1882 Seated Dime for type set

I received the dime today and am quite pleased. Indeed Mark and Mike are correct, there are some very very fine hairlines on the coin. In the photo, some of the lines are on the plastic, and others are on the coin. They are barely noticable in hand, but as some of you know, my camera is EXCELLENT at picking out hairlines and making them look stronger than they really are...:bigeyes:

What I find interesting about this coin is the HUGE arc shaped line/imprint that circles the reverse right inside of the denticals from about 7oclock to 2oclock. I'm not experienced with early proofs, but is this common? What is the cause of it? I assume it may occur when the coin is struck the second time, but I have no idea. It is quite interesting though, and is very evident in my latest photos. My photos didn't capture the toning very well, but it is quite nice. It looks to have semi-cameo features on both the obverse and the reverse. Also, I don't believe there is any wear on the coin. Both sides are sharp. The main detractors are the hairlines and the hit on the obverse at about 8oclock.

Now the question is, should I put it in my DANSCO album? I really like the look of the coin, and think it would add some nice variety and look to the set. I mentioned this on the PCGS forum, and they seemed to think it was a crime to put an early proof into an album. I handle all my coins with cotton gloves, and have not yet damaged any of the more modern proofs I've handled in albums. It obviously already has a lot of hairlines, and the coin itself set me back $270....Is it THAT dangerous to put proofs into albums?? Anyways, I'm still debating it.

 

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I would leave it in the holder. No need to risk it being damaged in an album.
Just my opinion. Nice coin.

 

Nice cameo reverse. I was going to say pr62 before you posted the slab picture.

 

Thank you for the comment and opinion. I guess my question is: Besides the fact that a proof is more likely to retain fingerprints, is it generally more susceptible to damage than it's mint state counterpart? I was under the impression that a proof's surfaces were actually stronger than business strike surfaces due to the striking process? Is an album that much of a threat to a proof?

 

The surfaces of a Proof coin could be said to be more fragile than those of a business strike, due to their propensity to acquire hairlines from mishandling. I would leave it as is or put it in your album based on which option makes you more comfortable.

 

Thanks Mark! I will keep it in the slab for a while as I ponder this decision. I really like this coin, and I may decide to start a collection of certified early proofs...hmm, decisions decisions..

 

edit. nevermind.

 

Ok, so I decided to remove the proof from the slab. Only handling with rubber gloves, I placed it into my DANSCO, and I really like the way it looks in the album. I'm sure some may disagree as to whether or not a proof fits well with business strikes, but I think it adds some uniqueness to the overall look of the set. I was very careful and used cotton gloves, and photographed it before slipping in the plastic slide. Opinions?

 

Nice looking set.

 

NICE group of coins.
Looks like you're taking your time and getting good representative coins.
Keep that up.
You'll be much happier in the end.

 

Very Nice!!!

 

I think having the proof in the set adds a little "zing." Surprises are nice when browsing through an album, like the interesting toning on some of the other coins you selected. That looks like a very nice set!