Very interesting observation

dwood

Hello.
My name is David, and I collect world coins.

I have ventured to the darkside and noticed something quite remarkable. Most countries were minting coins before the US even existed, and most of them using the same metals and similar processes as those of the US Mint's. Yet, finding "MONSTER TONED" world coins is not an easy task. You would think that a country like Germany, who has been minting in silver, and in large quantities for over 500 years, would have produced similarly toned coins to that which we see in the Morgan dollar series?

Rather curious to me.

MadMarty

<< <i>My name is David, and I collect world coins. >>



David, seek professional help ASAP!! Those people on the darkside are evil!!

DennisH

Hello David!

As one who collects both 17th century talers and Mint State Morgan dollars, I can VERY much appreciate you comment about monster toning.

All I can say in reply is, your observation tells me that you see the situation for exactly what it is!

-- Dennis

gsaguy

David,

You ought to see the set of toned proof Iranian coins I bought today! OUTSTANDING.

GSAGUY

P.S. One of the prettiest toned coins I've ever seen, and one that I regret to this day that I didn't buy, was a toned proof piece out of Germany. Oh what a coin. But that was many years ago and I was young and foolish...........as opposed to being old and foolish today.

cosmicdebris

dwood

Dennis,
As a screaming neophyte to the darkside, I can tell you it took me about 2 days of studying various thalers before the realization hit me in the face like a ton of bricks. I'm sure the toned MONSTER THALER OF DEATH is out there, but they aren't everywhere, like Morgans and even Statehood quarters. It really makes you wonder.....

Twowood

Truly an interesting question but I've also wondered why toning seems to be an American phenomena. But judging from the toners shown on this thread it's not exclusively us, although,we seem to have the market cornered.
Explanations please! Twowood

Oh yes...Is toning as widespread among the very old U.S coins as it is with 19th and 20th century silver?

Pushkin

Zerbe

Its GREED GAS!!

nwcs

Another factor is that mintages in Europe don't need to be the same as here. And their storage facilities may have been different enough to keep monsters from being produced. And did Wayte Raymond sell his albums to coin collectors there? But saying that, I have a few pleasingly toned foreign coins. Not that many, though, as my focus is on US coins. But I've been inspired again by Clankeye to look back into foreign again a bit.

dwood

nwcs,
See if you don't notice the same thing I have. The toned coins are out there (there is proof!) but nowhere near the numbers we see in US coinage, even taking the differences in mintage into consideration.

Your thought on the mintage is valid, and has been suggested by one or two on the darkside, but though the mintages for each particular thaler may be surprisingly low due to design/ruler changes, I suspect the planchet composition remained somewhat constant (similar to US coinage). I don't know this for a fact, but it doesn't seem logical that the planchet compositions would change with each design change as well (and maybe the planchets are the culprit?)

Still, it begs the question. Why are US Coins found toned in disproportionate numbers to World coinage?

Pushkin

Askari

Probably two not unrelated reasons. First, there's not really a premium demand for them and, secondly, that means collectors aren't busting their butts trying to doctor and sell them. Should the demand change sufficiently, the doctors will migrate eventually.

I also suspect that, with such much smaller populations and mintages, that a greater percentage entered circulation and stayed there. Frequent wars probably also played a role in that silver was more often "recycled" -- melted and restruck.

ANACONDA

"Yet, finding "MONSTER TONED" world coins is not an easy task..."


good observation......i have tried to keep my eyes peeled for monster dark side coins and dwood is right, not common...but also not generally a fortune if and when you find them......

Lakesammman

Are you saying the darkside coins have been dipped??

Coin handling must play a part too - cardboard holders, tissue, etc. I hear what your saying but I'm hesitant to accept what you say at face value after 2 days of research.

gmarguli

You can find lots of nicely toned Darkside coins. Maybe not the "Monsters" that you are thinking of if you have been looking at Morgan dollars, but stunningly toned Darkside coins are out there.

pmh1nic

You could ask the same question about Peace Dollars, Barber coinage and maybe other types of U.S. coins. My understanding is that you don't see anywhere near the same number of monster toned Peace Dollars versus Morgan's because of the solution used to wash the planchets. This fact along with differences in mintage, storage, numbers saved, etc. could explain why you don't see a lot of monster toned Peace Dollars.

I know next to nothing about world coins but I wonder whether some minor differences in the production process might not account for what dwood has observed.