Not sure if this is the right place to ask this but my example is with a world coin so I figured this should be the right place. I came across the coin below and purchased it. I do not have it in hand yet. What struck me as odd is that the coin appears to have pretty decent mirrors and this release has fields that are kinda cloudy by design as far as I know. Ive looked at a few dozen of the same date coins in other places and nothing comes close to having mirrors. Many coins in better condition have a more cameo look to them but it has more to do with device frost than mirrors. So my question is, I am pretty sure this coin has been cleaned. Im pretty sure it may have been polished or whizzed but can anything like that make a coin with a more matte finish turn into a coin with smooth mirror fields like this coin shows? The seller had many coins that had the same look of harsh cleaning but none achieved the mirrors of this coin. There are proofs noted for this year of this coin. Could it be an impaired proof?
Whizzing usually attempts to simulate mint luster. Polishing creates a smooth and sometimes mirrored finish on the coin. This certainly has the look of a polished coin. I am not a darkside collector and have no further knowledge of the coin. IMO, the coin is polished.
I agree it is definetly polished. Just wasnt sure if polishing could bring out those mirrors like that if the coin didnt have them to begin with. Thanks
The polish generally is designed to fill tiny depressions such as a worn area or a matted surface. By filling them and being polymerized into a hard surface, the polish could produce such a surface. I agree with the polishing suspicion.
It is a crystal, a 23 ct. Iolite. It appears 3 different colors when viewed down each axis. One of my favorites, but difficult to facet. Jim
My opinion, that's a polished Proof. I've many a polished coin, but never have I seen one where the fields of a business strike could be polished to the point that they became reflective like that. Look just above and right of the U in UN - the fields are damaged. I suspect there was more and somebody tried to rectify it. Then look at the fields in between the letters on the far right - they are reflective as well. No polishing could get down into the recessses like that. The coin had to be reflective to start with.
That's the one thing I wondered about. The details remaining on the helmet seems like a lot if it was polished down to bring out mirrors youd think you'd see a bit less. I had not thought about the effect between the letters until you mention it. I guess for 8$ it was worth a shot.
There are only 5 known proofs of this coin which is why I cared at all. Though that also contributes to the overall unliklihood that this one is one. I dont know if there are any official diagnostics but the one proof I did stumble across appeared to have a slightly pointer chin, though that could be angles too. We shall see once in hand. Thanks for everyones input.
I looked at some on line, and this issue did have some silver business strikes of this coin type, I think it was 1961 I noticed, that had flashy surfaces, but I couldn't find a photo of any quarter Balboa proof except near 2000, and they were deep mirrors and cameo devices. I don't have enough comparisons ( and I don't actively collect these) to comment one way or the other on whether it is a proof or not.
Thanks for looking. Attached is a proof of the same year and denomination. These tend to have very grainy fields even in MS/BU Also a link to a site on panama coins with a few more business trikes from the same year. http://direct-dist.com/monedas/thumbnails.php?album=56
One comment - whizzing is not the same thing as polishing. Whizzing a coin is done with a wire wheel that leaves fine scratches all over the surface in an attempt to simulate luster. Polishing is typically done with a soft cloth or a buffing wheel and leaves no scracthes - instead it polishes out the scratches/marks already present.
