Going through some of my coins (deciding which ones to sell and which to keep) and came across this Switzerland 1969 B 5 Francs: Checking in the Krause manual, I see that (in addition to the 2 edge lettering types - this one is Type 1) there is a Specimen version listed. There is a significant increase in value for the SP version, so I'm very interested to know if that's the one I have. Holding the coin in hand, it doesn't look like a proof per se (although it is very proof like) and the photos show the contrast and PL fields. My intuition tells me it's probably just a nice Business Strike with PL characteristics, but for educational purposes I thought I'd post it and see if someone more knowledgeable can help me out. Thank you!
Based on the strike and frosting characteristics, I believe it is a business strike. However, that wouldn't stop many people (or a TPG) from calling it a SP. The pricing for the SP in Krause can be way off. Even superb gems can bring below catalog value.
That's my gut feeling as well. And yes, well aware that Krause is just a reference material - sometimes it can be way high, sometimes way low. It was more of a "if it's a specimen, I'm gonna keep that because that's cool; if it's just a PL business strike, then I don't necessarily need to keep it." Thank you for the response, I appreciate it.