What is "tooling."

northcoin

Is "tooling", as used by ANACS merely use of a cleaning tool or does it mean some type of repair to the coin? Anyone here have any ANACS coins described as "tooled" and if so what happened to the coin to deserve that designation? I am guessing that if a coin had a hole filled in or otherwise had been used as jewelry in its prior life that ANACS would describe that as "repaired" rather than tooled? Is that a correct assumption?

lordmarcovan

One example of tooling is when a coin has had the finer details (such as Liberty's hair, for example) re-engraved on the high points, to simulate a higher grade of preservation.

braddick

Another example is when a field is smoothed from a hit or two. Although that can also be considered a repair.
I owned an ANACS "Tooled" Trade dollar that had all of the lower half reverse lettering removed. Why someone would take hours to do so back in the day is beyond me but it was a cool looking coin.

As stated, generally a tooled coin is done so to raise it a grade or two, bringing back detail that is missing.

SarasotaFrank

SCRIBING bell lines in franklin halves would be another example.

ccrdragon

Or scribing the bands on a Merc/Roosy

Lakesammman

Saw a nicely detailed chain cent recently, the fields tooled to minimize the appearance of pitting/corrosion.

topstuf

I thought it was what Luci did in her car.

Nysoto

Or removing jewelry mounts on early gold by filing and re-engraving the dentils.