Post your earliest proof coin

I bought this and a companion 1862 Proof dime raw in the mid 80’s. I sent them to NGC in 2003 where both graded PF62. I sold both around 2008.

 

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Earliest British are the Charles II crowns, unless you consider the 'fine work' James I and Charles I pieces to be proofs. These are on specially prepared flans, so could be included depending on your interpretation of proof. But then you could also consider the Edward VI and Elizabeth I patterns to be proofs given the terms pattern and proof are often used indiscriminately.

 

Here’s my oldest -

 

Sure do wish this one would show back up on the market.

 

This was the one that got away from me. Not exactly a proof, but…

 

Thanks for sharing everyone! These are so beautiful and reminded me how I will always have a weakness for proofs .

 

I agree. This was a fun thread!!

 

Thirty years ago I tried to assemble a proof set of coins from 1857. It was a challenge and a fool's errand. I never found any of the copper coins but I did have most of the silver ones (trime, half-dime, dime, quarter, and half dollar). The 1857 proof dollar exists but I never found one. I wish I still had them but a few years later circumstances required that I sell them.

Here are a few of the proofs that currently reside in my collection.
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PRF 63


J-1293, PRF 61


J-470, PRF 63

 

The original cert number was 5107150-003, but since then it must have been either resubmitted or cracked and submitted somewhere else since the number is not found.

I take it back. In looking at my old NGC statements they used those first 7 numbers on several statements. Since I never took a photo of the coin in the slab I’m not sure at this point what the cert number was. I think I do have a slab shot of another coin from the same submission. I’ll give that a try.
Bingo, found it. The number is 1560675-003 and it is still in the system.

 

Those are BEAUTIFUL!

 

Thank you sir.

In other news, I just realized that you and robec were my 999th and 1000th likes. Wooooo Hoooo, now I'm going places.

 

I can't stop looking at that Washington nickel pattern. Man, that just takes my breath away. Sure wish the mint would have settled on this rather than the shield nickel.

 

It was serendipity when I saw that coin. I ran home and grabbed some gold and platinum bullion to pay for it.

 

Nice coins on show here.

I have no concept of how prolific the US mints were in proof production, but from an across the pond perspective, there were few years where the output was more than a handful. Surprisingly for the early issues, proofs are not always exclusive to the first year, with a surprising number struck of the small change denominations, whereas by comparison the silver denomination proofs are mostly seriously rare.

For halfpennies and farthings, silver and copper proofs were struck side by side with fewer in the first metal. The commonest Royal Mint produced proofs tend to be first year of issue copper proofs, as this applies to 1672, 1694, 1717, 1729, 1770 1821, 1826 etc (leaving out Soho pieces as they distort the figures being a private company with other interests). e.g. here are a copper (Peck 832) and silver (Peck 834) proof halfpenny for 1729. The first is relatively common, the second less so as a thin flan, and in this instance is a thick flan where the only other known piece is in the BM. For anyone tempted, there's one coin slabbed as a Peck 834, but it isn't as it is 20% too light compared to mine and right for a normal thin flan type. Caveat emptor.




For non-first year dates, they are invariably very rare and you grab them when you can. e.g. This gem might not look it, but would be a top pop if I did slabbing as it is the better of two known 1718 silver halfpennies. Remarkably, both turned up in the Bousfield sale in 1911 have been acquired from separate sources in 1904 and 1906. The lot description of Bousfield 414 says, 'halfpenny, though less worn [than previous lot], has two file cuts on the edge'. Don't hold your breath.........

 

Here's my earliest US proof. It's a half dollar pattern, Judd-241, graded PR62 by PCGS. Design is by James Longacre. Unfortunately, it was not approved for circulating coins. Cal

 

Amazing patterns! @Tall Paul @calcol
Patterns are certainly a separate monster of coin collecting.

 

Amen to that brother. Patterns can be a deep and dark rabbit hole. However, being their custodian confers a special kind of joy to one's collecting efforts.