Hey guys, Recently bought a bag of wheats online and got this coin out of the lot. I don't know much about this coin but based on pictures it appears to be a "mirror proof". The back is pretty beat up with what appears to be a burn mark. I'm new to the whole grading coins thing and I really have no experience with grading proofs. Can anyone help me out here? How much would the "burn" mark affect the overall grade of this coin? Any other thoughts in general? It is a really cool looking coin and I'm happy to have received it with my others. I'm not sure if I'm linking these pics right so you may have to click on them, sorry. Thanks in advance!! [img=http://img277.imagevenue.com/loc562/th_22821_005_122_562lo.JPG] [img=http://img166.imagevenue.com/loc366/th_22844_006_122_366lo.JPG]
I agree. At that angle some of the coin is in focus and the rest is out of focus. The coin does not appear to be a Proof. It has been polished.
The coin has a lot of wear, someone polished it and it is shiny, but not a proof. The polishing has about ruined the coin, It will never look right, and will probably tone wierd. Compare the detail on the hair, coat and beard to an un-polished wheat, say fine condition.
The main reason I thought it was a proof was because of the the consistent "polished" condition all throughout. Even the outer rim is shiny and appears to be consistent with the entire coin. Why would someone even polish such a coin? And even if it is a polished coin and not a proof, they did a heck of a job!!
I had a couple of Indian head cents that were polished probably 80 years ago, they turned a shiny purple-green, old polished cents are really ugly.
klockz, Shiny does not necessarily mean Proof. You would do yourself a favor by educating yourself on the characteristics of Proof coins and how to differentiate between Proof coins and Business Strike coins.
this coin is definitely polished whizzed or some other luster enhancing method. The edges of the coin are rounded. This coin's rims are not squared, one of the defining characteristics of proof coinage.
My bet is it was used as part of a display and what you call a burnmark was where it reacted to the glue our whatever was used to mount the coin.
