Proof coins!

Yep original government packaging.

 

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I have a lot of proof coins: all the 90% silver proof sets from 1954 thru 1964, & multiples of some. A roll of proof 1964 Kennedy halves, & 2 rolls of 1962 & 63 Franklin halves. A couple of proof AGE's, & a few of the proof $5 gold commem. coins. Here's a few:

 

This one of the best Proof Walking Liberty Half Dollars that I have seen. It is in an NGC PR-67 holder. The coin has never been dipped, and it's bear to photograph because most photos make it look ugly. Here's my best effort so far. The first photo was shot at a slight angle.



I think that this coin really showcases how beautiful this design is.

On a financial note, I bought this piece years ago when the prices were higher. It's good thing I like it because I'm buried into it.

 

When did you buy it and what happened to the market for this coin since ?

Did it track the general decline in many U.S.-specific coin types that I read about like with Franklins and Barbers ?

Or did you buy it at a very elevated bubble-like peak (I doubt it, since you are a knowledeable buyer ) ?

 

I agree! I love the reverse proofs. I'm starting to collect the ones I missed and am trying to get all that are currently issued.

 

Remember...larger coins show the features even nicer.

 

I really don't know. It's now worth less than half of what I paid for it.

Of course grade-flation is another factor. If you are talking about a dipped white piece in an PR-67 holder, that's another matter.

 

This is my 1942 PCGS PF 67. I picked it up a few years ago. It has never been missed with and no finger prints.

 

Appears to show an amazing amount of die wear though.

 

Some cameo and some toning...

 

Prices for coins started to drop about 15 years ago. Some kept their value and some didn't. I think there were a lot of coins that were over priced and because of this people started to sell them. This was a correction that takes place every now and then. Some truly rare coins also took a hit but, over time those will recover. I have a few in my collection by todays standards I way over paid for. However, I'll sit on them for now and hope the prices recover. A similar thing happens to most collectables. Antique cars have taken a major hit. 30 to 50 percent on average. Back in the 70 and 80's cars from the 50's were very hot. Us baby boomers were the one's buying them. Now we're retiring and dyeing off and our kids aren't interested in cars like we were. They still have a good market but, you'll be lucky to break even.

 

The forum threads I read over at CU detailed the carnage in many people purchases. And they weren't novices, either.

What surprised me is that there wasn't any Bubble-like runup that I was aware of in the 2000's similar to 1978-80 or 1988-90.

I guess prices just shot up slowly over a longer period of time and/or just went nutso in a few short years. Franklins and Barbers seemed to be the main culprits, coins with little or no PM intrinsic value.

 

It's actually not die wear. If you saw it in hand you would understand. John Milton's and mine appear never to have messed with. The proof Walkers with toning like ours actually tells you they are original. Mine in hand is amazing the way light reflects off it's surface. The same with proof Mercury dimes. I have a proof Mercury dime that looks like my Walker. They seem to develop a green yellow tone. I suspect it has to do with how they packaged at the mint and if they remained in that packaging. I found that those coins from this time period if blast white were dipped. Avoid blast white proof coins from this time period I've seen some develop ugly toning.

 

Here's a civil war proof half dime from 1864. Mintage of 470. Really hard to photograph.

 

And I know it's not American, but here is a William iv proof four pence from the 1831 coronation proof set. Graded pf64cam by ngc

 

I have acquired a decently large number of proofs over the years (such as a 1936 to 1942 set) but I have pictures of only a few of them. Here are a couple. The nickel is PR 67 and the 3 cent silver is PR 66.

Mark