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Coin toning can be faked. Can blazing luster be faked?
abcde12345
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I see with some series the pendulum swinging away from toned coins to brilliant specimens. The recently discussed 1930-S MS65 Mercury dime that sold for multiples is an example of that. We all know bright rainbow toning can be either enhanced or completely magically doctored on a coin. So, can blazing, brilliant luster? I'm not talking about dipping a coin yet instead of taking a somewhat lackluster or dull coin and turning it into a cartwheel masterpiece.
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Techniques have been used in the past, (whizzing), but I don't know of a truly CONVINCING way to manufacture luster. (I'll let the real experts tell me if I'm wrong....)
You cannot impart luster to a coin. It's a result of tremendous pressure and the striking of two dies together. Once it is minted it can only go downhill from there. You can help preserve the luster by protecting the coin but that's about it.
bob
Not in any way that would be convincing. Luster has a certain look to it that can't be easily replicated.
TurtleCat Gold Dollars
I don't think the luster can be faked. However it would be nice though if it could be improvised on.
As mentioned earlier, whizzing was done to attempt to simulate original mint luster. This was quite common during the ten years before the introduction of slabs and I'm sure continues today. Because so many collectors are not able to detect surface alterations this has proved to be quite profitable for the bottom dwellers of the hobby. Original luster can't be faked because it involves the movement of metal under great pressure and whizzing has a completely different look on close examination.
I believe luster is an excellent indicator of original condition - though not all original condition coins demonstrate luster - and through the many years I have been collecting, I have never heard of a method to impart luster. True, whizzing can make a coin look 'new', but that is shiny metal, not the luster that comes from tons of pressure and metal flow. Cheers, RickO
Matt Proof coins have a flat luster created at the mint by sand blasting the coin's surfaces. I imagine some scammers have taken well struck mint state coins and used sand blasting to create fake matt proof coins.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
And luster varies among denominations, and years struck, mints, die conditions, etc.
Early year walkers have different luster from later years, as an example, more satiny
rather than blazing cartwheels.
Agree very difficult to fake, at least the experts anyway.
What about lasers used on Proofs? I think it's purpose was to hide marks - but don't what it did to
the luster - if it enhanced or diminished the reflective, watery look?
Just dip the snot out of a coin, and you can strip it of ALL of its luster. I did that when I was about 15, and ruined a ChBU Standing Liberty quarter.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
No.
https://pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase/2819
The coins were not sandblasted to create the matte effect. This was done by treating the dies used to manufacture the coins.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
If artificial toning becomes (near) impossible to recognize from genuine toning, I see the day when sophisticated collectors will abandon collecting them in favor of original, sparkling gem lustrous examples.
When you think about it, really all toning is fake, it's just the market/some collectors accept certain kinds.