Toning Coins??????????

[copperman]

Lets say I wanted to have some coins naturally tone what do I do? Put them in a box in my safes for a long time? Can anyone shed some light please. I am not saying I want to artificially tone them but just try to let them go on their own. thanks

[copperman]

anyone got any info for me thanks

[Stanley]

Yes that would work and just leave them in there for about 40 years

[copperman]

Yes that would work.

 

thanks for reply I'll have to try it and hope for the best

[Wihlborg]

There really is no sure fire way to make coins tone ‘naturally’. You can leave coins in the original mint packaging, place them in kraft envelopes, cardboard folders, albums, tissue paper, etc. and over time some may tone, while other will not.

 

There is also no guarantee that any coins that do tone will tone nicely, in fact most probably will not. This is why beautifully toned coins are so coveted and bring the premiums that they do.

 

John

[James_OldeTowne]

I purchased a bunch of vintage Whitman albums, and some Wayte Raymonds as well, and I have lots of coins patiently waiting for me in those albums. In all honesty, it's requires A LOT of patience, because it will likely be decades before I see results. I also have squirreled away quite a few in Kraft envelopes. Those seem to tone a little quicker. Some I've had stored for a couple of years show unmistakable signs of toning.

 

I do not believe there's any practical way to accelerate natural toning though.

[copperman]

There really is no sure fire way to make coins tone ‘naturally’. You can leave coins in the original mint packaging, place them in kraft envelopes, cardboard folders, albums, tissue paper, etc. and over time some may tone, while other will not.

 

There is also no guarantee that any coins that do tone will tone nicely, in fact most probably will not. This is why beautifully toned coins are so coveted and bring the premiums that they do.

 

John

 

 

thanks john for info

[copperman]

I purchased a bunch of vintage Whitman albums, and some Wayte Raymonds as well, and I have lots of coins patiently waiting for me in those albums. In all honesty, it's requires A LOT of patience, because it will likely be decades before I see results. I also have squirreled away quite a few in Kraft envelopes. Those seem to tone a little quicker. Some I've had stored for a couple of years show unmistakable signs of toning.

 

I do not believe there's any practical way to accelerate natural toning though.

 

 

thak you James for info, time will only tell right.

 

I did put a few away in kraft envelopes a few of them were already slightly toned so I wanted to see what they would do after 10 years or so.

[James_OldeTowne]

You can often buy an entire lot of old Whitmans on eBay. Good luck !

[Mozin]

First, bath the coins in acetone, flip them over and over to air dry on a 100% cotton towel.

 

Then place each coin into its own paper 2x2 envelope. Mix a large bunch of matchbooks with the coin envelopes. Now place all into a large brandy snifter, or fishbowl.

 

If the bowl can be placed where sunlight hits it, that will speed up the toning process.

 

Each month, look over each coin to see if it can benefit from more toning time.

[James_OldeTowne]

Mozin, I've heard of the matchbook trick many times, but never been brave enough to try it. Do you have any examples of coins that have been toned in this manner? I've also heard of leaving coins in Kraft envelopes on a windowsill.

[TomB]

The coins that come out after the matchbook method generally look like garbage, with negative eye appeal, and are worth less than brilliant pieces.

[robec1347]

Does the Whitman album really tone coins? I've had Lincolns, Jeffersons, Buffaloes, Roosevelts and Mercurys in Whitmans since the early 60's and so far.....well I'm still waiting. Although there are a couple of mercs that look like they might have a little rosey color to them.

 

Bob

[MikeKing]

Hopefully the sun won't magnify thru the snifter glass!!!

 

 

...then your smokin' your coins!!!!

[RUSS BEGA]

the collection i'm handling now had been sitting in a safe for 30 years and all the coins were in old whitman albums, almos all were toned beutifully!

 

Russ

[Wihlborg]

Bob,

 

Read my post nine posts up from this one. Your experience is a perfect example of what I stated. Also, as for the old Whitman and Wayte Raymond albums, one has to remember that these albums are now more then thirty years old.

 

It is quite likely that whatever chemicals that were in the paper that they were made from have long since dissipated and weakened, so they may not have the magical coin toning powers that they used to.

 

John

[robec1347]

John,

 

Well maybe that and the fact that 99% of the coins were less than mint state. Being a pre teen back then, all we thought to do was to take from the circulated coins. By that time most of the mercurys and buffs were pretty beat up. If they did tone, you wouldn't be able to tell anyway. The two mercs that are toning are probably 64 or 65, the others are 40 - 45 at best. If only I knew then what i know now. I'm sure that goes for the majority of us.

 

Bob

[kryptonitecomics]

Mozin, I've heard of the matchbook trick many times, but never been brave enough to try it. Do you have any examples of coins that have been toned in this manner? I've also heard of leaving coins in Kraft envelopes on a windowsill.

 

I have quite a few coins created using match sticks and heat as the catalyst. The Silver one's come out quite wild with a pretty neat look but they would never pass as NT. The Clad ones also come out with Neon Orange, Pinks, and blues and also look 100% AT....but I guess the right combination might produce market acceptable coins.

 

I'd be willing to post some pictures of coins I toned with this process.....I'll even show you a 1964 Quarter I submitted to NGC....it got bagged as it should have but I thought it might be interesting to see what you can get holdered these days.

[copperman]

Mozin, I've heard of the matchbook trick many times, but never been brave enough to try it. Do you have any examples of coins that have been toned in this manner? I've also heard of leaving coins in Kraft envelopes on a windowsill.

 

I have quite a few coins created using match sticks and heat as the catalyst. The Silver one's come out quite wild with a pretty neat look but they would never pass as NT. The Clad ones also come out with Neon Orange, Pinks, and blues and also look 100% AT....but I guess the right combination might produce market acceptable coins.

 

I'd be willing to post some pictures of coins I toned with this process.....I'll even show you a 1964 Quarter I submitted to NGC....it got bagged as it should have but I thought it might be interesting to see what you can get holdered these days.

 

I look foward to your picture posts just to see the affects of the AT compared to the NT, thanks for all the replies in this forum. D

[Mozin]

My earlier described toning method was used for over forty years by one of the most well known Bust Half collectors, and many of us have used it over the years.

 

I used this method for Bust series, Barbers, and Trimes. Some of the coins had seen some cleaning before I bought them, but most all eventually toned over, AND satisfied either NGC or ANACS. The ones left very long to continue toning until the cleaning was not so apparent sometimes got quite dark, and some then did not grade. They still looked a lot better than when brilliant with signs of old cleaning.

 

On brilliant coins, the initial toning was not always pretty, sometimes mottled. Left to continue toning, the toning becomes more even and the nice blues and reds start to show. All my Barbers in ANACS holders brought premium prices when I sold them at auction.

 

This time my personal experience disagrees with TomB who said "The coins that come out after the matchbook method generally look like garbage, with negative eye appeal, and are worth less than brilliant pieces."

[okbustchaser]

The coins that come out after the matchbook method generally look like garbage, with negative eye appeal, and are worth less than brilliant pieces.

 

Generally, coins which are allowed to tone completely naturally "look like garbage, with negative eye appeal, and are worth less than brilliant pieces." That's why there is such a premium attached to the toned ones which do have eye appeal.

[TomB]

I should have qualified my statement to tell you that I have only seen 1950s and 1960s uncirculated silver coinage after this method.

[Wihlborg]

Generally, coins which are allowed to tone completely naturally "look like garbage, with negative eye appeal, and are worth less than brilliant pieces." That's why there is such a premium attached to the toned ones which do have eye appeal.

 

I agree, and have been stating this for what seems like for ever, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the masses just don’t want to let themselves believe it.

 

John

[James_OldeTowne]

Does the Whitman album really tone coins? I've had Lincolns, Jeffersons, Buffaloes, Roosevelts and Mercurys in Whitmans since the early 60's and so far.....well I'm still waiting. Although there are a couple of mercs that look like they might have a little rosey color to them.

Bob, definitely the Whitman albums will tone coins, but you must get vintage Whitman albums. The ones currently made I believe have much less chemical presence and do not tone coins nearly as quickly or extensively as old versions. I look for albums copyrighted in the 1940s and 1950s. Even then, the process is not fast, not by any means. But I'm OK with that! Also, circulated coins that are already patinated (as nearly all are, unless cleaned) will tone VERY S-L-O-W-L-Y.

 

I have quite a few coins created using match sticks and heat as the catalyst. The Silver one's come out quite wild with a pretty neat look but they would never pass as NT. The Clad ones also come out with Neon Orange, Pinks, and blues and also look 100% AT....but I guess the right combination might produce market acceptable coins.

 

I'd be willing to post some pictures of coins I toned with this process.....I'll even show you a 1964 Quarter I submitted to NGC....it got bagged as it should have but I thought it might be interesting to see what you can get holdered these days.

Images, please! I would love to see some of the results of this type of toning.

[kryptonitecomics]

I just realized I deleted all of my images of the toning experiments, but I still have most of the coins so I can retake the pictues and post them here.

[hoard]

I agree with you. I have an old Whitman album of Morgans I did in the late 70s. I looked at it this evening. Some coins are not toned, others (particularly two) are starting to tone. They have gotten over the dark look and colors are just starting to emerge.

 

My old Whitman washington set has, in my opinion, ruined otherwise good coins. It seems that whatever adhesive they used was applied by sprayer and the toning on the coin reverse is actually striped. I have a couple in an acetone bath to see if it removes some to adhesive and evens out the darkening.

 

Because of this thread I took a Morgan and wrapped it in a Jamiacan $5 note and put it away. I figure if the Taco Bell napkin works, a multicolored note from south of the border may impart some neat toning also.

[TomB]

If the $5 bill is clean then I doubt it will speed up any toning. I write this because most paper made since the early 1970s has had nearly all residual sulfur compounds removed in order to enhance stability and it is the action of these compounds that typically tones coins. Additionally, the colored ink will not do anything.

[hoard]

it was the ink that I thought may have had some affect. Oh well.

[copperman]

I just realized I deleted all of my images of the toning experiments, but I still have most of the coins so I can retake the pictues and post them here.

 

hi, I was just wondering if you had taken any pictures of the toning experiments? I am very interested in seeing te affects of the AT. thanks,D

[kryptonitecomics]

Sorry...I have been real busy and haven't gotten around to digging out the coins....I'll try to take some shots tonight and post them..........why did I delete the darn things....darn it!!!