I have never purchased a cameo coin before (unless proof sets count). I will be going to the St. Louis show in a few weeks and will be on the hunt for a 1959 Proof 66 or 67 Franklin Half. I want this year because it is my birth year. A friend of mine spoke with Rick Tomaska (?), a Franklin specialist dealer, at the ANA show who said that this can be a tough year for decent cameos. There was only one at the show and it had a small white spot in one of the letters and so my friend didn't purchase it for me. What general advice do you guys have when buying a cameo coin? When inspecting the coin, what are problems that I should look for that could indicate the coin should not be purchased?
Excellent question and I await the answers!! Could I throw another question on top? What to look for to distinguish between a PR-63, PR-65 and a PR-67? Are there some easy tips, or is it just looking at dozens of them?
NGC and PCGS are both pretty good with cameo and deep cameo designations, so if you buy a slabbed coin you can almost always trust them in that regard. If buying a raw coin then look for a strong black/white contrast when the coin is tilted just so. Examine the frosted devices to make sure the cameo effect is full and not blotchy. By that I mean that the frost should be just as strong in all areas and not weak in some and strong in others. Any areas of the forsted devices that appear darker when the coin is tilted indicate a lack of frost. And Pocket Change, you don't examine dozens, you try to examine dozens of thousands. And like with any Proof coin, be leary of hairlines or signs of rough handling. And look for a strong strike, clean crisp and sharp details. Not all of the older Proofs are fully struck, there can be great differences in quality of strike. And watch out for hazy coins, the mirrors should be just like a freshly cleaned mirror in your home. A hazy one will look foggy.
Most important of all is to see the coin in hand to judge your own personal appeal or dislikes no matter what TPG has put on a coin. But if you want a good one and a high grade, I would recommend any PCGS or NCG slabbed coins selling at live auctions by reputable dealers. Coin shows would be the idea place to view many coins and maybe make a connection. Your going to pay a good bit for a high end 59 Cameo Proof Half. Save your change and do some homework to see what they have been trading at. Teletrade.com can give you some indication of what the market has been doing and whats available through them. Keep on Collecting!!! Allen
I've bought coins from Rick two or three times...the coins are GREAT, but his photos don't always show the coin correctly. His coins are always PQ and I've never had to send one back, but his pic's always make the CAM look stronger than what it might be in hand. Speedy
