89D Deep Proof Like or not.

Here is an 89D Kennedy. Pl is 2-4 inches away from the coin. I think this one qualifies as DPL. The next few photos were taken from 4.5 inches away. These were the best I could get with the crappy phn I have. But the 100 is still readable.
By the way what a pain it is to try and photo a reflection.
Hope I did a good enough job. This is what I was reflecting.
100 is above the I in Liberty
NGC has graded 66 PL , 3 DPL, and 8 MS*
Here are some other photos of the coin.
Would ANACS be ok to grade this Or should I get NGC's opinion?

 

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Judging from the photos IMO it looks like it may have been polished. Wait for more experienced members to give their opinion because I'm wrong a lot of the times.

 

PS. I hope it's not cleaned because I don't see many Kennedy halves PL or DMPL on ebay.

 

You probably won't.
Looking on NGC there isn't any auction records for these coins.
I still haven't figured out if there is a rarity to these PL or DPL coins or if they are common.
https://www.ngccoin.com/coin-explor...1964-date-pscid-44/1989-p-50c-ms-coinid-16755
@cladking
@physics-fan3.14

 

PL/DPL from the 80's and early 90's are uncommon. They start to get extremely common in the late 90's.

As for your coin, it is really hard to judge DPL from photos. I would say your coin almost certainly qualifies for at least PL.

Here is mine, which is graded NGC 65 DPL:

 

Is that because of a different preparation to the planchets or was there a change to the dies?
Did you buy yours graded or did you send it in?
NGC doesn't attach much value to these, at least until they reach a 67.

 

Another set of photos trying to show the metal flow.

These are really a pain to get the details without blasting the surfaces with light.

 

Well, IMHO, if it was a proof, it would have more of a mirror like finish, like this...
https://www.etsy.com/listing/682328985/1959-benjamin-franklin-proof?ref=shop_home_active_9&frs=1

 

It isn't a proof PL means Proof Like. And DPL means Deep Mirror Proof Like.
These are Philadelphia struck business strikes.
NGC, ANACS and ICG will attribute coins with mirrored surfaces as PL or DPL if they deserve it.

I would stay away from ETSY that place is a haven for overpriced coins, and usually the one selling do not have a clue about what there coin is worth.
You can buy PF67 graded examples for less than what that coin is being sold for.
I would also be leery that that coin shown is impaired.

 

A very nice looking coin. Pictures probably don't do it justice but I can't tell from the photos. You have the coin in hand and the experience. Only you can make the decision.

 

I have no doubt that it is highly PL.

But the mint bought a machine to swirl blank planchets with small steel shot probably in 1985. They call it a burnisher. They were burnishing some planchets as early as 1985 but they started doing a lot more in 1986. Most of these planchets were used in the various special sets they make including regular mint sets. Since mint set dies are often basined (faces ground flat) and because they use more pressure and better dies on mint set coins, it's not that unusual to find highly PL coins in mint sets. A lot of '88-D cents look like branch mint proofs (~1%). Half dollars are tougher.

I don't understand why the services won't grade PL's. The modern series can be collected in PL since every date appears as such. Some have very subdued PL characteristics such as '74-P half dollars. Others can be startling like '76-D type I Ikes.

There are a lot of tough PL's out there and half dollars are among the toughest. While dramatic PL's like this one are tougher, PL's are not.

 

NGC ANACS and ICG will attribute them with the designations. But PCGS has not made the change.
EDIT: I don't know that ANACS and ICG give the DPL, but NGC does.
@Insider

 

I have no doubt that it is not prooflike. It is just a reflective MS coin, and I could not even swear it was not cleaned/polished. Don’t count on any special designation—they are quite uncommon for JFK halves.

 

Even though NGC does grade some coins as PL, they must be very highly PL to receive the designation. I doubt more than 25 or 30 clad Washington date mint mark combinations exist in such a high level of PL. There are ever fewer clad half dollars.

They have a sliding grading scale for MS-65 so why not have one for PL?

I believe PCGS has said they would grade a clad PL if one ever met their standards but then, they don't seem to be abiding by this since they are actually talking about "adding" the designation.

 

Brett is on record saying they're taking a hard look at expanding it. My guess would be we will continue to see it expand as it has the last couple years eventually getting to everything as opposed to and overnight change of we now do it for everything.

 

While I have heard the burnished planchet theory used to explain the PL's, I present to you exhibits A and B - off center struck cent and dime with full PL struck surfaces and fully un-prooflike unstruck areas. The cent is certified as MS-64 RD PL by ANACS, the dime was in an ANACS 65PL holder when I bought it. This immediately proves the effect is coming from the die and not from the planchet:

 

1. There were some changes to the way that dies were prepared. I'm not sure what exactly changed in the 80's, but towards the end of the 90's they started chrome plating the dies to prolong their life. A shiny chrome plated die would obviously strike shiny chrome-like coins, for the first few strikes.

2. I bought that Kennedy already graded. I've bought several raw Kennedy's which later got PL, but not that particular DPL. When I bought it, there were only 2 DPL Kennedy's for the whole series (but several more have been certified since.)

3. I wouldn't trust the NGC price guide for valuation of PL or DPL coins.....

 

So you probably paid a descent premium for the DPL.
In the past I have liked my coins to be raw but, if I go through the trouble of putting a Kennedy PL and DPL set together I think I would like them to be certified.
Are they worth having graded?

 

I pulled this from a Mint set. It is not cleaned or polished.

 

It seems that they are a little more popular as of late.
For 89P alone NGC has graded 66 PL , 3 DPL, and 8 MS*