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Message:: [QUOTE="ToughCOINS, post: 1780369, member: 20480"]To RLM's comment, smoothing of the matte dies for cents doubtless did occur, but microscopically, and so little over 2,848 pieces (highest MP mintage, that being of the 1913) that any difference would be imperceptible to us. From 1950 forward, during which cameos can be considered legitimately rare for some years, the degrading of the dies is much more apparent, but the differences in annual mintage are huge, starting at over 50,000 in 1950, and eclipsing 1 million before 1960.  I don't have a good feel for how often proof dies were changed, but I suspect they were run well beyond 10,000 strikes before replacement in the press. If you've seen cents of the matte proof era, which are proof strikes without matte surfaces, you are either looking at a discovery coin, or a coin with altered surfaces.  Last year, I was fortunate to win an altered matte proof quarter eagle in an eBay auction for little more than what a common AU quarter eagle would cost.  Finding a buyer for an altered coin was quite a task, but I still made out very well.   . . . Wish I'd used that as an example for the guy complaining about not being able to find good deals on eBay.[/QUOTE]