Stack’s Bowers Galleries hosted the official auctions of the Whitman Expo in Baltimore, Nov. 3 to 6. Among the standouts were several high grade 20th century silver coins with beautiful rainbow toning.

A coin that has magnificent rich color can sell for many multiples of what a similarly graded untoned coin might bring. Collectors especially covet deep, rich jewel tones that lend an almost cloisonne effect to a coin’s surface. The presence of gorgeous color can give an otherwise common coin a “wow factor” that collectors will happily open their wallets for.

Here is one of three toned silver coins we're profiling in this week's Market Analysis. 

The Lot:

1925 Stone Mountain Memorial Commemorative Half Dollar, PCGS MS-66, CAC sticker

The Price:

$3,055

The Story:

The 1925 Stone Mountain commemorative half dollar designed by Gutzon Borglum is one of the more common halves in the classic commemorative series of 1892 to 1954. A typical example certified MS-66 by PCGS or Numismatic Guaranty Corp. might sell for $250 to $300 at auction.

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Examples with beautiful toning can sell for multiples of a brilliant representative. The Baltimore auction included this 1925 Stone Mountain half dollar graded MS-66 by PCGS with a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker that realized $3,055.

As Stack’s Bowers writes with florid language, “The fields bloom with rich crimson and amber hues, haloing Lee and Jackson as they glow in an aura of champagne and azure luster. A similarly incandescent display emblazons the reverse, on which the eagle imitates a Phoenix, rising from the magenta and tangerine flames of an untold Civil War skirmish erupting in the fields.”

Keep reading this Market Analysis of toned silver coins:

Rich toning brings out the best in a high-grade 1954 Franklin half dollar: While many debate the attractiveness of John R. Sinnock’s Franklin half dollar, the design is perhaps showcased at its most effective on richly toned examples.

Vivid rainbow toning gives high-mintage 1955-S Roosevelt dime a significant price bump: With a mintage of 18,510,000, the issue is common, and even in MS-67 certified examples sell for $50 or so. This one sold for more than $1,600.