Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GoldFinger1969, post: 6499520, member: 73489&quot;]Thanks for the great response Publius (and all of you veteran experts).</p><p><br /></p><p>One thing that us non-experts have to get used to....most of us grew up with Proof coins from the 1970&#039;s and later when they were super-shiny and mirror-like. <b> Proofs I have bought in the last 20 years or so are so polished that the fields are dark, milky BLACK.</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p>When I look at Proofs from pre-1970 and especially a century or more ago......they look totally different.&nbsp; In fact, the Mint changed the look of the early Saint-Gaudens after 1908 because they weren&#039;t selling so they went from Sandblast (close to a matte proof) to Satin.&nbsp; Collectors wanted mirror-like or close to that and for some reason the Mint said they couldn&#039;t do that (not sure if it was a die or polish or time thing, but it&#039;s quoted in Bowers book via Burdette&#039;s original sourcing).</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Even the Proof Saints and other coins back then don&#039;t look as mirror-like and &quot;proofy&quot; as today&#039;s coins.</b>&nbsp; Better quality gold and higher gold content might be part of the reason, but I suspect it is just a quantum improvement in the striking and polishing methods used today.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in