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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Insider, post: 24492571, member: 24314&quot;]<span style="color: #0080ff">[USER=124772]@Kristine Garrant[/USER] </span></p><p><span style="color: #0080ff"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0080ff">There is a very good reason you may be confused.&nbsp; I&#039;ve noticed that you are a lot like me and others.&nbsp; You like to deal in &quot;</span><b><font size="6"><span style="color: #000000">BLACK</span><span style="color: #0080ff"> &amp; </span><span style="color: #ffffff">WHITE</span></font></b><span style="color: #0080ff">,&quot; - <b>it is or it is not</b>.&nbsp; There are very good responses on this thread.&nbsp; Unfortunately in numismatics, </span><b><font size="5"><span style="color: #bfbfbf">GRAY</span> </font></b><span style="color: #0080ff">is often the color needed to explain something.&nbsp; That is unfortunate and must also be disapointing.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0080ff"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0080ff">This is my short and simple answer to your question. I don&#039;t think you will like it but you&#039;ll need to </span><i><b><span style="color: #ff8000">learn it and live with it</span></b><span style="color: #0080ff">.</span></i><span style="color: #0080ff"> <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> I am making my reply extremely simple - not talking down to you or to <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie104" alt=":yawn:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> the very knowledgeable members here but to possibly help the lurking <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie66" alt=":muted:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> members much less knowledgeable than yourself: </span></p><p><span style="color: #0080ff"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0080ff">Proof coins are different from Business strikes.&nbsp; As a result, </span><b><span style="color: #bfbfbf">MOST</span></b><span style="color: #0080ff"> proof strikes look entirely different.&nbsp; There are </span><b><span style="color: #bfbfbf">USUALLY</span></b><span style="color: #0080ff"> several differences that are considered </span><b><i><span style="color: #ff8000">charactistics of Proof coins</span></i></b><span style="color: #0080ff">. </span> <b><font size="6"><span style="color: #000000">Sooner or later anyone looking at enough coins will discover that any of these Proof characteristics <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie3" alt=":(" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> can be found on coins not struck as proofs! </span></font></b> <span style="color: #4da6ff">The commonny listed <b>characteristics of Proof </b>coins are:</span></p><p><span style="color: #4da6ff"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #4da6ff">1. Mirror-like surface.</span></p><p><span style="color: #4da6ff">2. Sharp strongdetails.</span></p><p><span style="color: #4da6ff">3. Sharp, flat, squared-off rims.</span></p><p><span style="color: #4da6ff">4. Shiny, sharp flat edge.</span></p><p><span style="color: #4da6ff">5. Virtually no sign of die errosion. </span></p><p><span style="color: #4da6ff"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #4da6ff">As I posted above there are very many </span><b><span style="color: #bfbfbf">exceptions.</span></b><span style="color: #4da6ff">&nbsp; In fact, especially with some of our coins made of Niclel, even long-time proffessional coin graders have shown that they </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 128, 0)"><i>cannot tell with 100% accuracy whether a coin is Proof or not because </i><b>MOST OR ALL OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS ARE MISSING! </b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #4da6ff">The </span><span style="color: #ff0000">Red Book </span><span style="color: #4da6ff">is </span><b><span style="color: #ff8000">our guide</span></b><span style="color: #4da6ff"> to business strike coins that also were struck as Proofs and the coins that were ONLY struck as Proofs.&nbsp; </span><font size="6"><b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">IF YOU, ME, OR ANYONE ELSE HAS A COIN IN THEIR HAND&nbsp; (at this point in time) THAT IS NOT LISTED AS A PROOF IN THE </span><span style="color: #ff0000">RED BOOK</span><span style="color: #000000">, <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie92" alt=":stop:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> THERE IS A ZILLION TO ZERO CHANCE THEY HAVE FOUND A COIN THAT DOES NOT EXIST. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie3" alt=":(" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></span></b></font></p><p><br /></p><p><font size="6"><b><i><span style="color: #4da6ff">This is one of those &quot;</span><span style="color: #000000">BLACK</span><span style="color: #4da6ff"> &amp; </span><span style="color: #ffffff">WHITE</span><span style="color: #4da6ff">&quot; cases I like. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /><img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></span></i></b></font>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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