Coin Toning:
Real, Artificial, In Between?

AAmong coin collectors, toning is almost as controversial as market grading. Some like toning, some don't, some toning is real, some is not. As a general rule, toned coins tend to be preferred more by advanced collectors than beginning collectors, while coins that look the same way they looked when they came from the Mint tend to be preferred more by newcomers. "People buy the color, experience, life of the coin, not just the technical grade," says Bob Campbell, former ANA president and coin dealer who sells toned coins. "Beginning collectors like blazing white coins. More advanced collectors like beautifully toned coins." There are exceptions to this, of course, with some advanced collectors preferring their silver coins blast white. Both toned and untoned coins have their attractions, though the attraction of a beautifully toned coin is undeniable.

A beautifully toned coin is a coin that has aged well. The magnificent aging of silver, in particular, is analogous to the magnificent aging of deciduous leaves every year, in the right climates, before they turn brown, the brilliant yellows and reds of the fall's foliage. This doesn't always happen with either leaves or silver. You need the right environment. When it does happen, it pleases the eye. Color is simply more appealing than gray.

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