Question On World Coin Market

Thanks! If you see any really nice toning, snap a photo. I may snap them up.

Also, I just noticed you're from Norway. I happen to be on the lookout for old Norwegian coins bearing the name Haakon or Hakon (long story). My guess is that any coins old enough to be relevant to an old family story are probably way out of my price range, but if you see some online you might post a link.

I did see some Haakon VII coins for cheap on Vcoins and nearly bought them as stocking stuffers, but I didn't see enough in good condition to go around, and Haakon VII is really too recent to have anything to do with the family folklore.

The trouble with the toned coins being popular at the moment is that there are many unscrupulous people Artificially toning coins using varying methods from heat, chemicals and other various methods to Force coins to tone unnaturally and rapidly.
All these methods including leaving coins on a windowsill or chemically infused folders/envelops are actually damaging the coins.

The vast majority of these AT coins are easily spotted by the experienced collectors But will fool the novice collector quite easily.
If too many of these AT coins enter the market then eventually that market will become "Soured" and values will fall accordingly.

Agree. I'm getting where I can spot the difference most of the time, but the thing is, there are some REAL toners that look petty fake (check out the monster rainbows at the Jhon E. Cash site). Someone here advised me to stick with slabbed toners, but even the experts can be fooled (tho I reckon if AT is good enough to fool experts, it's unlikely to adversely affect the value--how is that different from blast white coins that were lightly dipped to achieve that silvery perfection?).

Also, if someone AT'd a coin by replicating the conditions that cause natural toning, e.g. Storing in an old Manila coin envelope, isn't the only real difference the owner's intention? The coin itself toned the same way the "natural" ones did.

I bought a "cull" Morgan in good condition (very little wear but also very little luster, probably dipped to death to remove "ugly" toning). The dealer I got it from runs an antique shop and only sells top value coins--he was going to sell this for the silver, so I bought it for $20. I happened to have an old Manila coin envelope so as an experiment I decided to stick it in there and see what happens. I'll never sell it--or if I do, I will definitely tell buyers how it came by the toning. But I'm curious to see whether I end up with a rainbow beauty. And if I do, again, how is it different than if someone unknowingly stored the coin in the same envelope and got a toner?

I've also been told by some dealers that they dip coins to get rid of toning. I told them to call me first from now on!!

Regarding world coins, I don't see premiums. Sometimes a silver coin will have a attractive antique patina that can help it move faster. I don't see a craving for rainbow toned world coins like in the US market.

My biggest concern with especially rainbow toning is I doubt the chemical reactions that have resulted in the color have stopped and stabilized such that the color and corresponding premium will hold in the future.

You have asked me about Norwegian coins, but not yet about coins explicitly bearing the name Haakon. If it's just about having the name on a coin then I think I can help you quite fast, as there are actually a few 1 Krone coins which should come quite cheap bearing that name. Fortunately for you, the guy has been king of Norway for half a century, so he left quite a heritage when it comes to coins. If you also want a portrait, then we're looking more into the more expensive silver coins. If we're talking bout older coins with the name Haakon (before Norwegian independence), then we're indeed talking about the even more expensive coin range. Feel free to PM me to discuss the details and I'll see what I can do!

EDIT

Just checked to see when Haakon VI (the Haakon-predecessor of Haakon VII) had his reign again. Seems like the guy died in 1380, aged 40. I'm not sure if there's any coinage left of him and if there is, it's probably quite out of my price league.

Toned coins have never been as fashionable in the UK as in the US. A specimen with a really nice tone might attract a small premium, but I think most UK collectors prefer their Uncirculated coins to be blast white. Of course, slabbed coins are also still something of a novelty in the UK. I have definitely noticed trends in UK collecting over the past few years - early 20th-century silver coins in EF or better seem to be getting much more expensive, and I've also noticed that Georgian and Victorian copper coins in the VG - F range, which were almost considered junk box items a few years ago, are now usually sorted out by dealers, put into individual flips and sold at prices that amaze me. I think people are just starting to realise how scarce a lot of these coins really are: they were circulated so heavily that most of them just got worn flat!

Will do, UltraRant!

NumisRob, I'm surprised there's no big thing for toning in the UK, since so many UK coins tone quite beautifully. I've seen quite a few copper-nickel gems that are spectacular!