Tony thanks for the complimentand comment! The dark toning is caused by annealing (heating) the coin until it glows dull orange. that softens the metal and makes it a little easier to work it . during the making process, i probably anneal the ring 6 to 9 times, depending on thickness, toughness, etc.
after forming the ring and cleaning up the edges, etc..on the clad rings i just take fine steel wool and buff the dickens out of it. that gives it the burnished look while highlighting the lettering and numbers. but some people prefer the ring all shiny and nice, so a simple minute or 2 with a dremel and a polishing bit , and final cleanup with a polishing rag leaves it shiny, bright and purdy :D
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