Okay, so I found this 2002-S penny in a bank roll the other day. The coin in general confuses me. It's thicker, like most proof coins, but looks nothing like one. Without the "S" mintmark, it looks like a completely normal circulating cent. The shots I took of it don't show the luster exactly, but I put it next to a 2008 cent for comparison. My question is, if a proof coin stays in circulation long enough, will it look like a normally struck penny, or is there something else going on here? Thanks http://imageshack.us/g/846/p6190159.jpg/
The specifications for planchets for Proof coins are the same as for circulating coins. (90% silver Proof coins have the same specs as for pre-1965 90% silver coins.) What makes it look thicker is the corners of the edge are squared off making the edge look thicker. A Proof coin does not have luster like business strike coins. To a degree. The mirrors will diminish. The sharp details will become muted. The squared edges will become rounded.
I just pulled a 2002 proof set to compare and I think the one you have looks like one should after being in circulation for a while. I doesn't take a long time to damage the looks of the mirrored surfaces once it has been around a while. I find proofs that people have spent in change from time to time and they look similar.
