Here is a nice Example of toning of a silver coin.  This is a 1995 Mexican One Onza, more commonly called a Libertad. It is Mexico's answer to our Silver American Eagle. One ounce of .999 pure silver. These are very popular coins that I collect. The 1995 is the last year they were minted in this diameter, 36 mm.. After that they were and are made to 40 mm.. The obverse features the national coat of arms. The reverse shows the Winged Victory Statue and the mountains Ixtaccihuatl and Popocatepetl. These mountains have a very interesting story associated with them and I encourage everyone interested in Mexico and their coinage to research it. Now to the toning. Look at the progression of colors and their shape and you will see a perfect example of how they should appear on a coin. There is a natural pattern and order of colors.  Often, on counterfeit coins, they get the colors and their progression wrong. Very often they are falsely toned to hide imperfections in the fake coin it self. The ANA Summer Seminar has a class on this very topic.. If you enjoy toned coins of any type, you might consider taking it or something like it. Counterfeits are everywhere, even inside slabs! Thanks for looking. As always I look forward to your comments.

I have a little experiment going on here in regards to toning I'd like to share. I purchased this raw 2011 Silver Canadian Maple Leaf from my coin dealer. I really enjoyed the look of the toning it has. I have had this in a manila envelope a bit more than a year. I keep it on a window sill that receives a lot of sun. I can see just a tiny bit of the toning growing. There is no sulfur in the envelope, so I don't feel I'm cheating, much. I just want to see if the toning progresses as I was taught at Summer Seminar..I have no idea who scratched at the obverse. Perhaps their own experiment. The Maple Leaf is a one ounce pure silver, .9999, coin that is almost as popular as our Silver Eagle. It can be a nice addition to any bullion collection. I can recommend the Royal Canadian Mint for anyone to check out. They have quite a few new, innovated coins for sale. Thanks for looking and any comments you might have. I'll get back with new photos in about a year!

   I don't usually buy bullion rounds but I was at my favorite coin store the other day and I saw these. They are one ounce silver rounds put out by some company, I think, to celebrate their 10th anniversary. They, he had a roll, feature a dragon and peacock on the reverse and the company logo on the obverse. The dragon was the first thing to draw me in then I saw the edge. All 20 coins had this dark toning all around the coin with the toning starting to creep over the main surfaces. I bought one of the rounds in the hopes of watching the toning progress over the rest of the coin.