Question About Grading And Toning - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 5 / Views: 1,639
MINT_MARQ Pillar of the Community United States 1000 Posts	Posted 06/01/2010 8:22 pm Does toning on a coin effect it's grade? To be AU or above does a coin have to have luster? I bought a Barber quarter today that has great details. The obverse is toned dark like old silver gets sometimes and the reverse looks like it still has luster, like it was in an old folder for a while reverse down. It was graded EF, but I was wondering if the only thing keeping it in the EF range is the toning. Report this Post to the Staff

steve199 Pillar of the Community United States 1882 Posts	Posted 06/01/2010 8:28 pm Yes, an AU coin generally has some luster (AU50) to almost full luster (AU58). Toning and luster are separate issues...a coin can be toned and still have luster (although seeing it may be a challenge). Got a picture? Report this Post to the Staff
MINT_MARQ Pillar of the Community United States 1000 Posts	Posted 06/01/2010 8:47 pm Not yet...It seems that I can only take a good picture when the mid day sun is shining. I will post one in a day or two. Until then, I was mostly curious about the effects of toning on the grade scale. I always wondered about lincoln cents too. If the coin was never touched but left to turn brown...can it no longer be MS? I guess these are my newbie questions. I always collected circulated coins for my albums... more toned the better in my eyes. Now with my type set, I am trying to learn a little more about grading so that I don't overpay and maybe find a deal on something under-graded. So the black/grey toning silver gets does not effect luster? Report this Post to the Staff
wheatguy Pillar of the Community United States 1534 Posts	Posted 06/01/2010 8:58 pm A Lincoln Cent can be MS-66 BN or MS-66 RD. The technical grade is not affected my the color. However, eye appeal is one of the factors when grading, so the toning, if it adds to the eye appeal, can possibly raise the grade a bit. Toning can make luster difficult to detect and can hide marks and hits, making toners slightly more difficult to grade. Attractive natural toning will usually give the coin a premium if sold. Report this Post to the Staff
rkp Valued Member United States 254 Posts	Posted 06/02/2010 12:08 am Beautiful toning (nice eye appeal) can certainly improve the grade of a coin and conversely extremely dark or ugly toning can detract from the technical grade. Here is a link to an article by PCGS that explains in more detail and provides pics: http://www.pcgs.com/eyeappeal.html Report this Post to the Staff
Nic Pillar of the Community Philippines 1156 Posts	Posted 06/02/2010 06:59 am Once I got a coin with full luster, I had always tried to get some luster with all the coins I buy, for me luster and toning are more of selling points that can sell the coin, and grading simply refers to the surface metal wear due to circulation & handling. Compared to an AU with minimal luster an AU with full luster gets sold all the time. Report this Post to the Staff
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