• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Does Wood Grain Toning Effect the Grade?

22 posts in this topic

A number of collectors of Lincoln cents, myself included, like the eye appeal of "wood grain" toning. I'm working with a small sample, but the wood grain coins I own appear to be graded lower than their evenly toned brethren.

 

My imagination or do the services treat uneven toning of this sort as inferior?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wood grain toning might not affect the technical grade, but it makes it far less likely that I will buy the coin, so from that perspective I'd say yes. I can't see a very high grade cent in say MS-65 or better with wood grain toning. At least I can't see it in my colleciton.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Would like to see images of wood grain toning especially on proof coppers. Somebody post images ? [/quote

 

Don't have any proof woodies.

 

MS64BN

CT_1917MS64BN_o11r8.jpg

 

MS65RB Robec_1929LincTV_MS65RB.jpg

 

MS66RB

Bob_1954sLincTV_MS66RB.jpg

 

MS65RB

Robec_1955sLincTV_PR65RB.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

'17 is truly incredible and gemmy coin. Thanks for posting images. Wood grain tone smacks of originality to me and would not lesson my appeal if I were a buyer of this material.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Might depend on the species of wood. Walnut, Red Oak, or Cherry might be fine while Knotty Pine could lower the attractiveness of the coin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do not like the look of woodgrain toning. I understand that some people like it, but I don't get it. Depending on how severe it is, I may call it "neutral" or "negative" eye appeal - and adjust the value accordingly. This is just my opinion though. Because of the subjectivity of grading, I'm not sure how it would affect my grade - but if I were trying to decide between 65 or 66 on a woodgrained coin, I'd lean more towards 65 if the toning is distracting.

 

This general principle applies to all distracting toning, though, not just woodgrain. When grading, we have to be aware of our biases (and the biases of those who grade for us). Certain types of toning are universally appreciated, some are universally disliked - and some are a bit more controversial.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I were a grader; I wouldn't let wood grain toning limit my thinking on a technical grade.

 

All of the examples in this thread look attractive to me but I have seen a few before that I didn't really care for.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I were a grader; I wouldn't let wood grain toning limit my thinking on a technical grade.

 

All of the examples in this thread look attractive to me but I have seen a few before that I didn't really care for.

 

Toning doesn't change a technical grade, of course. But TPGs don't technical grade - they market grade (as do most of us). Eye appeal, and toning, definitely play a role in market grading.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I were a grader; I wouldn't let wood grain toning limit my thinking on a technical grade.

 

All of the examples in this thread look attractive to me but I have seen a few before that I didn't really care for.

 

Toning doesn't change a technical grade, of course. But TPGs don't technical grade - they market grade (as do most of us). Eye appeal, and toning, definitely play a role in market grading.

 

True. Not all but MOST wood grain toning that I've seen has decent eye appeal. IMHO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's possible ! It's been my experience that the top grading services consider the training effect ,that you refer to as a planchet defect. Further , I have read in several different articles that the effect was caused by improper annealing of said planchets. Whatever the reason , I like the effect in some coins and not so much in others! I guess beauty as well as grade and value are in the eye of the beholder or perhaps holder as the case my be !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any dark toning on copper can negatively affect the outcome of the TPGs' grades. Streaks of brown and black are probably seen by them as less offensive than carbon spotting, but both can be detrimental to the grade assigned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites