I don't do much with world coins, but this one caught my eye... Mostly because of the difference in values listed... My rookie question is this... How would you know a proof in this coin?.. I mean, in US coins, I can spot a proof fairly easily, but I don't have the experience with Greek coins or most other world coins to know where to begin... I don't believe this is a proof, of course, but how would I tell someone why?.. For the record, this coin is not in my possession yet, but I hope it is along with the rest of the collection by day's end...
A proof is a proof is a proof. Whether it's US, Greek, or Abyssinian, by definition a proof is a coin produced with extra care, almost always with multiple strikes and burnished planchets, showing sharp definition, mirror fields, and well defined design elements, often with frosted surfaces.
Thanks bro... the thing that makes it more difficult is that many foreign proofs end up being circulated, so I have to depend on the difference in strike or feature that might be minutely different and I am not very proficient at it...
Based on the photo, I don't think that is a proof piece. By the way, while it is correct to say that "proof is proof", there is of course a difference between a proof piece in its holder and a loose one. In German, for example, the latter will usually be called ex-PP instead of PP. Depending on the grade, it may be vz aus PP ("EF from proof") etc. ... Christian
