I've noticed that people are divided on the toned coins issue. Let's see who has the high ground.

Original, NT is the only way to go.

Oh my,,, i can hear all those can's of acetone cracking open in basements around the country now..... and the cycle continues... tone it, dip it, tone it, dip it....

I have to be really specific here.

If I am collecting a series (ie, all Peace dollars) then I would want them as blast white as possible. But, if I can find a Peace dollar double somewhere with really pretty toning (for me, means a pretty rainbow effect like one of our fellows achieved with artificially toning an ASE a while back but I can't find it; however, "pretty" does not necessarily mean "neon MONSTER") I might stick it in a 2x2 to admire as a work of art once in a while.

In short, I would want only a few pieces of my collection (about 2% of it) to be toned as long as they are aesthetically pleasing to me (no brown, ugly toning or MONSTER colors). Right now I have this weird bluish 1974 Washie, a purply-shimmer 1982 cent, and some French 10 centimes pieces my FIL found in his basement with an all over bronzed color with specks of blue shimmering among them. Wish I could capture it so the Internets could see, but it's hard.

Has to be NT for me, I mainly collect coins due to their history and so don't want a modern addition to it, plus why would you dip a Cnut penny?!?

However a few modern coins, i.e. 1900's do look nice when AT...

Clive.

i like my coins to be as clear as possible....shows the history...now if its an attractive "over time" tone than sure why not but im not all crazy about it at the same time and only like them on coins which i can get more off i.e. modern coins not pre 1970's

Well here's a little English hammered comparison.

Artificially toned due to a previous collector storing in PVC... My Aethelred II Last Small Cross Penny, Wulfnoth on Winchester. Circa 1015 A.D.

Click to view attachment



Compared to my naturally toned Cnut Pointed Helmet Penny, Brunstan on Thetford. Circa 1020 A.D.

Click to view attachment



I know which one I prefer but won't turn down an AT hammered if I need/like it, only if it is bright purple or something peculiar.

Clive.

So far its 100% for no toning.

I will be the first to vote for toned. I like a toned coin over mint luster...thats just me...as long as it is natural tone.

Toned, baby !!!

(as if you couldn't tell by my avatar and sigline )

Tough call, I have no real preference. If coin fits my budget and looks nice toned or untoned, I'm buying.

Depends on the coin.

I like both. Sometimes toning looks good and other times it makes the coin very ugly

this is how i feel, too. i voted not-toned but i will consider toned coins if the toning is attractive.

I really don't like toned coins or any object that shows toning, corroding, tarnishing, rusting. However, the field of toned coins is now growing massively. There are now even web sites similar to this one for just toned coins. Many, many years ago if you had a coin that was doubled due to a Mint error it was just dumped back into circulation. Now people are examining coins with practically an electron microscope to find the slightest error.
Things change and so do people.

I really don't like toned coins or any object that shows toning, corroding, tarnishing, rusting. However, the field of toned coins is now growing massively. There are now even web sites similar to this one for just toned coins. Many, many years ago if you had a coin that was doubled due to a Mint error it was just dumped back into circulation. Now people are examining coins with practically an electron microscope to find the slightest error.
Things change and so do people.

well...with what I collect mostly, if it isnt toned...its been cleaned. I tend not to do much more than soak a coin in DW just to get any surface dirt off...So a nice toned coin means either it hasnt been cleaned or its been long enough after a cleaning that it has retoned....save of course the fake toned coins. I dont care for rainbow toned although I have a few coins that show a rainbow toning if the light hits it right. I also dont think toning on a coin means it should fetch a premium, in fact if it is brilliant rainbow collored, I might even shy away from it because I know how people screw with coins to make that.

I think I have to go like most of you. It depends on the coin and the tone. If it is an attractive tone that it's fine but I would prefer mint luster.

I like original coins, if they are toned great, if they are not great.