I have been reading and reading most of the day about the difference between proof and business. I have seen many pictures of proof mints vs business mints and many explanations on how to tell the difference. What if it is a proof mint that was taken out of its' set and ended up being circulated? I'm assuming its' mirror finish will fade and the "pop" of the details will wear down, right? I don't guess there is any magical solution to be able to ascertain if it is a business mint or a proof mint that has been circulated? I'm looking into the 1970 dime with no mint mark. Thanks!
Proof coins will stand out, even after circulation, as having a nice "squared" rim as opposed to a business strike. Even after circulation this should still be apparent. Try Googling a proof and business strike of the same year and denomination for a comparison. Hope this helps a bit.
Thanks for the reply. That was another of my curiosities, how can you have a "squared-off circle" as one article I read described a difference? Maybe I'm putting waaaaaay too much thought into it! I will do as you suggested. Thanks!
Proofs that are circulated are still proofs. I've seen an old proof -- I think it was a Morgan -- graded PR5.
Extra strike pressure and two strikes to the coin to give the mirrored fields and frosted reliefs results in a much flatter rim that we call "square". paddyman can usually give great links to sites that would give more detailed and probably a more proper answer to this question.
First, welcome to the neighborhood! How can you have a "squared-off circle"? Yes, you're over-thinking it. The rim is made up of three sides. The face of the rim is flanked by an outer edge and an inner edge, both of which are at a 90 degree angle to the rim. It is extremely unlikely that you will ever find a 1970 "No S" proof dime in circulation because the proof set they are in is worth hundreds of dollars. Chris
Thank you all for the information. Chris, thank you for the welcome. I actually understood your explanation and better yet, My Brain did not explode! That's a plus.
NO!!!! I was complementing your ability to explain where I actually understood. After spending most of the day with all the technical terms, as you put it, I was a little fried pie.
I was just kidding. If you really want to stress your brain, try searching a $50 Mint bag of Lincoln cents. Chris
True though at some point it will become indistinguishable unless it is a proof only date. I would be impressed if someone could get some PR01 on dates with business strikes too but I don't really see that happening.
Oh, now you're just being cruel to the poor guy. Something you're not missing, OP, is that it can in fact become pretty darn difficult to tell whether a coin is a Proof escaped into circulation. After a certain level of wear, the only sure way to tell on many - especially the older ones - is to know the microscopic die features unique to that specific Proof die, buried in nooks and crannies which weren't subject to wear. For more than a few, it's essentially not possible.
The only proof coin I ever encountered "in the wild" was an Eisenhower dollar that gleamed up at me from the ones I got at the bank. They have a very reflective field and very strong details, but the surest way I know of is to examine the coin edge on. A proof edge will form a 90 degree angle (square corner) with the coin, whereas a business strike viewed edge on will show a flat area and a sloped area leading up to the field of the coin. http://stores.ebay.com/Daves-Collectible-Coins/Coin-Terms-Glossary.html
Here is a 1963 Proof Franklin Half found in circulation. Probably some kid found a Proof Set & broke out the coins for Candy, Soda, etc. At least it was captured before it got really bad circulation.
Soooooo, that actually being my question, do you know where I can learn about the die features unique to that specific Proof die?
The lowest grade on the Sheldon Scale is "Poor 01" which is usually abbreviated P01. A proof coin would be PR01. Believe it or not, there are collectors who put together sets of P01 coins. Chris