"As the AT Coin Churns"

[truthteller]

It seems from the Bridgeport Coin thread, that some collectors find the toning attractive and some collectors do not. So does this mean that AT, color enhancement, coin enhancement actually has a place in the hobby? Do you find, if the coin is pretty or colorful, that is all that really matters? Are the coin colors the attractive part of collecting? Opinions?

 

TRUTH

[Oldtrader3]

I have coins that I have submitted (naturally toned in Dansco albums), over many years, that were AT'ed by PCGS. I have seen other coins that were created by a certain Dealer (Coin Doctor) that I once knew that went right on through certification process and into holders.

 

This AT evaluation and identification process is more art than science. I do not have the first clue on how to control it, or even to reliably indentify AT coins. I think that it is a watch-out in the hobby that will always be with us as long as collectors prize toned coins. My concern is more with chemical enhancement where the chemicals continue to be active (not passivated) and etch the coin's surfaces over a fairly short time.

 

Attached is a coin that was submitted to, dipped by and bagged by PCGS (they denied dipping it, of course). PCGS gave me the excuse that their (chemically inert) Mylar flip had lightened the toning (pretty arrogant, how stupid they think that their customer's are?)! The coin is probably AT'ed.

 

It was dark red when submitted (covering a cleaning), came back much, much lighter. Originally, it was very difficult to tell the coin had been cleaned, because of the dark red toning. That is why PCGS dipped it.

[coinman1794]

It seems from the Bridgeport Coin thread, that some collectors find the toning attractive and some collectors do not. So does this mean that AT, color enhancement, coin enhancement actually has a place in the hobby? Do you find, if the coin is pretty or colorful, that is all that really matters? Are the coin colors the attractive part of collecting? Opinions?

 

TRUTH

 

Not for me it doesn't! I think the coin is original, and, although I don't like the fingerprints, it has some eye appeal to it. If I owned the coin and thought it was AT, I would have it conserved, even if I lost several grades. I hate AT coins! There is no market acceptable AT coin in my mind!

 

Dipping is very detrimental to the "health" of the coin, but unfortunately, it is market acceptable. In this sense, enhancement does have a place in the hobby, although I don't like it.

[Dog97]

Truthteller I think nobody pays moon $$ for a coin knowing it is AT and the folks that disrupt serious AT discussion threads with remarks such as 'If it's pretty & I like it so what if it's AT' and "Nobody has ANY right telling me what I can collect' are referring to their $2 thermal treated State Quarters or the badly toned $30 Morgans they are selling on eBay.

Personally I prefer originality over beauty but my dark ugly Barbers and my Morgans with their original black ugly bag crescents are beautiful in my eyes.

After all, even a black Morgan lights up with a amazing light show of blues, reds, oranges, magentas, green & every color of the rainbow when you are standing on your head in direct sunshine and Venus, the moon & the Big Dipper are in eternal equinox during the Summer Solstice and you put the right 3 degree tilt on it.

But no, I find AT neither attractive nor desirable.

[keithdagen]

After all, even a black Morgan lights up with a amazing light show of blues, reds, oranges, magentas, green & every color of the rainbow when you are standing on your head in direct sunshine and Venus, the moon & the Big Dipper are in eternal equinox during the Summer Solstice and you put the right 3 degree tilt on it.

 

[braddick]

I've learned to put the blinders on: If the coin is holdered by PCGS or NGC or ANACS and I like the color, I'll buy it.

 

AT? NT? I've self-taught to not care anymore.

[Elcontador]

Due to the nearly complete lack of regulation of numismatics, what happens is a combination of what the major grading services want and caveat emptor. If people are willing to buy AT'd or doctored coins, the grading services will slab them.

 

OTOH, if people do not want these coins, the grading services will do their best to not slab them. Sometimes they will bag perfectly legitmate coins in so doing, & occasionally eat it when someone complains to loudly when an offending coin is slabbed (like Laura re her eagle about six months ago).

 

I will not knowinly buy an AT'd coin. If I have questions, I will defer to someone I trust who knows more about the particular coin than I do. As a practical matter, these coins bring obscene mulitples over other coins of the same grade due to their color, and being the cheap ******* I am, I wouldn't pay these multiples anyway.

[Dog97]

AT? NT? I've self-taught to not care anymore.

Well as long as you're buying coins in those holders I really don't think you have much to worry about.

 

I read on Wayne Herndon's website, I guess he had a coin that baffled him so he said the enjoyment in owning a coin does not come from knowing how it got that way.

 

I may be weird but part of my enjoyment comes from trying to figure out how the coin got that way. I'll make huge scans, turn them inside out, c&p other coins onto the picture so the bag crescents line up and I understand them better. What I thought was album or envelope toning has turned out to be something else. What I thought was AT has also turned out to be Natural with a simple explaination. I post them on the PCGS & NGC board for assistance when I get a tough one I can't figure out and always enjoy the discussion and have actually learned a few things from it. I like to be able to show a coin and tell step by step why it looks the way it does. Those of you that have seen my NGC Reg Set of weird toned Morgans know what I'm talking about.

I like pretty coins too. I do own more than just black Morgans & brown Barbers.

I have tried to buy no-brainer AT from the popular eBay coin doctors for my reference set but always get highly outbid by newbies who think toned coins from Alan Swimmer and his ilk are the same rank & caliber coins as the ones we elitist slab snobs enjoy.