I have had these 2 Lincoln Memorial small cents in my collection for many years. I recently submitted them both to NGC to see if they would receive a proof like designation. They both came back as not proof like. I am puzzled on this one since I have several other proof like mint state Lincolns in my collection and these 2 look just like them. Even in my pictures that robecimages took for me you can clearly see these 2 coins look different. What do the rest of you think? I included a picture of my 98 D for comparison which I do not consider to be proof like. Proof like or not?
For the 1997D, the obverse looks PL but the reverse doesn't look like it makes it. The 99D looks close, but I'm guessing the mirrors just aren't deep enough - it appears semiprooflike, but if NGC says it doesn't make it, then it doesn't make it. For comparison, here's one I used to own. It was graded 67PL - the scratches are all on the slab:
I have a 1996 D MS68 proof like and a 2002 and a 2003 proof like. I do not have a good picture of the 96 D but here are some pictures of the other 2
The 98 D was provided too show that it was not in my opinion proof like. I was trying too compare it to the other coins
