What is more important to you - toning, luster, strike or marks?

ANACONDA

What is more important to you - toning, luster, strike or marks?

In order of preferance, if you please.

My prioritization:

toning (a well struck coin with few marks and great luster still sucks if it is unattractively toned; a lovely toned coin is still lovely even with marks, a less than average strike and poor luster.)

marks (a clean coin with average toning, strike and luster is desirable)

strike (most coins are well struck except for for early pieces, which are still ok even if poorly struck)

luster (I like lustrous coins but even a coin with great luster doesn't stand out from the crowd)

adrian

WACoinGuy

For me the order would be: strike, luster, toning, marks. I tend to avoid weakly struck coins when possible, and I prefer vibrant luster to a well-toned coin. I'm most forgiving of marks, especially when they aren't in prime focal areas. But I'd rather have a well-struck lustrous coin with some marks than an average strike, average luster coin with no marks.

CapAnson

Marks

Strike

Luster

Toning


If a coin has the first three the the last shouldn't be too displeasing...

Purple73

1)Luster
2)Marks
3)Strike










100)Toning


PURPLE!

IrishMike

A well struck coin with decent luster and marks as long as they aren't distracting, toning would be last.

braddick

Easy decision for me:

Luster

Color

Marks

Strike

I'd love a stunningly lustrous, wonderfully toned coin. The less marks the better and the strike, although important, is a last place preference.

puff

<< <i>What is more important to you - toning, luster, strike or marks?

In order of preferance, if you please.

My prioritization:

toning (a well struck coin with few marks and great luster still sucks if it is unattractively toned; a lovely toned coin is still lovely even with marks, a less than average strike and poor luster.)

marks (a clean coin with average toning, strike and luster is desirable)

strike (most coins are well struck except for for early pieces, which are still ok even if poorly struck)

luster (I like lustrous coins but even a coin with great luster doesn't stand out from the crowd)

adrian >>



Looks like we totally agree as to prioritization right down the line here Adrian....... Now do you have any gorgeously toned Walkers at half price!

mommam17

I agree with Braddick`s order. LUSTER is the key to eye-appeal for me.

solid

It's not quite as simple for me.

Marks - To some degree. I don't really care for baggy coins with large hits or scrapes
in focal areas. Once you get up to the level of a PQ MS64 or MS65 coin, the marks
play less of a role in my decisions.

Toning - I really like attractive and originally toned pieces, but I'm picky about the
toning. I don't care much for blotchy toning. Heavily speckled toning is sometimes
pretty in the right light, but it definately detracts from the coin design, especially if
it is a busy design like some of the commems. I prefer mostly white or lightly toned
coins with original rim toning, or of course, vibrant colors that flow smoothly and
evenly and make me say wow!

Luster - On a white or lightly toned coin, luster is probably second on my list. If the
coin has great toning, that can override the luster factor for me. Naturally, I would
prefer a coin with both superb color and luster!

Strike - This is usually the least important aspect to me, so what the heck am I
doing collecting full-step nickels???

Ken

NoGvmnt

Marks, because the more marks the less "Mint" the coin looks, then

Strike, because a mushy strike makes the coin look "plain", then

Luster, because luster pushing through toning enhances the toning, then

Toning, and only specific toning, because it gives the coin character and animation.

Jim

paigowjohnny

luster
strike
marks
toning...unless I'm specifically looking for a toner

coinrookie

strike
marks
toning
luster

Numismanic

marks
luster
strike
toning

byergo

Toning
Luster
Marks
Strike

I really don't care much about strike. That is how the mint issued the coin. I'm much more concerned about the hits/scratches it obtained post production.

Nothing screams eye appeal like true rainbow toning above lustrous surfaces!

FC57Coins

1. Marks. If a coin has marks, especially in a focal spot I tend to focus on them, instead of the other attributes of the coin, and thus it makes it distracting to me.

2A. Luster. I say luster before toning, because without underlying luster, toning to me is not interesting or exciting.

2B. Toning. To me great toning adds character to what might otherwise be a common coin

3. Strike. Some coins come weakly struck, granted, the better the strike, the better the coin, but I can live with a coin that has a less than ideal strike if it has other attributes that I enjoy

mdwoods

<< <i>Easy decision for me:

Luster

Color

Marks

Strike

I'd love a stunningly lustrous, wonderfully toned coin. The less marks the better and the strike, although important, is a last place preference. >>



I agree with Braddick on this.

roadrunner

Easy for me too, but decidedly different from the norm, and this only concerns MS63 and higher:

Luster 40%
Marks 30%
Color 15%
Strike 15%

You cannot even have a MS coin w/o luster. And too many marks can ruin a MS coin. I'll always take an average eye-appeal coin with outstanding luster and relatively mark free over an eye-appealing rubbed or marked up coin. No matter how pretty, if the luster is deadened and the coin is all scuffed up, it's for somebody else.

And to me, EYE APPEAL = LUSTER. Without good luster you cannot have eye appeal in a true mint state coin.

roadrunner

mnmcoin

To me it is none of these as #1...#1 to me is if I say WOW! when I see the coin for the first time...I guess most would call that eye appeal.

morris <><

ColonialCoinUnion

<< <i>To me it is none of these as #1...#1 to me is if I say WOW! when I see the coin for the first time...I guess most would call that eye appeal.

morris <>< >>



I'm with Morris. Eye appeal is king for me - and eye appeal is generally a visceral first impression thing for me.

I have cool coins with marks and without, some with great luster, some without, some toned, others not, some well struck, others not. But its the combnation of attributes and the overall feeling that matters to me.

mgoodm3

probably Marks, strike, luter, toning.

rainbowroosie

Toning......way more important.....
Marks
Luster
Strike

lava

<< <i>

<< <i>To me it is none of these as #1...#1 to me is if I say WOW! when I see the coin for the first time...I guess most would call that eye appeal.

morris <>< >>



I'm with Morris. Eye appeal is king for me - and eye appeal is generally a visceral first impression thing for me.

I have cool coins with marks and without, some with great luster, some without, some toned, others not, some well struck, others not. But its the combnation of attributes and the overall feeling that matters to me. >>



EYE APPEAL RULES! It necessarily takes into consideration the other factors. If any of the other factors become a distraction, then THAT factor is the primary concern for that particular coin.

aem4162

i don't know...it just has to look pretty or it has to look like it put in a good day of work when it was being circulated

Baley

For me, for white Unc. coins:

Luster... first and foremost, a white unc. coin must be lusterous
Strike ... I want to see those details
Marks ... Nothing obtrusive, and the med and small ones must be fortuitously located
Toning ... a light light mellowing is acceptable

For toned Unc. coins:

Toning ... it's about the color, man, dig it?
Luster ... goes with the color, makes em shimmer, dude!
Marks ... can be a little free and easy with the marks, if the eye appeal is still good
Strike ... not as important, but still want it average or better

For circulated coins;

Toning ... this is the natural coating coins get if normally circulated
Remaining luster/surface preservation ... in the protected areas, and in the quality of the fields
Strike ... still want to see as much detail as possible, but the grade is the grade.
Marks .. don't want damage, but the lower the grade, the lower the grade...

BigMoose

I agree totally with Braddick. Luster is #1, followed by color, marks and strike.

keets

#1.---Luster. A highly lusterous coin reaches out as well as a nicely toned coin with the addition that a truly lusterous coin will show even through tone.

#2.---Strike. It's really hard to seperate strike and luster since the latter is a function of the former. Luster, though, can be seen at a distance while strike needs to be seen close-up.

#3.---Toning. For me, it's hard to gauge toning because it's a subjective preference and comes in so many different styles. I like softer, pastel toning which can be enjoyed while also revealing the coin's surface instead of hiding it.

#4.---Surface marks. Unless they are very prominent, contacts often require a closer look and can sometimes be hidden. Plus, if they're in a non-focal area, they don't bither me too much.

not bad for a dinosaur, huh??

al h.

relayer

Strike
Luster
Toning
Marks

prooflike

LUSTER - I don't like 'dull' coins
MARKS - just above STRIKE as I think MARKS can be more distracting than a weak strike
STRIKE - just below MARKS
TONING - I don't think TONING is 'all that' compared to the above three, but it can add appeal to a coin and I do appreciate an original skin vs. freshly dipped.

seanq

<< <i>Marks, because the more marks the less "Mint" the coin looks, then

Strike, because a mushy strike makes the coin look "plain", then

Luster, because luster pushing through toning enhances the toning, then

Toning, and only specific toning, because it gives the coin character and animation.

Jim >>





Although I could flip the last two depending on my mood.


Sean Reynolds