Jake Wood, Jr.'s
Numismatics Online
Toning
Toning, as you may know is when the coin's natural color is changed, usually by the atmosphere around it. It is very common among Franklins. The most natural way that toning occurs is simply by letting the coins sit in your vault. You see, the mint used to place proof sets in tissue paper, which let off chemicals changing the colors. Most commonly Franklins are toned a dark deep blue, but they also can be pink, gold, white or any other color in the spectrum. It is said that every color in the rainbow can be found if you search long and hard enough for it.
Below you can see two toned Franklins, the first is mildly toned, and the toning is most noticeable when you tilt the coin in the light.
The second, is one of the hardest Franklins to find in Mint State condition, a 1949 S. Almost all 1949 S Franklins are toned. This one in particular is extremely gold toned, this is noticeable when you look at the edges and rim of the coin.
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This page was last updated on: 19 March 1997