Hello, i am not very good with proofs, but i found these 3 very reflective and square edged coins. I was wondering if any of them were proofs. Attached are pictures of the face, reverse, and rim of each coin.
No. Proof sets in 1971 and 2017 bore the "S" mint mark, so your 1971 Lincoln cent and 2017 Frederick Douglas quarter can not be proofs. I can't see the date on your nickel but I suspect it is not a proof either. The odds of finding a proof coin in circulation are very slim. Not impossible but very unlikely. Your coins are in nice condition but they're not proofs.
The penny and quarter were the questionable ones to me. I forgot to post the front of the nickel but here are the pictures for that. Imo the nickel has the best chance c:
I did not see a 2017 but proofs they did have an S mintmark in 2017. that quarter has a D. just a clean quarter.
You're 100% this nickel isn't a proof? @Autoturf @LakeEffect Its just really hard to get a good photo, so here is a .gif that does it way more justice. 1957 no mint mark
At first I thought Monticello looked a little too mushy to be a proof but your animated .gif is more convincing. It's hard to tell from photographs. You should have someone knowledgeable look at it in person and/or compare it to a known 1957 proof. As I mentioned, finding a proof coin in circulation is unusual but it does happen.
Good idea, @LakeEffect , compare it, don't send it in to get graded, retail on a 57 gem proof nickel is around 3 bucks.
@Autoturf Yeah i have no plans on getting it graded lol. at the end of the day its a circulated coin. I just wanted to know because it was the only coin i had in a 2x2 that i wasn't sure was what i had it labeled as =P
Just because it was found in circulation is no excuse to continue to handle the coin which adds to it circulated condition. It is now an impaired proof so let's not make it worse.
Sorry, no disrespect, but the coin belongs to me and i will handle it, store it, and do with it what id like. I has little to no value to it in the state that it is in, proof or not.
As you can no doubt tell, I've been a collector for many many years. I handle all of my coins as little as possible in order to protect them. It makes no difference to me of the value of the coin, its age or condition. Old or modern I handle all of my collection as little as possible and they are stored to protect the coin. I learned that from a wise old man and I'm just trying to pass this on to others.
Yes. Impaired proofs. Nice finds! Often times that oils on the surface can be lifted with an acetone bath and a microfiber dab. They are what they are, so in my book, fun finds without an upside.
Given that this thread was resurrected after four months, and nobody ever posted a comparison proof, why not post one now? Note that proofs universally have full steps and business strikes rarely do.