Very strange find at the bank yesterday..

Yesterday I headed to my local bank to pick up a box of pennies, this being the bank that I actually own an account at. I have gotten to know a few tellers who'll always sell me their cool finds. The best being 100 wheat pennies at face. However yesterday she pulled out a presidential dollar that she was sure was a proof.. one glance and I knew it wasn't a proof but something was definitely "off". I thanked her and took this strange coin home.. it's unbelievably shiny and has zero luster, it looks almost like it was whizzed or cleaned with some harsh chemical. What're your opinions on it? Have any of you guys ever come across a modern coin that someone cleaned this harshly?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Looks like a normal coin to me. probably just has not saw much circulation.

 

Your instincts are correct. It's been polished up. Either a buffing wheel or someone took a rag and polishing compound and shined it up.

 

There are plenty of semi-PL Prezzy dollars out there, more Denvers than Phillys. I'm not with Mr. Lee on this call.

 

It is a Denver so maybe that's it. Would the lack of luster mean anything?

 

It's been happening there since as far back as the 2000 Sacagawea dollars at Denver. It's a really odd look. I attribute it EITHER to early strikes on a die set, or strikes immediately after a die polish. I've never seen one from Philly though.

 

Now that you mention it I looked through all my pres dollars and one of the other denvers has strange look to it as well... Very interesting.

 

Hey, paying close attention to coins that "nobody else cares about" is kinda my niche.

 

Can you take a photo of the coin straight on? It is very possible that it is a PL as @V. Kurt Bellman mentioned. From what I could see of the coin at the angles pictured, it has the look of a polished coin rather than a PL, but I certainly could be wrong.

 

I can take more pics if needed ☺

 

It would be quite unusual for these to qualify for formal PL status, the mirrors are seldom flat enough. But the lack of flow lines is natural enough, for reasons I don't understand.

 

I can see this as a highly polished business strike. It looks like it came from the mint that way. I'm thinking it's a combination of the metal composition and die preparation that makes them look like this.

 

My thoughts exactly. It would make a heckuva scholarly presentation for the right year of Sundman lectures at an ANA show.

 

Thanks for the info! glad I posted about this. I never knew that something like a die polish could make this big of a difference.