One of my favorite parts of coin collecting is rainbow toned coins. They are extremely beautiful, rare and can often be worth a small fortune. Today I wanted to take a minute to explain exactly what rainbow toned coins are, how they are made and what makes them so valuable.
As you can see from the picture this is no normal penny. This rainbow toned example has beautiful blues, purples, yellows, greens and pinks all over it. This is a true rainbow toned example.
How Are Rainbow Toned Coins Made
When coins are minted they are kept in different environments. Years ago the US Mint used canvas bags. Some mint and proof sets where kept in paper envelopes. Toning happens because of these external environmental factors.
When chemicals mix with the metals of the coin there is a chance the color of the coin will change. If you look at toned Morgan dollars they will often have a weird c shape or moon shape. That's because there was another silver dollar laying on top of it so only the toned part was exposed to the chemical's that caused the color change.
What Are Rainbow Toned Coins
A toned coin is any coin that has an abnormal color ass a result of chemical and environmental factors. Not all toned coins are rainbow tones. Some toned coins may be a solid color. Others may be a mix of colors. Some colors are dull while others are bright and vibrant.
Rainbow toned specifically refers to toned coins that have a rainbow effect. This means they showcase the colors of the rainbow. The coin may only be partially toned or the toning may cover 100% of the coin.
Why Rainbow Toned Coins Can be Valuable
Numismatic values are a combination of rarity and condition. Rainbow toned coins can be extremely valuable even if the coin isn't normally considered rare. The toning itself can make it rare. Most toned coins are usually one of a kind with very few being similar and no two being exactly the same.
Like with most things the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Why do we like some coins more than others? It's the color, the artwork, everything that makes us like one denomination or series than another. The same is true with rainbow toned coins.
A true 100% coverage rainbow toned coin with vibrant colors and beautiful colors will likely be considered extremely pretty and therefore be very sought after. On the other hand a partially toned coin with dull colors may be considered a lot less desirable.
The impact this has on the coins value will be unique just like the coins toning. A beautiful brightly toned coin, even a common coin, can be worth several hundred dollars and asking prices in the thousands are not uncommon.
Final Thoughts
valuing Rainbow Toned coins is harder than normal because they are so unique and the desirability is so subjective, This makes the value extremely subjective. You have to know the market, the collectability and be able to accurately estimate the price you can demand.
If you have a collection of Rainbow Toned coins you would like to sell then send us a message via our Contact Us page. We would be happy to help.