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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;iPen, post: 2315458, member: 69760&quot;]EDIT: I apologize in advance for the long read - my curiosity takes its toll... I put in bold the more concise points (via question), and underlined the conditions so you can skim through. But first, here are obligatory pictures for a long read, and a fun little game that has to do with my point. Can you spot the proof strike(s)? No cheating! You know what I&#039;m talking about... don&#039;t use that.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://www.coinnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/1895-Morgan-dollar.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><img src="http://morgandollars.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/1884-o.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/ODgwWDE2MDA=/z/cy0AAOxyyeNSMtKk/$T2eC16VHJGoFFvdy!+)TBSMtKkI,nQ~~60_59.JPG?set_id=880000500F" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q175/StuGold/1885-CC%20PCGS%20MS-64%20DMPL%20Morgan/1885-CCPCGSMS-64DMPL-CBSMontage.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><u>Assuming that the mintage for both proof and proof-like strikes are the same, and that separate dies were used to make each (e.g. proof dies weren&#039;t recycled for business strikes)</u>, which strike type is more valuable in market terms (not subjectively)?</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Does the amount of care that went into the proof&#039;s die, planchet, and process make it the clear winner? Or, is it the unlikelihood that a Mint State coin ends up looking so close to or &quot;indistinguishable&quot; from a proof, that its rare occurrence would make it far more valuable?</b></p><p><br /></p><p><u>And, unlike the distinguishable Morgan dollars shown above,</u><b> what if a proof-like coin looks so proof that it&#039;s &quot;indistinguishable&quot; from a proof strike</b> (but let&#039;s say, save for the experts using high-tech equipment, that you know that it&#039;s a non-proof strike because it came in a bank roll and proof strikes were all already pre-issued)? <u>If everything was the same, including the relief height, appearance, etc.,</u><b> wouldn&#039;t this &quot;indistinguishable&quot; PL strike be more valuable? </b>Or, if it&#039;s that indistinguishable, even to the experts, are they essentially the same? (Is that getting too philosophical? Or is that pragmatic philosophy?).</p><p><br /></p><p>Are we at that stage where business strike coins may possibly result in a &quot;proof&quot; strike but is actually a PL coin? I&#039;d think that these PL strikes would have to be first strike coins - though, is it far-fetched that in the near future the Mint&#039;s dies and machinery would be upgraded to generate more detailed coins with greater durability for their MS dies? In that case, I&#039;d think that proof coins as we know it today would cease to be in production, proof coins would be improved significantly from their MS counterparts, or MS coins would intentionally be struck &quot;weaker&quot;. The more pertinent question is, <b>are there any examples of proof-like strikes that look 99.99% proof?</b></p><p><br /></p><p>On that note and as an aside, what if the US Mint used (artificial or natural) diamond encrusted dies for greater durability and thus fewer die replacements en masse, just as its used for industrial tools such as saws and other blades? I&#039;d think that&#039;d save the Mint some money if they go that route.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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