Identifying Natural vs. Artificial Toning

The toned coin market is hotter than it’s ever been, and there are no signs of it slowing down. With increases in demand of these beautiful coins, artificially toned coins are becoming more prevalent as well. It’s important we equip ourselves to identify artificially toned coins so we do not waste our hard-earned dollars on them. There are a few methods we can use to distinguish between natural toning (NT) and artificial toning (AT).

The first method we can use involves looking at color progression. Doug Kurz, a rainbow toned Morgan dollar enthusiast has developed a method to classify color on toned Morgans. It is called the Sunnywood Toning Classification System.

It is recommended that you read the paper for yourself; however, in short, the system tells us that silver coins will progressively tone through the color spectrum in a specific way. As you can see from the chart below, some of the early-stage toned coins include light gold, russet, and cobalt blue color, while the later-stage toned coins include emerald greens and deep magentas. In other words, a silver coin cannot arrive at later-stage color without having progressed to that point. It is also likely that most coins with later-stage toning colors, should also include remnants of the early-stage color. Using this logic, we should be leery of any toned coins that only include late-stage color.

Let’s show an example. You can see the Morgan below, which includes only late-stage deep blues and magentas, lacking any of the earlier stage colors. It would be safe to assume this coin has been toned by artificial means. This image was pulled from eBay, where AT coins run rampant.

The next example exhibits the same late-stage deep blues and magentas; however, there are still remnants of early-stage toning. Specifically, the sunset yellow color which can be seen inside the “88”.

This method is not exclusive to just Morgan dollars; it can be used on all silver coins to help decide if they have toned naturally. Also, keep in mind that many factors influence color progression, so there are certainly exceptions to this method. (Prime example: PCI toned silver coins).

The next method we can use to distinguish between AT and NT is elevation chromatics, which is the changes in color that a coin exhibits dependent on the elevation of the coin’s features and design. When silver coins tone naturally, over time, the “valleys” and “peaks” of the coin design tend to tone at different rates. This is due to the surfaces of the coin being either closer or further to the toning source.

To exaggerate this phenomenon, we can look at two coins from a bank bag of Morgan Dollars—the first coin (below left) has been sitting at the center of the canvas bag for the last 120+ years. It emerges after this long period blast white, as it has been too far from the canvas bag to absorb any chemicals from the bag, and remains untoned. The second Morgan (below right) has been sitting flat against the canvas over this period, it has absorbed chemicals from the canvas bag, and it emerges beautifully toned with textile patterns. The distance and the barriers (other coins) involved has led one coin to tone, while the other remains untoned.

Now, using that same principle, we can look at the elevation of coins in a similar way. The peaks of a coin’s design should generally have different color progression than the valleys. Coins that have been artificially toned will often ignore this phenomenon. The top image below is one example of an artificially toned Washington Quarter. It almost appears as though the toning was laid on the coin all at once. The toning ignores all design elements. The next example below has been naturally toned. You can see where the lowest areas of the coin have developed deep magenta color and the fields show deep blues and greens.

We should question any toned coins that show no regard for elevation chromatics. On the other hand, some coins are naturally toned and show almost no elevation chromatics. This is simply one more tool to train our eyes when identifying NT vs AT.

The final tool should not be used to determine if a coin is AT or NT, but instead it should be used to confirm that a coin is NT. This tool is pull away, which is a natural break in toning from a coins’ devices or high points. If a coin has pull-away, we can be rest-assured that the coin is naturally toned. To our knowledge this process is impossible to replicate and must take place naturally. Pull away is often seen near the stars on the obverse of the Morgan Dollar (shown below) but can be seen on many other silver coins. Another example of a Bust Half Dollar is also shown. You can see the areas circled where it appears the toning has been “pulled away” from the devices. So, if a toned coin has this pull-away you can usually assume it has been toned naturally. Also, if a coin lacks any pull-away, do not assume the coin is AT, as a large portion of NT coins exhibit no pull-away.

These tools should help toned coin enthusiasts to differentiate between natural and artificial toning; but again, there are countless factors that influence toning on silver coins. These are not rules that apply 100% of the time. Spotting toned coins comes with experience and trusting your gut. The best way to train our eye as collectors is to spend ample time looking at many examples of toning, retain a questioning attitude, and know that if a coin doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t. At the same time, many experienced collectors continue to argue with each other on whether or not some coins have been toned by natural means, and that is just one part of what makes the hobby so interesting.

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Citations

PCGS Coinfacts. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://www.pcgs.com/CoinFacts.

Sunnywood Toning Classification System. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2021, from http://www.1881o.com/assets/sunnywood-toning-classification-system2.pdf.