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What a coin's surface says about where it has been.
Also known as: Discoloured coin, Patina on a coin, Worn coin markings
Not a designed symbol, and worth a record because it is what most people are actually looking at when they try to identify an old coin. Toning is a chemical film that records storage, and wear records circulation — both are evidence, and cleaning destroys both.
Toning is a surface film formed by reaction between the coin's metal and its surroundings, and wear is the progressive loss of relief through handling. Neither is applied to the coin; both are records of what happened to it.
Contexts: History
Grading systems describe wear in fixed terms, from an uncirculated coin retaining full mint detail to one worn until only the outline survives, and the grade is generally a larger factor in value than the design.
Cleaning removes both the film and a little of the surface with it, and is essentially always destructive. It is the single most common irreversible mistake made with an inherited coin.
A dirty old coin is worth more than a clean one that used to be dirty.
A circular disc whose raised design has softened or flattened, its surface carrying an uneven film ranging from pale gold through blue to near black.