Question: Could this be an 1887 Victoria Crown Impaired Proof ?

I picked up this coin recently on auction. It was listed as "a nice crown", which it is for what I paid for it. When I got this coin in hand I noticed that some protected areas of the fields reflected light like a mirror. Like a proof coin would. Do you think this could be an impaired proof ?

 

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Looks like it may have been cleaned or lightly polished many years ago and some parts of it are still reflective from the cleaning.

 

I think has more likely been polished with baking soda or some other harsh cleaning method. That will leave the surfaces "shiny". Interpreting your photos, that mirrored effect doesn't look natural. One of the biggest keys is to look in the protected areas around the lettering - see how the surfaces look more lustrous there? That's because whatever was used to clean the coin couldn't get into the small spaces between the letters. The "mirror" effect is only in the wide open spaces.

Also, the rims are rounded. A proof coin will have crisp, square rims.

 

Thank you very much for your replies.

After closely examining the coin again with what you said in mind it became apparent that this crown is not likely an impaired proof. The areas around the text on the edge told the story. I had not thought that this coin may have been cleaned, but after what you said, no doubt it has been.

This is all fairly new for me. I collected coins when I was just a grade school lad, hunting rolls that I would swap with the nearby bank. I had another small period of interest when got out of university in the 70's. I have been a collector of classic firearms for many years. Now that I have retired I have picked up interest in coins
again and am converting many of my firearms into this field.

Just like with firearms, I will have to learn which items have been "touched" improperly in either ignorance or in earnest.

I took a pic of the coin's edge. How does this differ from the edge of a proof ?

thanks again, Chris

 

The reeding on a proof coin will usually be crisp and sharp. These reeds are soft and rounded.

 

Although I switched from coins to currency many years ago, I hung on to my 1887 crown - just a gorgeous coin. Tried a mirror-surface test I heard of recently - I was able to hold the coin 4 inches from a dollar bill and read the reversed serial number on the coin. [At 5 inches it got a bit blurry.] And it has the "soft" reeding like the photo above. I bought it a long time ago, so my memory may be off, but I am pretty sure neither I nor the seller thought it was a true proof - maybe a proof-like early strike? I think I paid about $25 for it - got it cheap because the portrait side had "cabinet friction".

 

Beautiful coin and design, but as others have said -- this one is "impaired". Been cleaned, possibly many times. It'd make a great pocket-piece for conversation. For $25 you did A-ok!

 

Another thing I need to learn how to do is take pics of coins. The coin in my OP really looks a LOT different than these pics. From these pics you would think the
coin is gray in color. But it looks rather lustrous, like an AU coin.

Can anyone give some photography pointers when it comes to coins ? This Crown was shot in window light with a tripod.

(P.S. I paid $65 for this coin)

thanks, Chris

 

Edges are just not crisp and sharp, even accounting for "cabinet wear". Also, these are available extremely proof like - similar to the other denominations. The device detail is just not crisp enough. Check Heritage or Goldberg archives for comparo crown in proof.