What Degree of Doctoring Has to Be Done to a Coin Before It Isn't Original/Natural Anymore?

poorguy

Here's an interesting question. Everyone knows that most coins from the 1800's and earlier that have been in collections for quite some time have been either lightly wiped, cleaned, dipped, laquered, ect. All of these are forms of doctoring to make the coin either more attractive or make it better in some way to the current owner. The same thing applies to toned coins. There are many toned coins that have been doctored either to remove haziness, or to enhance the color or luster somewhat. When should one consider a coin doctored to the point where it is no longer original? How much doctoring needs to be done to a toned coin or to make a coin tone before it is considered Artificial? Do you feel that a light dip is doctoring a coin? Additionally, if a coin was placed intentionally in an environment where it will tone up nice and purdy, it is also doctored but depending on how long it takes to get the desired result usually determines what degree people view it as doctoring.

drwstr123

If person A places a coin in a particular environ though ignorance or nonchalance, and person B places a coin as such, is one coin NT and the other AT?

Leiana

I think intent is a large part of it. Is it the intent of the person with the coin to decieve? Is the intent of the storage environment to tone the coin?

And, of course, rapid toning is artificial.

-Amanda

clw54

As for putting a coin in an environment to tone it, you can be sure whoever did it won't divulge it voluntarily. People want unintentinally toned coins. If a long time collector stored a coin in a manner that caused it to tone--envelope, album, etc.--and somebody does the same thing to a coin with the intent of causing it to tone, collectors will pay more for the unintentionally toned coin. Both could arguably be called NT, but they're not the same thing to collectors. The debate between if a coin is AT or NT falls short because it skirts the issue of intent.