I was looking through my Whitman penny book and noticed the 1938 cent that was super shiny. I decided to look and see if proofs were made that year and they were. Since proofs didn't have the "S" mint mark like they do today, how can I tell if this penny is a proof, or if its been polished or painted?
I guess the pic doesn't do it justice. It is so polished and reflective. I thought cleaned coins would have a dull sheen to it...?
Polished coins will be reflective, while inproperly dipped coins may have a dull look to them. I have to agree Caz though, the coin does not look like a proof to me, just polished.
I don't see any swirls, so I can't say for sure if its polished. But, I don't think its a proof issue though.
Looks to me like a cleaned/polished AU, but the images are really poor and make any determination just a best guess.
