to "fix" coins and get away with it, therefor they stopped retoning. Maybe a lot of the knowledge of retoning died with that generation. Two dealers I knew could retone with 99% of the people not telling, one stopped because of slabbing and has passed. The other I am not sure where he is, but he is over 80 if still around. I just wanted to praise slabs the one benefit I see is that they did slow down this generation of retoners, if not for that there would be a lot more people right now who knew how to retone well.

The knowledge is out there, though, like Doug says. I posted the 3 components in another thread of how to do it, but will not repeat them here. Maybe that knowledge should go away. I know a few other things, but they don't need to be let out either.

 

my hero

now how far has the product come. i am getting impatient

 

grandpa i also want green and red to go along with the blue. thanks

 

dont worry once bad thad finishes his work everyone will have access to toning coins

 

Buying coins like that cheaply I think would be a very wise investment. I would agree with you completely. I bought early US coins that were overdipped cheaply for the same reason.