So, got my first book today! Still looking for a way to get the cherry pickers guide without having to sell a kidney first..lol..thanks to PaddyMan amd his lead on Wizard Coun Supply. They were awesome in assisting me with my purchase! Secondly, I am having a hard time finding a picture or illustration that points out features or characteristics of coins. I being a visually learnable kind of person would be so appreciative of some type of diagram to associate these definitions to. You know, like when you purchase a new item and in the manual is a picture with areows and numbets pointed to different places? Then a list that explains what part that arrow and number represent? ( Lol the coins for dummies edition truly, I crack myself up!) So I did a rough drawing. Am I getting this right? I do understand that proof coins are not for circulation and very unlikely to be found there, but for example, of I was to purchase a 'proof' coin, what features would it have that would differentiate it (besides the color) from a regular business strike? In these days of idiots that let out into circulation proof coins and con artists constantly trying to swindle with reprocessed coins...i was looking at a way a newbie could better tell. It will be a while before I get the kind of 'eye' that you guys have.
Proof coins have a mirror like finish. They are pretty easy to differentiate from regular business-strike coins just by looking at them. I included a picture from the internet below for example. Proof coins will also have a S (San Francisco) mint mark as opposed to a D (Denver) or (Philadelphia.) They aren't too expensive either, you can get a common US proof set with one coin from each denomination for a couple bucks.
Modern proofs have mirrored fields and frosty devices. The 'strike' difference is dramatic, as the detail on proof coins well outperforms that of the business strike.
Aside from the finish being sharper on the coin, so are the designs (lettering, date, MM, and person/image pictured). Your drawing is very good showing the rim differences. The proof coins that are found in circulation from time to time are considered impaired proofs. And, on occasion, SMS (State Mint Set) pieces can be found 'in the wild' when someone breaks a set looking for varieties or when young relatives inherit grandma's collection and dump it for face value (sacrilege!). Checkout more differences on this site: https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/strike-type-definition-768693 Hope these pics from PCGS and Heritage coins help:
Modern proofs are mostly mirrored - they shouldn't be too hard to tell apart at a quick glance. The real tough ones to tell apart are Matte Proof Lincoln Cents and Buffalo Nickels 1909-1916. It will require quite a bit of experience in order to consistently tell a Matte Proof apart from a business strike, and one often needs to resort to specific die markers. However, those with experience can occasionally cherrypick a Matte Proof off a dealer who isn't "in the know" as a typical business strike. Proof vs business strike 3 cent nickels can be even tougher - even the experienced dealers and TPGs get those wrong sometimes - and there are dates where the business strike is more valuable than the proof.
With older proofs you'll notice some that are not cameo (matte), the entire coin is mirror finished. These coins are from my personal collection. Also, notice there isn't a mint mark on this one either. The San Francisco mint didn't start producing proof Lincoln's until 1968.
I have a bucket of proof coins from mint sets. They are fairly easy to come by, it is the proof errors that are worth the search.
Well, if you happen to have say a 1936 Proof that would grade say PF-62 make me a really cheap offer, I mean I'd pay the shipping cost for one of those old bottom of your bucket dwellers, heck I might even through in an extra $5.00 over shipping cost LoL!
HomeForums>Coin Forums>Coin Roll Hunting> Newbie alert Discussion in 'Coin Roll Hunting' started by Kristine Garrant, Yesterday at 11:11 PM. Thread Tools Watch Thread Go to First Unread Kristine GarrantActive Member Newton So, got my first book today! Still looking for a way to get the cherry pickers guide without having to sell a kidney first..lol..thanks to PaddyMan amd his lead on Wizard Coun Supply. They were awesome in assisting me with my purchase! Will the real Paddy please stand up.....Paddy54 isn't Paddyman98 Paddy54 is Irish Paddyman98 isn't Irish , he's a wanta be....Irish......There's yet a 3rd Paddy ....PaddyB ,but he is from the UK....may or may not be Irish..... maybe his Mum liked the name. IDK .....starting today name badges must be worn at all times.....and a visual aid will be in everyone mailbox in the morning. < is real irish. < isn't Irish at all
I am pleased you got the book it will be a great reference for you. And yes the folks at Wizard coin supplies are the best out there... and would highly recommend them to any and all collectors needs.
Love me some Irish. Cheech is Scottish. Homies. The other paddyman98 is PR. And all New Yorker. I think there father and son. Lol
Congrats on your purchase. That edition is full of great information, I just find it difficult to handle, being as large as it is. I also recommend the large type edition of the Red Book. It has the wire spiral binding that makes it easy to use. If you are looking for diagrams labeling the different parts of a coin, look here: https://www.usmint.gov/learn/collecting-basics/anatomy-of-a-coin https://www.money.org/parts-of-a-coin https://www.govmint.com/coin-authority/post/the-parts-of-a-coin
Another thing with these older mirror proofs (before 1971) - not many of them left the mint with Cameo strikes (frosted devices and mirror fields). Usually only the first hundred or so coins off the die yielded Cameo strikes, and on some dates and denominations, they can command big-time premiums. There's still some laying around in old proof sets - look out for them!
