I like the newer 90% silver dcam proof silver coins. Being on an old poots limited budget, should I be buying them certified, pcgs etc., or just buying them raw and putting them in a capsule. I just really like the shine and shimmer of the silver proofs. Thanks for your advice.
Well my thought is if you enjoy the shimmer and shine and just enjoying or passing on then enjoy. If your really curious about what you may have and/or selling/trading go graded!!
If you plan on keeping them I would go the most frugal way. I am old and I like the same thing. I don't have any in slabs. They are mine and I like them.
It depends on what will make you happy. you can buy a graded PR70 Ucam 99.9% silver quarter for about $20. A set of 5 will run $80 to $90. a PF 69 set is a little less. Some of the older 90% mint sets of 5 silver quarters run in the $22 Range. You can get an Ungraded one (coin) for about $6 . Some links below to help. If you are patient and watch the auctions, you might score better deals. So in short you could by 10 or 12 ungraded singles in the designs that hit your fancy for about the same price you could get 5 graded examples of any single year. https://www.ebay.com/itm/2020-S-MAR...773800?hash=item46af5c51e8:g:Y4wAAOSwOJVe2VVg https://www.ebay.com/itm/2019-S-NGC-Proof-70-UCAM-999-Fine-Silver-Lowell-National-Park-ATB-Quarter/333216681011?hash=item4d95430c33:g:ndYAAOSwO5tc8Jne&LH_BIN=1 https://www.ebay.com/itm/2019-S-PRO...ET-NGC-PF70-ULTRA-CAMEO-25c/372841816002?hash https://www.ebay.com/itm/2011-America-The-Beautiful-National-Park-SILVER-Quarter-PROOF-SET-w-BOX-COA/193507426301?hash=item2d0df0fffd:g:J~wAAOSwT9letDRd&LH_BIN=1
Have you seen silver proofs sets from the '90s? Back then, the Mint used a sandblasting process to produce fine, iridescent DCAM frosting. After 2006, the process changed to a grainier laser frosting process. Proofs from the '90s represent the pinnacle of proof coinage (imo).
I'm not sure what I think of the 1990s sandblast frosting, compared to the "natural" (and very scarce) cameo effect from earlier years. Yeah, cameo is nice, but "artificial cameo" -- even if it was done on the dies at the Mint, and not post-strike -- kind of rubs me the wrong way. The less said about today's laser "frosting", the better. (It resembles real frosting the same way that some sugar cubes and a splash of milk over butter resembles cake frosting.)
No arguments here! Early proofs with deep cameo frosting are true rarities! Once the Mint began trying to make all proofs DCAMS, they really made the sandblasted coins look gorgeous! Then, they screwed them up with lasers.
Buy what you love/like. Someday down the road I will want to buy those proof ultra deep cameo franklins yes they cost money, but then they are so beautiful.
I think this is sound advice. If you are collecting them for your own pleasure, nothing says you need to have slabs, unless you just want 'em in slabs.