Toning as Part of Grading
flyguyfl
Posts: 127 ✭✭
I have a few coins that have been stored in a safe deposit box for 40 plus years. No toning but some of these coins look like they just came out of the dies? Worth grading?
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Not sure how you could expect anyone to give you relevant advice with such limited information.
What type of coins? What type of condition? How about some pictures? (emphasis on the pictures)
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Why don't you throw a third thread up on the subject as a tiebreaker?
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Waste of time.
Are they coins you bought fresh from the mint in 1980; i.e. 1970s coins, or are these older AU/MS coins from your youth that you have been storing for 40 years?
Don't fret with the responses. They (coins) could be worth it, though few of us are able to effectively answer the question without more information. I feel ya with " waste of time", regarding answers. However most of us are quick to respond, ignorantly.
Toning is not part of grading, directly. Toning comes under "eye appeal". And I appeal to you to show the coin(s).
Worth grading? If from the 70's or 80's, probably not. If from the 40's thru 60's, maybe. If prior to 1935, probably. Special circumstances exist tho. Toning may appeal to a perspective buyer but not so much to a grader. Luster, however, is important.
USAF veteran 1984-2005
None of us (not “few of us”) are able to effectively answer the question without more information. Hopefully, by “ignorantly”, you only meant ignorant of relevant information about the coins in question.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
OP - more data needed!
If your coins look as prestine when they went in the vault congrats. Whether they worth grading cost a project you need to research / inventory. You need to get up to speed take responsibility learn about grading valuation. Take a look at the PCGS grading standards. Pick up a recent copy of CDN CPG so you can get big pic overview. You could shop them around at a show. Take an inventory of them and then come back and we can go from there.
Toning is a fancy term for tarnish. Tarnish results from reaction with the atmosphere. There are many who pay good money for toners. However many investors prefer coins which are brilliant with super luster. Not a fan of tarnished coins. Given enough time they can tarnish worse. Or be AT.
A friend sent 20 toners to CAC recently. None came back stickered. A sobering thought. No toners for me.
To me, heavily toned coins can make a coin a real bear to grade. It tends to hide the underlying luster which I believe is a key factor to how well a coin will grade.
Doesn’t really surprise me that those coins that went to CAC were turned down.
I’m like RickO, I prefer blast white silver where I can fully evaluate the luster ( if any) to accurately grade.
The one coveat, I don’t collect silver😂
This is what I really believe, though!👍
A friend sent 20 toners to CAC recently. None came back stickered. A sobering thought. No toners for me. @Cougar1978
Doesn’t really surprise me that those coins that went to CAC were turned down. @HillbillyCollector
I'm not certain what to make of the initial snippet from @Cougar1978 other than a warning to be careful, but this can be applied to all coins. The 20-coins sent by a friend might have all been AT, or perhaps overgraded or worked on some other way in the past or even all accurately graded, but just not to CAC standards during that examination event. The fact that they were toned might or might not be relevant, but I would be highly suspect of the numismatic knowledge and "eye" of the friend on a zero-of-twenty CAC submission if they were all owned by the friend and the friend thought they had a legitimate chance of receiving a CAC sticker. If they were sent in for clients then that is different and if they were sent in to see what stuck to the wall then that is different, as well.
The reply from @HillbillyCollector collector has me wondering, as well. The success rate at CAC has much more to do with the knowledge and "eye" of the submitter than anything to do with toning on a coin. Heck, there are some folks who submit almost nothing but toned coins and their success rates are wildly high, even when the coins submitted would not be considered inexpensive.
Knowledge of numismatics means more than most anything else.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
All quiet correct! Perhaps I let my bias against heavily toned coins shine through.
Thanks for the reality check!👍
Yes MFeld, I meant we are ignorant of the facts needed to give a satisfactory answer. We are left with more questions than the OP left us.
And a "few" here are clairvoyant, I think, or at least they've portrayed the fact that they know it all. . That's why I didn't type "none" of us. A few may know the answer. We just don't know. It's a yes or no question.
It really comes down to the individual coins. A generic 40 year old coin with nice toning can fetch a significant premium. What might seem to be a generic coin that is in pristine condition could fetch a nice premium. A "generic" coin that just happens to have some unique striking feature (doubling) could fetch a significant premium. Very clear pictures of both sides of the coins on the forum can get you some very accurate assessment of the value. Taking them to a trusted dealer could do the same.
Also it is function of buyer preferences. Some rabid on toners pay lots money. Me prefer untoned or just lightly toned (if enhances) - dark, dull toners no thanks.
I have no idea why they all failed at CAC (a complete shutout!) or how they were procured (same source?). Obviously CAC saw something they did not like. Not my place tell you what to buy but for me will stick with non toned. My other concern if I invest in big ticket toner (non CAC) will my customers wonder why no sticker.
Yours or ours?
You created the thread, follow throught with it, tell us what you have so we can advise you
Just don't shut down and make it our fault!
Mike
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