I am new to collecting, and just bought a Krause World coin guide, and it leads to me to this question.. I will use the statue of liberty proof commemorative coin from 1982 ( I think 1982, I don;t have my book in front of me) as the example.. When I was looking this coin up on ebay, I found alot of them, but they looked different.. Some were completely silver in color, and others, where silver and black (I think background was black)!!?But my coin book only lists one kind.. what is the difference, and is one worth more??? Steve
It was a Proof coin...your book should have a price for a UN-C and a PF. The proof makes a black background on the coin and the other parts of a coin stand out. I'm sure others can give more of a post about how proofs are made but right now I'm almost asleep Speedy
Welcome to the forum Postman I realize that you didn't have your book in front of you, but the Statue of Liberty commemorative half and dollar were issued in 1986. I think the difference that you are seeing is between the proof and uncirculated. The Denver mint produced the half dollar business strikes (the uncirculated ones you're seeing). These coins will appear even in color between the fields and devices. The Philadelphia mint produced the business strikes of the dollar and will also appear even in color. The San Francisco mint produced the Proof strikes. This is a different minting process that impresses the image more sharply and the fields are mirrored. Often the fields will appear black in a photograph because of the highly reflective nature. The price difference between the business strike and proof of the half dollar is negligible. The price difference between the business strike and proof is a little more significant with the proofs. The proof is worth about $5 more than the business strike. The other Statue of Liberty commemorative that was produced in 1986 was the $5 Gold (half eagle). This was also produced in a business strike and a proof and their value is comparable. The best way to determine current value is to check eBay for closed auctions. This will tell you the current market better than a price guide. Hope this helps.
What appears to be two different coins could be the same coin - just different pics. If you take the pic at a slightly different angle - it will apppear totally different. But as Susan has said - it could also be the difference between the Proof version and the business strike.
