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Message:: [QUOTE="johnmilton, post: 24657524, member: 101855"]Proof coins, especially the toned examples, are a bear to photograph. In my case, if I take the shot straight on, none of the reflective mirrors show. Shooting angles, gives one aspect of how the coin looks in person, but the beauty of these coins can only be appreciated when you swirl it around under the light. The auction houses sometimes provide motion pictures of that but usually only for very expensive lots. Over time I have gotten pretty good at interpreting pictures on the internet for Mint State and circulated coins, medals and tokens, but the Proof coins are still beyond me. I was able to make a positive decision on this one because Heritage was at the Summer FUN Show showing lots, and I got to see it in person. I ran around the bourse looking at the Proof Trade Dollars the dealers had. The prices ranged from $2,000 for a Proof-60 that was half way decent to a piece for $23,000 that was graded PR-67 Ultra Cameo. The $23,000 one was impressive, but it was bright white. To me it was one of those instances were dipping the coin worked. I was looking for something with more originality, and I was unwilling to spend that much in any case. The PR-63 in the Heritage sale was nice, but it came before this piece which was my first choice. That met if I bought that one, I’d have pass on my first choice. There was also another white Proof in the Heritage sale which sold for close the $6,000. It was similar to the $23,000 piece except that it was a little cloudy. (The brightness was slightly dulled.) It’s interesting how a tiny difference in preservation can make so much of a difference in price. Trifling hairline scratches also make a big difference. Usually you can only see them at certain angles with a strong glass, which is another reason why judging Proof coins from photos is difficult to impossible.[/QUOTE]

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