My first toned coin purchase (w/ pics)

Blade

I took the plunge today on my first seriously toned coin. It is a 1945-S Merc in NGC MS68. Sure, I've got those fun blue and lavender proof nickels and a few silver coins with roll toning. But nothing like this! Check out the reverse which looks to me like a blue lake that is on fire.





Enjoy!

nwcs

WOW! That is a BEAUTIFUL coin! Congrats on it. It looks great!

gmarguli

It's a nice looking coin. Based on what I've heard, the coin will match the picture well. TBT takes accurate photos.

KlectorKid

Nice coin, TBT sure does have some nicely toned coins

Tonekiller

Great coin. This was one of ANACONDAS coins we had for consignment awhile back. Glad things worked out Tom.

TBT

Blade

TBT... How could you guess? Bryan has definitely developed his own photographic style. This is actually an Anaconda coin on consignment through TBT. I've been told by Adrian that it looks even better than the pic. Can't wait to get it and see.

Edited to add: Bryan, you are too quick for me. Thanks for hooking me up on this one.

shylock

That's the type of toning I love, kudos Tom! Perfectly blended on a lustrous surface, and the reverse toning highlights the design to boot. Insanely nice.

Tonekiller

I am just happy to have helped in the corruption of turning another boring white coin collector to the color side.

TBT

Clankeye

That's real nice, Tom. As much as the color in the scan, I find myself admiring just how well struck it is. I don't collect Mercs, so that is by no means any expert opinion. But, I guess I would be surprised if any specialists said they disagree.

Carl

Blade

Scan looks like a good strike to me too (full nose, etc). It darn well better be since it graded 68 (realizing NGC surely gave a bonus pt for the toning). I'll be curious to see how close it is to FSB.

TomB

It's a beauty. There was a relatively enormous hoard of '45-S Mercs that turned up about a decade ago and most were slabbed MS67/MS68 by NGC. They all have that type of toning that is on this coin.

Blade

Tom,
Yep, Heritage's auction archives pulls up several in the last year alone that look something like this. Most have a mottled tone, where this one looks fairly clean, in scan at least. If it was rare, I sure couldn't afford it! As a type collector, I am generally ambivalent to dates... whether this is a 45-S or the identical coin in 16-D. (Well, ok, if it was a 16-D in NGC MS68 with this kind of toning, I could probably retire). But you get my point.

Dave99B

Toned Mercs rule. Yours is just lovely. And oh, what a reverse.

Dave

Blade

Oops - Somehow double-posted. Deleted the second.

jbsteven

blade, beautiful mercury!

check this one i got yesterday (wish TBT would have taken the photo)

Blade

JB -
That is sweet, and oh-so original. Love it. Looks FSB from the pic. What did it grade?

toners

Nice one, I have one from the same hoard, NGC MS 68 almost identical twin to this coin.
THanks
Allen

jbsteven

blade, it is a ms65 with a shot at a 66

toyonakataro

Nice color.
Is it the one from Heritage Bullet sale?

CoinResource

Blade,

Way cool coin. Love how the tone highlights the central image on the reverse. Good find!

Any of you guys going to the San Antonio show next weekend? (Small TX show)

-cr

barney

Sehr nett! (very nice)

barn

jbsteven

my dime is from a dealer in Houston.

Morganluver

Tom B is right. There was a rather large hoard of those (check NGC pops for those) sent to NGC and many of them looked very similar to that one. I've sold a few of them the past year or so and the prices ranged from around $185-350. I believe this one was around the top of this price scale.


Allen, I think that the one you have was from me, but maybe not. If I recall, it was a very nice one too.

Bulldog

Blade,

Run before you get the bug. See your Dr. get some pills, See your accountant, get some advice. See your counsellers, let them know that you are heading down the path of total financial ruin.

Nice coin, Congrats.

Bulldog

Blade

Bulldog,
Probably good advice. If I stick to type collecting, at least I won't go completely crazy like some of the Morgan guys! (No offense intended GSA guy & others)

Morganluver - I picked it up for way under the $325 BIN. I waited for it to go through 3 auctions with reserve not met before I made an offer that is comparable to the going rate on these. Picked it up for less than 5% over cost (or so I am told).

Morganluver

Good dealing Blade, that looks like one of the nice ones with smooth even toning and great luster. I'm sure you'll like it.

michael

superlative!!!!!great eye appeal and toning.........

sincerely michael

CharlieB

You got yourself a real winner. Every collector has to have at least
one super looking coin like that. Show that to a serious merc
collector and they will probably offer you the sun for that one.

dpoole

I'd heard about that hoard. I picked up one of them on Ebay in April, 2000, an NGC MS68 (photography's not as good, but you get the idea).

The signature feature is that blast of white up the fasces on the reverse.

Question: how did that singular feature come about, you toning folks think, for an entire group of coins??

Elcontador

Tom,

After buying a beautiful toned coin like that one, you'll be reaching for a barf-bag when you see your next blast white high end silver coin!

I also collect type & a year and a half ago, Dean Albanese showed me three late date Seated Dimes in 6. They were all attractive for the grade (most of his stuff usually is), but the one that had russet toning on its obverse & reverse rims IMO "had my name on it," and that's the one I bought.

Blade

TTT - I would love to know the answer to the question posed by dpoole. How would a significant number of coins tone blue on the obverse, blue/red on the reverse with an untoned strip up the middle? Roll toning comes to mind but I can't figure out why the obverse and reverse would be so different. If the high points of the design precluded toning, why would it only affect the reverse?