To answer Andrew's original question, now that we've seen some examples of what could be perceived as nicely-toned specimens to certain collectors..
Yes, I've personally paid more $$ for great toning that caught my eye, all else being equal.
In at least 3 out of the 5 that I shared here, I know for a fact that the realized price was inflated due to the toning, when compared to a non-toned or not-so-great-toned one. And I happily paid up -- before somebody else would have.
Obviously a variety of other factors come into play (original mintage, approx surviving mintage, overall demand & availability, grade, condition, personal budget & desire, etc. -- and even certain wear patterns for the circulated ones), which need to be calculated into the equation.
But nice toning, to me, is oftentimes essential. I usually skip over the clean ones (obviously dipped, or otherwise, as in a center-of-the-bag Morgan).
And I definitely skip over the dark/gross/ugly ones, some of which are probably a good candidate for a method of tarnish-removal that wouldn't result in the coin getting a Details grade. Yes, mmissing.. in some cases it's difficult to argue *against* trying to remove at least some of the offensive toning if done in an appropriate way & if the person knows what they're doing. However, keep in mind that once done successfully, you might potentially be in for an unpleasant surprise of what's been hidden underneath, as well -- and there's no turning back at that point.
Anyway..
Yes, the nicely-toned ones are special & unique snowflakes, no two ever exactly alike.
And they're fantastic to admire. Usually even nicer in-hand, which can't be fully captured in photos/videos.
However, there's also the added bonus, if slabbed & the image was recorded by the TPG, of the toning as a *security feature*.
Is a counterfeiter honestly going to try to replicate down to the minute details of the exact toning of this specific piece? Good luck with that. :lol:
Instead, I believe their time & money is better spent elsewhere. (And yes, there are some who try to doctor fakes to make them look toned/worn, and usually do a horrible job -- but that's also where the TPG's large high-res images come in handy for a potential buyer/seller.)
So, awesome to look at? Holds its premium & desirability? Plus potentially a great security feature?
Yeah, I'd say any extra $$ (reasonably speaking) is worth it -- at least for relatively older coins (say, 10+ years)...
