So I wanted to add a nice Lincoln proof to my collection but the ones listed on eBay are near $1,000+ yet the Indians start off in the $300 range. My question why are Lincoln's so much more than Indians? the Lincoln's I'm speaking of are the early teens.
The early Lincoln proofs were "matte" finish , which was popular on many European coins, but didn't go over well in the US. Many collectors thought they looked odd, not like the brilliant proofs of the Indians, so they were disparaged and few collected. Q. David Bowers talks about buying matte proofs at "giveaway" prices in the 50s. Tastes changed, but there weren't many around. They also tend to tone very nicely, and premiums developed form that also.
And of course there are a lot more collectors of Lincoln cents than there are of Indian head cents. That means a lot more demand pressure on the Lincoln proofs than the indian proofs.
1) More folks collect Lincoln cents than IHCs. 2) Far more IHC proof coins were produced than matte proof Lincoln cents.
