Hello, I am new to the forum, and as my username shows, I am very interested in toned coins, particularly Morgan dollars. I want to get better at identifying naturally toned coins vs. artificially toned, and I have been doing a lot of research on the topic, but I wanted some opinions on some coins I found online. The first Morgan I have attached pictures of (with the double rainbow bands) I think looks naturally toned because of elevation differences, color progression, and that it exhibits some "pull away" near the dates and stars. The second one I thought is probably artificially toned because of the way it looks (lack of elevation differences, pattern) and the fact the seller had many coins that looked similar. Thanks in advance for any opinions you can offer, I'm always trying to learn. Please give me any tips you can on this topic.
They both look hinky to me. The first one seems to be mimicking an end roll toner with a thick rubber band around it, but the coin is AU and the colors under the rubber band are just not right. The second one is all wrong. Most Morgan toners are bag toned which limits most of the toning to one side of the coin and you see consistent color schemes and progressions from yellow-magenta-cyan. This coin is supposed to be a target toned album toner where the toning progresses from the center (least toned) to the periphery (most toned). And while this coin has the correct progression from yellow to magenta to cyan starting at the center, in my experience, that color blue mixed with violet is almost always considered questionable. My advice to someone just entering this arena is not to even entertain Morgan Dollars that are the least bit questionable. Unlike most other series, there are enough genuine rainbow toned Morgan Dollars on the market, that there is simply no need to take a risk on anything questionable. So you might ask, what is "questionable". My rule is if you have a raw common date Morgan Dollar with rainbow toning and an affordable price, run away! My other piece of advice is be careful who you listen to about this subject. You are soliciting advice from random people on a coin forum, and it is up to you to decipher the expert from the guy who has never owned a rainbow toned coin in his life, because both types are likely to respond to your inquiry.
Welcome. Those both look like AT artificial toning. After looking at many many coins you will get used to seeing what looks real and fake toning. I collect toned coins and really like them. Here is a link to most of my collection including toned Canadian coins and other toned coins... link: https://collectivecoin.com/spirityoda
This is only my personal feelings on toning, so take it with a grain of salt. Toning is usually referred to as natural or artificial, but all toning is Environmental Damage, so toning should (in my opinion) be in two categories; Timed, and forced. Timed is toning from that particular coins environment over a long period of time, while forced is toning done rapidly, using abnormal means (heat, chemicals, etc.). So, while it is possible to tell which is which by some, it isn't by others, so buy, trade, and keep what you like. If you are planning on selling the toned coin for a premium over current prices, simply due to its toning, then add a disclaimer if you can't guarantee it is timed toning. Just my opinion.
Both appear to be intentional rapid toning. Here is a link to at site you should read through, http://jhonecash.com/coins/tonedmorgans.asp#howtoned
Give the post by @Lehigh96 a careful read as it contains great info. The same is true with the link posted by @Dave Waterstraat ....I concur that both look artificial.
The first piece is more convincing than the second, but I view both as artificially toned pieces. I have been a collector for over 60 years and great toning is not among my interests. I can get a "gut feel" for what is natural and what is not from experience and also having owned coins for many years that changed color over time. Many of the pieces that people think are "original" are "original now" meaning that they were dipped or cleaned and then re-toned. This is an area for which I will not pay big premiums. I have few toned coins that I like, but I didn't go out of my way to buy them. This 1892 Columbian Half Dollar is one of my favorites. It is in a PCGS MS-63 holder. The dealer who owned it tried several times to get it to upgrade, but failed. I did pay him MS-64 money for it. This 1893 Columbian Half Dollar was toned by the leather holder in which it was stored for many years.
This one - - reminds me of what we used to see in some of the old Tab-style coin holders, similar to what we see here - That one above was a mailing card but they also used to make some with straight line tabs like those on the bottom corners. There were many different styles, some with the rounded center tab, some with straight tabs, and some with slotted tabs so only the bottom half the coin was covered. But pretty much all of them would often result in toning very similar to this. And it was of course completely natural. That said, could this toning have been intentionally/artificially duplicated ? Of course, and it often has been. Pretty much any toning you can imagine has been artificially duplicated, and it has been going on for many, many years. But, it could also easily be the real deal.
