Why are certain silver coins hard to find with colorful toning?

fivecents · November 23, 2003 12:27AM

Peace Dollars, Walking Liberty halves and Uncirculated Silver Ike Dollars are very difficult to find with colorful toning compared to the other silver US coins.
Does anyone know why?

ClausUrch · November 23, 2003 12:31AM

I believe it was the acid wash used to rinse the planchettes (sp?) prior to striking.

fivecents · November 23, 2003 12:41AM

ClausUrch.....Then why would coins from the same years but different series readily tone?

ClausUrch · November 23, 2003 12:44AM

Good question...Anyone have an answer???

coinrookie · November 23, 2003 1:29AM

In the case of the Peace and Ike dollars, I think an arguement could be made to their relative unpopular status. I think that these coins were probably not collected in great numbers and stored in environments that promote colorful toning. Bags, albums and envelopes with a high sulphur content. As far as the WL`s are concerned, there are I think a fair amount of colorful pieces. I just can`t afford them. This is probably a really off the wall theory. But hey, anything is possible.

Steve

XpipedreamR · November 23, 2003 1:31AM

<< ... Peace dollars... unpopular status >>

coinrookie · November 23, 2003 1:36AM

I love Peace dollars. Actually I prefer them to the king of all dollars, The Morgans. Let`s face it though, Peace dollars are treated like the red headed step-child. Maybe unpopular was the wrong word. Let`s go with less sought after

XpipedreamR · November 23, 2003 1:40AM

Actually, it's good...more for us!

nwcs · November 23, 2003 1:42AM

A number of factors: planchet preparation, how the mint stored the finished coins, how collectors saved/stored them, the popularity of the coins, how likely the coins were cleaned, air conditioning, etc.

darktone · November 23, 2003 2:36AM

Also the coin doctors know that most would be pretty skeptical if large amounts of these coins started showing up as they did in the morgan series. mike

mgoodm3 · November 23, 2003 2:52AM

Is there anything to do with smooth prooflike surfaces? Seems like smoother surfaces tone nicer than rough ones.

FrattLaw · November 23, 2003 3:00AM

I can only speak to the Peace series, but first and foremost, the planchets were washed in a solution that did not allow toning to form readily. Second, Peace $ were not really stored for long term in bags. Most were kept in rolls and lastely they weren't really kept in moist, humid vaults of the US government for 80+ years. I doubt it has little to do with their popularity. I've seen Peace $ collections in Wayte Raymond albums with no toning kept next to Roosevelt Dimes with monster toning.

So the Peace dollars that you do find with toning are rare. The nicely toned Peace $ are extremely rare and the monster toned Peace $ (of which I've seen 2) are near impossible to find.

For the newbies of this board, I specialize in toned Peace $ and have more then 40 of them.

Hope that helps,
Michael

jbsteven · November 23, 2003 9:21PM

1893 S Morgans

fivecents · November 23, 2003 9:47PM

<< Is there anything to do with smooth prooflike surfaces? Seems like smoother surfaces tone nicer than rough ones. >>

mgoodm3.....This is true!! Gsaguy said that the quality of the toning is affected by the quality of the luster. The better the luster, the nicer the toning will be.

XpipedreamR · November 23, 2003 11:14PM

<< Seems like smoother surfaces tone nicer than rough ones. >>

Yes, I've noticed this too, and on many coins.

greghansen · November 23, 2003 11:30PM

Listen, I'm no chemist or opthamologist, but I think I understand why our brain 'perceives' that 'smooth' coins tone more nicely than 'rough' ones. It has to do with how our eyes/brain perceive toning in the first place. This article previously posted by another forum member does a lot better job of explaining the science of it than I can:

Article on how our eye/brain perceives coin toning

The smoother the underlying layer, the more significant the refraction/reflection will be. You may have the same amount of toning/patina on rougher surfaces, but because they are not as reflective, our eyes & brains are not going to 'see' the type of toning most of us feel is attractive.

braddick · November 24, 2003 3:03AM

<< 

<< Seems like smoother surfaces tone nicer than rough ones. >>

Yes, I've noticed this too, and on many coins. >>

Hmmm, what of Buffalo nickels? Certainly not smooth yet many come with delightful, colorful toning.

I've never seen a nicely toned 1970-D Kennedy. I know they originally came in "non-toning" Mint sets but many have since been placed into albums and other toning sources (you would think) and some, some(?) should have toned by now?

ccr · November 24, 2003 3:41AM

I really don`t know off-hand, but there`s been some good suggestions/posibilities so far.

Below are some Ike/Peace dollar toners I have and still have. The Peace does have a small patch of a rainbow color in the tiarra that runs to the rim that the scan didn`t pick-up. The 72 - S Ike is a " Monster " toned " Brown " Ike that`s still in it`s goverment holder. The scan, in my eyes at least, is a fair representation given the fact it is a scanned pictured. the 78 - S Ike is coffee brown monotone example.

They are not impossible to find, but they are pretty dififcult to find and usually when I do see one for sale, it`s usually sells for a premium. At least the ones I`ve seen.

1922 - D Peace Obverse
1922 - D Peace Reverse

1972 - S " Brown " Ike Obverse
1972 - S " Brown " Ike Reverse

1978 - S Ike PR69DCAM Obverse
1978 - S Ike PR69DCAM Reverse

dorkkarl · November 24, 2003 6:14AM

coin doctors have'nt bothered w/'em yet. don't worry, when those markets take off, plenty of "colorful" coins will suddenly appear on the market. just like w/ morgans, etc.

K S

Why are certain silver coins hard to find with colorful toning?

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