Ode to Elevation Chromatics! (post your favorite elevation chromatics coin)

Cool

I've always enjoyed the post below and have studied the "Monster Rainbow Toned Morgan Dollars" page on the Jhon E. Cash website numerous times and so thought I'd quote Sunnywood here:

@Sunnywood said:
"Elevation chromatics" is a term coined by Brandon Kelley on his excellent Jhon E. Cash Toned Morgans website.
If you follow this link, and go down to the section where he discusses AT coins, you will find it there.

Brandon Kelley's "Jhon E. Cash" website

Basically, he coins the term to describe two phenomena that are hallmarks of naturally toned coins.

One is the tendency of the toning in the recesses of the design (at lower elevation) to be at a lower toning level (i.e. less toned, which often means a different color in the progression) than the surrounding high points. On Morgans, this is often seen in the recesses of Miss Liberty's hair, inside her ear, inside the incuse letters on her coronet, etc.

The other is what we have more often called "the pull-away effect" in which an untoned "shadow" or halo is seen on the outer (rim) side of some stars and/or digits of the date.

Both of these effects are hallmarks of naturally toned coins, where the slow and subtle toning process emphasizes fine distinctions in surface condition. For artificially toned coins, the chemical and. or thermal processes used to create the color generally overwhelm these subtleties, and create more (locally) uniform color.

For anyone looking to buy toned Morgans, it's a great idea to read and study Brandon's website, and to be familiar with these ideas of lower toning in the recesses, and the pullaway effect, collectively called "elevation chromatics" by Brandon.

Best,
Sunnywood

I think this one counts....

Mint State Indian:

Always liked this Lincoln's crazy hair:

Old post bump because I love the phrase “elevation chromatics” and seven years later I still often think of that first Morgan photo.