I come across collections from time to time where really nice coins are ruined/damaged by people who have NO idea what they are. This is one of those cases. This is a 10 piece 1871 proof set that up until yesterday was BOUNCING AROUND in a box with a bunch of other coins.... ARGGGGG! But it is what it is and the coin still do have some value. I wanted to share.
I am still waiting for the IHC. I is going to look beautiful, I hope. None of the other coins look too bad....
Holy Smokes, as a proof collector, this is tragic and should be sent to me for a proper burial. But really, how could they be treated that way? I'm no gemologist, but I know that smashing diamonds with a hammer will ruin them. You say it is a 10 piece set, I'm assuming an Indian cent, 2cent piece and two 3 cent pieces (silver and nickle) are the other four coins.
well some did darken, and the toning is not all that great. I just have never seen proofs from that time to make this disappointing.
Some of the coins are still salvageable. The nickel and the 3 centers are still nice.... I will probably go ahead and send them all in to NGC just for confirmation that they are indeed proof... I know they are... but it makes them easier to sell.
For Proofs they have some (to me) very distracting marks. And most of them show wear which means they would get an impaired Proof grade - less than 60. And on a Proof, that's a big deal.
That is still a nice set, many collectors would love to have it just based on rarity. I'm just thankful that there was no gold proofs in that set. I would have had to go seek out a therapist to cope.