Bought a Quarter Today

[TomB]

I bought a nice quarter today that I thought I would share wtih everyone. If you don't like toning you might want to just skip over this thread. Here's the coin- It's a 1942 proof and the partial print in front of Washington is nearly non-existant when looking at the coin hands on. Also, there is quite a bit more pink on the obverse and the color shift is much smoother than what appears in the image. It's cool.

[DonHeath]

Tom,

 

I loved that coin when Mark Feld posted it across the street the other day. I think the reverse is a stunner, and compliment your taste. The early proofs are generally not very attractive to me, and I haven't seen many with toning I like. The cloudy brilliant coins don't hold a candle to that one.

[Oldtrader3]

Nice Quarter, Tom. I really like the blue toning.

[SilverEagleCoins]

I am going to exercise my newbie privilige and ask:

 

Is that natural toning or did someone do that to the coin? What are the appropriate terms for natural and man made toning? My 1942 quarter looks more like dirty toning than color toning. Perhaps I am using the terms incorrectly

[TomB]

Fair enough questions! You do realize, however, that folks have been beaten by certain members of our numismatic community for questions like that, don't you?

 

I believe that this is 100% natural toning on this coin, no doubt about it in my mind. People generally categorize toning as natural or artificial and it is often abreviated as NT and AT. Your 1942 quarter sounds like it has more typical toning for the era. Most silver coins of this era have a hazy, grey, or gold based streaky patina and do not have truly colorful toning. You seem to be using the terms just fine.

 

If you would like to learn more about toning you should go to my web site, in my signature line, and read the articles I have written on it. You may find them interesting.

[gmarguli]

Beautiful coin! I love the reverse. The obverse ain't bad either.

 

For some reason the reverse of Washingtons will tone in that light golden/orange/reddish center with darker colors around the edge, but the obverse tones in a totally different manner.

[TomB]

It could possibly be because of the way the coin was placed into the album or sleeve that held it. It was likely pushed down into the album hole so that the obverse was facing up. The partial thumb print on the obverse is indirect evidence that the coin was handled in this manner. By placing the coin into a cardboard holder in this way, one will disturb the compressed cardboard as the coin is pushed in. The result is that the obverse has disturbed cardboard above it while the reverse has compressed cardboard below it. In this way, sulfur containing particles can escape from the obverse side and tone the obverse more readily than the reverse. This is by no means proof of what happened, it just makes sense.

[SilverEagleCoins]

I read the link. Very interesting. However why is it that our 1942 quarters toned differently? Is that why you find your color toned 42 Qtr so interesting because it is supposed to normally have hazy toning?

[stman]

Very nice Tom. I know what you mean when even a few print lines show up in an image, and with the coin in hand sometimes you can't even see it, or just barely. Congrats on a very nice piece.

[TomB]

Thank you for the kind words about the coin, everyone.

 

To SEC, in one of the articles on my site I may or may not write about how most toned coins are not helped by the toning in terms of eye appeal. Coins tone differently because of their method of handling and storage environment. A coin like the 1942 that is pictured in this thread had its eye appeal greatly enhanced, in the eyes of some who love toning, because of its own history. Most coins will not look like this.

 

Similarly, the coin I use as my icon is a 1952-S quarter that I pulled out of a Mint Set. On my monitor, the coin is a screaming orange and red. This is how it looks in hand and this is an extremely rare look for a quarter. This coin was the one in a million, literally, that toned like this and I happened to be lucky enough to buy it.

 

I realize that this is a roundabout answer, but it is honest; coins tone rather randomly while also following certain toning schemes or patterns. I don't know if that made sense.

[SilverEagleCoins]

Believe it or not I understand. I still have a ways to go learning the coin collecting thing and peeps like you are a great help.

[Hoot]

Tom, Tom, Tom... I'm afraid that you have only purchased a quarter that clearly belongs to me. Indeed, that fingerprint is mine and I put it there very much by my own intentions. You see, I KNEW that this quarter would fall into the hands of it's not-rightful-owner, that now is, unfortunately, you. Please check the scan that I have attached. You see, with only a little photo enhancement, you can clearly see how I marked the coin. Now that there are no questions, please send to me: you have my address.

 

Hoot

 

[jhar]

Hey that's kinda purdy!!!!

[EVillageProwler]

SEC,

 

You asked if that coin is AT or NT, and from looking at that picture there's no clear-cut way to tell. In truth, there's never *really* a 100% guaranteed way of discerning how the color got onto the coin. Most of us, including the services, will use one of two ways to determine market acceptability of the toning:

 

1. Does it afford the coin strong, positive eye appeal? If so, then the services should slab the coin and thus giving the proverbial thumbs up to the toning.

 

2. Does the color look superficial, or deeply enmeshed with the coin's surface luster? You can tell about superficiality if the color fades or disappears as you swivel the coin. NT tends to be enmeshed with the coin's surface luster. Thus, when you swivel the coin, you'll see color emanating from the depths of the radial troughs.

 

EVP

 

PS Nice coin, Tom!

[jom]

you'll see color emanating from the depths of the radial troughs

 

You know...I never thought I ever hear the word "troughs" used in a coin forum...

 

Nice coin Tom, but SilverEagleCoins shouldn't let you off the hook that easily. You need to DIFINE what is meant by AT and NT. HAHAHA! You thought you were going to get away easily. Sorry, bub, but that added to Hoot's claim to the coin puts you in a world of hurt!

 

jom

[EVillageProwler]

The word "trough" will always have special meaning to me -- from my days in college, during a Spring Break trip to the FL Keys. On the way back from a night of no restraint, my buddies and I had to use a trough for an unintended purpose!

 

EVP

 

[TomB]

I see Hoot has me between a rock and a hard place on this one...

 

Quick! [Pointing]

Look over there! [Face of horror and finger outstretched]

Oh, I must have been mistaken. [snatching Washington away and hiding it while others are confused]

Jeez, everybody, it looks like the quarter disappeared! [Everyone in shock]

 

As for the entire AT vs NT definition saga, I don't believe I was ever one to heatedly participate in those exchanges. As such, I will be consistent.

[andy007]

awesome coin, I want it

[MikeKing]

Beautiful coin. That blue...really nice

[IrishMike]

I liked that coin too.If I didn't have one very similar to it I would have been interested in it. Mine is in my 36-42 proof set.

 

IrishMike

[Android]

Spectacular coin Tom! Congrats!

[TomB]

Nice set, IrishMike!

 

May I ask some questions?

 

Are the '36 and '40 the only essentially untoned coins in the set? How long did it take you to complete? Were you attempting to put together such a set or did it just sort of happen ? How many '36 quarters did you have to look at before you found one you liked enough to buy?

 

Your '38 is a near twin to my '39 PCGS PF67 and I actually saw your coin on the Pinnacle site before you bought it but I hesitated and it was gone. I got lucky with my '39 as I bought it before the price run-up and paid only $200 for it from a Heritage ebay only auction about three years ago.

[Hoot]

I see Hoot has me between a rock and a hard place on this one...

 

Quick! [Pointing]

Look over there! [Face of horror and finger outstretched]

Oh, I must have been mistaken. [snatching Washington away and hiding it while others are confused]

Jeez, everybody, it looks like the quarter disappeared! [Everyone in shock]

 

That's just how it disappeared in the first place! Please send check now Tom - not one of the rubber varieties.

 

Mike - Great Coins in that set!

 

Hoot

[stman]

IrishMike....That 38 is a stunner. I would love to own that coin.

[IrishMike]

I didn't start the set with the intention of collection proof Washingtons. Over the years of collection I have been fascinated with the proofs 36-42. In 1999 I started selling off the coins as prices had really jumped. All my dealer friends thought I was nuts when I was buying them, because of the limited market for them. The walkers, mercs and nickels were sold. They were all blast white and pq and brought unreal prices.

 

My two daughters decided they might like coin collecting too, so we settled on quarters as the state quarter program piqued their interest. Anyway the only proofs from that era I kept were the quarters. The 38 is the only upgrade from a PCGS 66 to the current coin.I had no intention of upgrading the coin until I saw it at Pinnacle.

 

I messaged Mark about the coin and found out it was out to another client. It came back, most likely due to the lack of luster and I was fortunate enough to pick it up. I didn't even bother to negotiate the price.

 

The 42 is the real winner in this set because of its unusual toning. I have never seen one before with the electric blue it has. I should probably send it back to NGC for designation review, it really deserves a *. It is so unusual that you would either love it or hate it. The photo really doesn't pick up the color as it shows way too much red.

Mark has a sharp eye for these and he commented favorably on this coin at FUN. Tom, shylock and I were looking for you at FUN, I had both coins there to show you. The 38 & 42 are the only toned coins in the set. However most of my MS quarters are toned.

 

This set can be put together quickly, the toughest coin to find with eye appeal other than the 36 is the 41 oddly enough.

 

Sadly the collecting bug did not stick with my daughters and am considering selling them off. In fact I talked to Mark about it last week. I've decided to concentrate my efforts to collect copper and silver weenie coins as Anaconda calls them.