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Toning Natural Or Artificial? How Can You Tell?

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arby96's Avatar
United States
2111 Posts
 Posted 08/18/2013  8:21 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add arby96 to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Hello Coin Community Family, I purchased a roll proof 1960-1964 quarters several years ago. I noticed four of them with toning. How does one tell if the toning is natural or artificial? Please see photo. I guess I could have googled it but I wanted to ask here.
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Toning-Natural-Or-Artificial?-How-Can-You-Tell?


Toning-Natural-Or-Artificial?-How-Can-You-Tell?
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zxcccxz's Avatar
Canada
5417 Posts
 Posted 08/18/2013  11:54 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add zxcccxz to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I'm pretty sure it's artificial.
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arby96's Avatar
United States
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 Posted 08/18/2013  11:54 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add arby96 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Well after 3 hours and no reply, I went to google and I don't know if I would be able to tell the difference, I need a artificial toned coin to compare with mine. So they stated heat and chemicals. Heat I understand not sure which chemicals to use. Ah I see an experiment in my future. Don't worry I would never try to pass one off as a natural toned coin. Not that kind of person. Just incase someone was thinking it. LOL
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GoldenChest's Avatar
United States
814 Posts
 Posted 08/19/2013  12:16 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add GoldenChest to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Full toning on both sides rarely ever happensto a coin, let alone four.
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sel_69l's Avatar
Australia
21786 Posts
 Posted 08/19/2013  12:43 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add sel_69l to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
The nicely coloured coins pictured here are all artificially toned.
It's reasonably easy to do for yourself.

Take a few nice bright commom quarters, and experiment.
Just place a coin on the hotplate of the stove and heat it.
Use your judgement. Remove it from the heat after some seconds od time, and let it cool slowly.
After only a few attempts, you should get just the colour you want.

BE CAREFUL!! USE TONGS! You risk severe burns to your fingers if you don't use tongs.

I like to have fun. Heat a coin to red heat, and quench in cold water. It turns black!
I have done this a few times, and released them back into circulation, for the curiousity of anyone who spots them.

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nalaberong's Avatar
Canada
2805 Posts
 Posted 08/19/2013  12:51 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add nalaberong to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
What's the composition of Australian coins nowadays?

Canadian coins have a steel core with layers of copper and nickel - it would take some work to turn those a funny colour.
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sel_69l's Avatar
Australia
21786 Posts
 Posted 08/19/2013  02:19 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add sel_69l to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Standard solid coppernickel, for white metal 5c 10c 20c 50c
Al Bronze for gold coloured $1 and $2.
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westcoin's Avatar
United States
9792 Posts
 Posted 08/19/2013  05:00 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add westcoin to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Yep these are all AT. I took a really great class from Bob Campbell at an ANA Summer Seminar. He is one of the best when it comes to deciphering AT vs real toning. His class is on video/DVD and I've seen it on ebay for sale, might want to look into a copy. It is also available from the ANA Library for free if you are a member.
Following is a little excerpt from another web page;
--
In his video How to Tell Artificial Toning on Coins, available for loan from the American Numismatic Association, Campbell says the following are AT tip-offs:

Circular toning spots resulting from the beading of the toning liquid that was used.
Colors that blend together out of sequence. With naturally toned coins, the progression is yellow then magenta (pinkish red) then cyan (blue-green).
Toning that appears only on the tops of the lettering and devices and not in the coin's recesses.
Wild "circus" colors -- on 90 percent silver coins, for instance, army green, bright pumpkin orange, and robin-egg blue.

According to PCGS's book Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection, the following are other indications of artificial toning:

The toning floats on the surface of the coin rather than having depth and being bonded to the metal.
The toning occurs over hairlines or other marks.
The toning exhibits bright "crayon" colors.
The toning has a yellow-brown, smoky appearance, indicating it was caused by cigarette or cigar smoke.
--

Hope that helps somewhat.
"Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013!
ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector.

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NathanASE's Avatar
United States
1511 Posts
 Posted 08/19/2013  08:06 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add NathanASE to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I'm leaning towards artificial toning as well.. But in any case they sure look great! As a sucker for toned coins I'd be happy to have them, especially the second from the right, love the blues & purple! And finding them roll searching is neat.. Artificial or not I still like um...
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arby96's Avatar
United States
2111 Posts
 Posted 08/19/2013  11:24 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add arby96 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks for all the info, I am still hopeful, I have a few toned Morgan dollars and have compared them. I can't tell the difference. I did see on a couple of the quarters the area A and R in the word QUARTER the coin is not toned. If it is artificial wouldn't the whole coin even in the low spots be toned as well? On one of my Morgan dollars graded by PCGS some of the high surfaces are not toned. I will have to take them to a coin show one day. Thanks CCF glad to have found this forum.
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