"Proof" coins

Can someone please explain to me what are proof coins, what's different about them, and how do I recognize a proof coin?
Thanks!

 

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Proof coin blanks are polishen and fed into dies that are highly polished and cleaned periodically during the manufacturing process. Proof coins are also struck more than once to give them greater detail and relief. They are also struck using a slower process and higher pressure. Finally they are inspected most times more than once and are not allowed to contact other coins such as business strikes do.

 

To quote from the Red Book: "A proof coin can usually be distinguished by its sharpness of detail, high wire edge, and extreme brilliant, mirror like surface".

 

Not all proof coins are shiny , they made what they called Matte Proofs with a satiny field but all details should be sharp and squared .
rzage

 

Show off......

 

Here are some examples of proof coins you can easily see the difference on the modern ones. Older ones are more difficult.

FYI the animated gif is very slow. :hammer:

 

thanks for the answers, but I still don't understand how to recognize them, they are the same as regular coins only more shiny and have a better detail?
When I see a proof coin, will I automatically recognize it as one? or is it hard to determine if a coins is a proof or not?

 

have you seen this?
http://www.usmint.gov/mint_tours/index.cfm?action=vtShell&flash=yes

 

Look at coins, look at coins, look at coins!

Look at coins, look at coins, look at coins!
Instead how trying to explain what one is why don't you get a Red Book and read about it, learn about it, go to shops or shows, buy some proof sets, look at coins, look at coins - then after awhile you will know what a proof coin is.
If you are asking about how to tell them from others in a bunch of circulated or raw coin groups you generally won't find them there and if you did they would not be very high quality - the surfaces of proof coins or very easily damaged if not kept in protective holders and handled with great care.
As said before a proof coin is a coin struck by the mint especially for collectors using a completely different process than is used to strike coins made for general commerce.
A proof is really a method of manufacturing rather than a grade.
A proof is the highest art form or example of a mints ability to strike coins or a piece made strictly for presentation replicating the coiners art.

 

http://tubearoo.com/articles/82213/How_It_s_Made_Coins.html

 

You kind of answered you question. You saw how it has a mirror look. Besides the mint mark they look totally different than what you are use to seeing. So you will know it when you see it. Um besides your not going to see proof coins in circulation.

Red book is a price guide. It contains some info but not a lot.

 

Red book is a price guide. It contains some info but not a lot.

Red book is a price guide. It contains some info but not a lot.

You must have made a typo here as I can think of no other book (for the new person) that contains more information???????????????????????


The Red Book is not considered a price guild at all by most of us. It does however give the new person to the hobby one of the very best overviews of the history of the U.S. Mint, all series, rarities, mintage's, trends, grading, bullion, private minted pieces, Commemoratives, time-lines.

It contains some info but not a lot.
I might suggest you take another look at your Red Book

 

Yes - that is correct. I must have missed this when I read it originally. The Red Book is not only a lousy Price Guild, but it actually misleads with that regard. What it is best as is a compendium of basic US coin facts and standard reference. The two foundations of any coin collectors library should be the Red Book and the ANA grading guild.

Ruben

 

No not a typo. It's a guide. The price in it are never written in stone. Now The red book for nickels is has lots of great info on just nickles but the regular guide is mostly pricing. Yes there's info in there. But from what I saw was just mostly cute stories about the design. It wouldn't answer a lot of the questions we see from the new collectors posting in here.

 

Do you have a better source for basic coinage information on US coins with articles written by Bowes? BTW - Red Books prices are COMPLETELY WRONG...all the time.

Ruben

 

I think you may need to read your Red Book again,

I think you may need to read your Red Book again, and then again.
Of course it's not a price guild but I still can think of no other single book for the new person that would give them the comprehensive amount of knowledge the Red Book gives - I'm sorry your no correct on this one.

 

I'm lost without a Red Book. I refer to it constantly for basic information.

 

For one thing, WELCOME TO THE FORUM.
As to your question I suspect you are asking if you see one in change, how would you know it is or isn't a proof coin. Of course if you see a package at a coin store or coin show or somewhere and it states proof coins, you would know that those are proof coins.
Unfortunately lately due to the economy and just normal criminal activities, coin collections are vanishing. Criminals, as a rule, are not numismatically inclined, so they just discard coins as coins. Many are turned over to a bank, coin counting machine in a store or just spent as money everywhere. Proof coins as well as many other coins are poping up in change lately.
The problem with a proof coin is it is basically only a very, very mirror like coin. In change this slowly deminishes though. To complicate this even more there are people that polish coins for numerous reasons. Some to demonstrate a metal polish, some to experiment, some to attempt to sell a coin as new. Such polished coins could and do appear as a proof so you have to actually know if that specific coin could have ever been a proof.
Nothing is ever easy.

 

Of course it's not a price GUILD. Per a guy named Webster that made this thing called a dictionary, a guild has nothing to do with coins at all. :hammer: Now as a GUIDE this book is sort of OK with me too. Also, note how I also know how to make letters BOLD.
And it's supposed to be I'm sorry your NOT correct on this one.
Notice we can all critize instead of being helpful. Much nicer to just help others though. Then they too will help you.

 

Didn't you know that was broken latin - it's

Didn't you know that was broken latin - it's the way we all talk way down here in the land of cotten.