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Does toning influence getting a CAC stciker or is it strickly the grade
TopographicOceans
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Sometimes a monster toned coin can get a grade bump from a TPG as either a + or a full point (or ATS a star *)
Does toning have any influence on getting a CAC sticker or is that strictly based on the technical grade>
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Not toning so much as original surfaces. There are two things CAC considers. One is the grade i.e. is it in the top 2/3's of the coins in that grade, and the other is originality. That is why toned coins tend to get a better shot at CAC. People seem to forget the second part and think it is only grade. If that were the case then 2/3's of all coins (by definition) would Sticker, but since it is closer to the 27% (last I heard) that means there is another factor, and that is original surfaces.
In my experience being solid for the technical grade is paramount
The math is not quite right here. Just because coins are divided into A/B/C doesn't mean that the distribution is even. Furthermore, there is overlap between A coins of a given grade and C coins of the next grade up. As we all know, the general tendency for all coins is that they get maxed out over time simply because there is uncertainty in the grade but once a coin is overgraded it is left alone. Therefore over time, you would expect more C coins in a given grade than either A or B (assuming they started with a roughly even distribution).
I don't know what rules specifically CAC uses for grading toned coins, but given that I've seen a lot of stickers on monster coins that were clearly color-bumped, they certainly seem to be taking the toning into account.
Just to add to the above - the selection of coins that CAC sees is not a random (or evenly distributed) sample of the graded population. Assuming submitters have some skill, this will increase the percentage of coins that sticker relative to the percentage of all coins that would meet CAC's criteria should they all get submitted.
Since CAC is stickering coins to ultimately make offers to buy them down the road....the toning certainly plays a role in that offer....and hence earning a sticker. Fwiw, some coins will have very original surfaces and otherwise be ok for the grade....and not sticker. And that could be that the toning is too dark, mutes the luster too much, and even borders on environmental damage eating into the surface of the coin. Toning is a 2-edged sword. From what I've seen, I'd say CAC doesn't get too caught up in monster toners. If the coin is not technically the assigned grade (ie got a 1-2 pt color bump) they are quite apt NOT to sticker it.
Toning is part of eye appeal and/or luster and therefore part of the grading process. In the end, anything that influences what the coin's market value is....will play a factor in earning a sticker. As far as I know no TPG, and not CAC grade solely on technical merits (ie no consideration for higher eye appeal). While there might be some dealers and collectors who only grade by technical merits (ie disregarding exceptional eye appeal) they probably don't end up with too many nice coins, which typically take strong money to buy. In fact, they probably end up with more lower end coins in their holdings having marginal eye appeal. And to be accurate, there is also a camp that often ignores technical merits, instead focusing almost entirely on general eye appeal/toning.
Toning is part of the grade. You just gotta get over that fact....