$20,500 Gothic Florin

[JohnA]

Is this at the right price...[not for me ]

It is beautifully toned. Maybe the only one like this in the world? Probably only buy this at a legit auction house, not eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GREAT-BRITAIN-Victoria-1885-AR-Gothic-Florin-Two-Shillings-PCGS-PR67-SCBC-3900/172882467880?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D47227%26meid%3D35ae64c1b5804a5aba43baf801754448%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D172882467880&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A820090cf-b212-11e7-98a5-74dbd18044f9%7Cparentrq%3A22d3b94c15f0ab66f2005bbcfffef2f1%7Ciid%3A1

[metallica73]

Its a gorgeous proof, but my 2013 Spink has this at £5750 and Spinks prices are usually OTT

Here's my 1873 (any excuse to show off a Gothic Florin!)

 

 

[sovereignsteve]

Awful toning but superb coin and pretty rare. I honestly don't know why some people rave over this type of "rainbow" toning. Give me a nice gun metal/pewter to slight brown look anyday.

[sovereignsteve]

Current Spink price is £5000 but this is pretty meaningless when you are talking about top specimens.

[JohnA]

31 minutes ago, sovereignsteve said:

Awful toning but superb coin and pretty rare. I honestly don't know why some people rave over this type of "rainbow" toning. Give me a nice gun metal/pewter to slight brown look anyday.

Can this type of rainbow toning be applied artificially?

[SilverTanner]

As has been mentioned Atlas are very expensive and tend to focus only on the top graded coins. I have been outbid a number of times only to see the coin then appear on their website with a serious premium added - having said that they must sell plenty at these prices to stay in business so it obviously works for them! 

[sovereignsteve]

Just now, JohnAnsink said:

Can this type of rainbow toning be applied artificially?

I think it can to a certain extent. I've seen some pretty horrific ones that were clearly false.

[JohnA]

9 minutes ago, shortstack68 said:

Yes it can, chemically with electrosis 

 

 

Will it remove luster or generally dull coin. And can it be detected? I want to avoid this.

[sovereignsteve]

Unlikely to see artificial toning on old numismatics, except perhaps common one like Morgans. Gawdy toning seems to be the domain of some US collectors.

[Martlet]

1 hour ago, JohnAnsink said:

Can this type of rainbow toning be applied artificially?

And isn't it highly susceptible to "fashion"?  I mean why is this sort of toning desirable against a clean specimen of the coin design.  Have rainbow tones always been considered acceptable, and not tarnishing?

[JohnA]

Even coins from the sixities, like Franklin 1/2 dollars get a premium if toned right

[Martlet]

31 minutes ago, shortstack68 said:

Why would a 100+ year old coin be clean, it should take some form of tone/tarnish over that period of time, i'd be more worried about a clean coin rather one that has tone. Americans love the rainbow coloured stuff, i prefer to see something with some tone forming or already formed over it's lifetime, although in modern coins this isn't acceptable, but theoretically it should happen eventually

Accept that toning happens of course, would "cleaner" be better?  Like the second example in the thread.  The question is why is rainbow style toning desirable and will this fade.

 

[Jester]

58 minutes ago, sovereignsteve said:

Unlikely to see artificial toning on old numismatics, except perhaps common one like Morgans. Gawdy toning seems to be the domain of some US collectors.

 

48 minutes ago, shortstack68 said:

Why would a 100+ year old coin be clean, it should take some form of tone/tarnish over that period of time, i'd be more worried about a clean coin rather one that has tone. Americans love the rainbow coloured stuff, i prefer to see something with some tone forming or already formed over it's lifetime, although in modern coins this isn't acceptable, but theoretically it should happen eventually

Riiiight...us American collectors. Same way it's an American collector phenomenon/obsession for TPG but not the European collectors??? Us American collectors just hope someday a coloring book and jigsaw puzzle will come with every coin purchase...where's my helmet?

I just picked this up a week or so ago...no color, no rainbow, no Dorothy. Let's not make generalizations, hmm.

[sovereignsteve]

28 minutes ago, Jester said:

some US collectors.

Some..................

[Jester]

Just now, sovereignsteve said:

Some..................

How about just some collectors? I'd bet today's lunch money that the love of "gaudy" rainbow toning isn't exclusive to this side of the pond...

I responded only because if I didn't, there'd probably be some Forum members that would walk away from this post thinking, "Wow, I didn't know it was really only Americans that are into rainbow toning" (see other comment referenced). It's happened before.

[sovereignsteve]

28 minutes ago, Jester said:

I'd bet today's lunch money that the love of "gaudy" rainbow toning isn't exclusive to this side of the pond...

Well I can only speak from my experience, which is that I've only ever heard or seen collectors in the US actually wanting toning of any description, let alone rainbow. Although to be fair, most serious collectors of old numismatics either like a bit of natural toning for it's own sake or like to see it to help reassure the coin hasn't been cleaned.

[Pampfan]

You say potato - I say potato - it all comes down to what a collector collects - some like toning - some like shiny - however, eye appeal does factor into a coins grade - and that can be subjective and I am sure that there are collectors on both sides of the pond that will argue over what gives a coin eye appeal.

 

[sovereignsteve]

Agree entirely, all down to taste, although I think it's more: Tomato.....tomato

[breaktwister]

Hi Jester, that is a nice florin - was it an ebay pickup?  I am starting to look at these older coins now, have picked up Spinks and the British Guide to Grading Coins, haven't pulled the trigger on any purchases yet though.