Take a look at these two different finishes for this coin: South Korea, 5,000 Won 42nd Shooting Championships commemorative (KM #23) What kind of strikes would you consider both of these coins to be? I think the terms I might use to describe them are "frosted proof" (coin on the left), and "proof" (a.k.a. unfrosted proof, right). There were only these two finishes ever made for this coin, and here they are: Here is my catalog confusion: The Standard Catalog of World Coins (Krause) and the Korean catalogs (represented by DaeGwangsa shown here) seem to show odd descriptions of these coins. Take a look: Krause: Krause shows a blank next to the 80,000 mintage figure, seemingly indicating "regular mint" strike, and the "Unfrosted Proof" coin at 20,000 mintage, and the higher valued coin. And now, DaeGwangsa: Daegwangsa has a "Mint" strike at 80,000 mintage, and "Proof" strike at 20,000 mintage. ...But the TPGs call them both "Proofs." Both of these catalogues have me wondering: Which one of the coins above is the 80,000 mintage, and which one is the 20,000 mintage? I think the coin on the left is the 20,000 mintage, and is more accurately described as "Frosted Proof." What do you think is going on here?
You know, at one point, I was naive enough to think that asking NGC how they diagnose different finishes would lead me somewhere. I'll summarize our exchange: "How does NGC tell the difference between BU, Proof, and Prooflike? (specifically about South African coins)" NGC: "Yes, there are different finishes." Me: "You didn't answer my question." Crickets: "chirp." So, either they have a computer answering their questions for them, they have a secret way of telling the difference, or they just put down whatever someone writes on the form when they submit the coins. I would tend to guess that the Proof version would be the frosted version of the two, and the non-frosted would be "the other one." Just like you said. I would wonder if Krause left out some information (which they do - we all know this - anyone have a copy missing an entire country like Panama? The LCS does.) or if the Korean version might be losing something in translation? I have had a few coins that have "unfrosted proof" characteristics, but in the guides they are not labeled as such (most recently a Nepalese crown-sized coin.) Mirror finishes to both sides, no cameo frost, but not listed as a proof. Side note: I wonder why a reference # (KM, Y) is not standard info printed on every graded world coin.
For all other coins that have these two finishes, the Korean catalogs list "무광프루프" (frosted proof) and "유광프루프" (proof, unfrosted). These are the ONLY coins that the Korean catalogs list as such. Either THEY copied Krause's crappy entry, or Krause copied the Korean catalogs' crappy entry. Something happened, and it's messed up. I own a copy of a rather arcane book written by a former Komsco (Korean Mint) coin designer, and he lists these Shooting Championships coins as: 1)"무광프루프" (frosted proof), mintage 20,000 pieces; and 2)"일반화" (regular strike), mintage 80,000 pieces. So, the unfrosted proof, should not be the more-valued coin, and so Krause has the values of the coins switched. Yeah, I get that... Perhaps sometimes mints get bored and just "polish up" the dies and struck them as shinier coins? Who knows? I think I remember seeing Krause-Mishler numbers on some slabs in the past... I don't think they do that anymore as to avoid the confusions that we are discussing presently(!)
Probably because every so often they renumber the coins in the reference catalogs. If they do that suddenly there are a whole lot of slabs out there with the "wrong" catalog numbers on them. (I remember one time when the renumbered Columbia two years in a row.)
WHY would they "renumber" a coin??? Oy vey... Just give every coin a unique ID number. They don't have to be sequential, do they? Just unique. And consistent.
