Question on toning

[azda 979]

Is a coin that has a dark tone worth any less than a coin say in the same grade but still has no tone or some slight toning?

Just curious

[Gary D 76]

It depends on the colour. The Americans are much more into toning than us Brits and will pay a premium for the more colourful examples. I prefer mine shiny but it's a devil getting the smell of Brasso off your hands.

[azda 979]

It depends on the colour. The Americans are much more into toning than us Brits and will pay a premium for the more colourful examples. I prefer mine shiny but it's a devil getting the smell of Brasso off your hands.

I asked because i just bought an AUNC 1817 Halfcrown and its quite dark, here's the pix, until it arrives.

[Guest Jimmy]

I have a crown with what I think has unusual toning. It is in a presentation folder and it almost looks like it is gold plated with this tone. Is this common?

James

[Gary D 76]

I have a crown with what I think has unusual toning. It is in a presentation folder and it almost looks like it is gold plated with this tone. Is this common?

James

Toning can take on many colours from a single colour to a rainbow effect. The colour as well as depending on the alloy used in the coin will also depend on the conditions under which the toning occurred.

Gary

[Red Riley 2]

Is a coin that has a dark tone worth any less than a coin say in the same grade but still has no tone or some slight toning?

Just curious

If we are talking about silver, it shouldn't matter as long as the tone is 1) patently natural and 2) is fairly even. Perhaps the ideal for some is an even greyish tone becoming somewhat paler on the high points.

[Sylvester 15]

Ah the topic of toning. It's all in the eye of the beholder really. I'm not a great fan of toning as I lean towards white coins, but I do like the steel blue tones, anything graphite or pale lustrous grey. I've seen several US collectors drooling at the mouth over olive, yellow or worse still that speckly brown, which I to be honest find fairly hideous. The rainbow tones in particular always look fake to me, more like an oil streak in the road and they do much to distract from the beauty of the coin. Although of course this would be very acceptable on Churchill crowns, anything that distracts from that design is a bonus in my book. Although I perhaps ought to moderate that slightly, as I have an Edward I penny with rainbow toning, which actually looks quite pretty, and the toning was the only reason I bought it!

[choolie 0]

I have a related question, What is this Dipping I keep hearing about? some way of cleaning a coin I understand, but how can you tell the difference between an FDC coin and one that has been cleaned?

[Peckris 579]

I have a related question, What is this Dipping I keep hearing about? some way of cleaning a coin I understand, but how can you tell the difference between an FDC coin and one that has been cleaned?

That would be Silver Dip, a propriety chemical tarnish remover. It's actually not a problem, but its use by many is a problem. You see, it works very very well, and will remove unsightly tarnish, leaving no trace. But the first instructions I ever saw about dipping coins were the best I ever read, and thank God I did.

If you are going to dip a coin - you lower it into the solution for a few seconds only. Then you remove, rinse and examine. If you judge it needs a few more seconds, then you repeat. And that's it! A coin that's been dipped in this way is as near undetectable as makes no difference. Sadly, people think "Oh Silver Dip - great! I'll drop my coin in and leave it a few minutes,then come back to see if it's worked." Yes, it will have worked. Your coin will now have a uniform silver appearance : flat, dull, and utterly undesirable. It won't look polished, far from it, but that's the best you can say.

[Rob 3,152]

Ah the topic of toning. It's all in the eye of the beholder really. I'm not a great fan of toning as I lean towards white coins, but I do like the steel blue tones, anything graphite or pale lustrous grey. I've seen several US collectors drooling at the mouth over olive, yellow or worse still that speckly brown, which I to be honest find fairly hideous. The rainbow tones in particular always look fake to me, more like an oil streak in the road and they do much to distract from the beauty of the coin. Although of course this would be very acceptable on Churchill crowns, anything that distracts from that design is a bonus in my book. Although I perhaps ought to moderate that slightly, as I have an Edward I penny with rainbow toning, which actually looks quite pretty, and the toning was the only reason I bought it!

Any hoard coin from over 700 years ago or more with rainbow toning is extremely desirable. Maybe only 1 in 1000 come out this way, the others are variously dark or bright, but typically uniform. That is why the Edward the Confessor expanding cross penny in the last Spink sale (lot 163) made £1300 hammer. Even in the 1980's it was a £3-400 coin. Tasty.

[Sylvester 15]

Any hoard coin from over 700 years ago or more with rainbow toning is extremely desirable. Maybe only 1 in 1000 come out this way, the others are variously dark or bright, but typically uniform. That is why the Edward the Confessor expanding cross penny in the last Spink sale (lot 163) made £1300 hammer. Even in the 1980's it was a £3-400 coin. Tasty.

Well i certainly didn't pay that much! £35 was my limit, it is fairly dark but when held at an angle the red, orange, yellow and green are there. Doesn't really show up in a photo though, i've tried.