Flash Index > FAQs (Challenging Flash)

Question: How does the Flash Index handle one-sided monster toners?

Answer:  Before I delve into that question, I want to make it clear that in cases where one side is colorfully toned and attractive — and the other side is colorfully toned but distracting, the distracting side will get scored normally in all categories — and in this case the “bad side” will end up hurting the overall score.

So now to the critical case that the question addressed.  In cases where one side is colorfully toned and the other side is untoned and not distracting at all, the untoned side will duplicate (repeat) the four color category scores from the toned side.  This is done because for a “white” or  untoned side, there are 4 categories (all in Group A: Color) that cannot be scored.

That way, if you have a perfect “top-category scored” toned Morgan Dollar obverse, with an untoned reverse, the coin can still score a perfect 10.0 overall.  This is the preferred way to handle these cases since it does what most people do in their own heads when buying toners; a monster obverse and an untoned pristine reverse is just as good and desirable as a two-sided monster.  Some coin series, like Morgan Silver Dollars tend to be toned on one side only, so this system will give those monster Morgan’s a shot to achieve Gold Level Flash Index scores above 9.0.

Question: Does the Flash Index work with Circulated Coins (Circulated Grades)?

Answer: Toning in circulated grades is rare, much rarer than in Mint State coins.  However toning can and does occur in circulated grades, mostly in the About Uncirculated or AU grade, but I have seen rainbow toning (from Album storage) in grades as low as Good or G.   In this case, the score for grade (category 10) is simply set to 0. All other categories are scored as usual.