I have been collecting coins since last August. Mostly US Mint modern commemoratives and Eagles. I am curious about some things regarding the commemorative coins. I have purchased coins from several sources; from my local dealer; ebay; on-line sellers like Hallenbeck, East river etc. and the US Mint. Many of the commemorative coins that I see at ebay and even at my local dealer have spots, hairline scratches, toning, haze, cloudiness etc. whereas almost none of the proof eagles that I see have any of these problems. I am curious to find out why this appears to be so. Is it because of the way the commemorative coins are minted or handled at the mint,; or is it because it is the way they are handled after they leave the mint by the original purchasers and/or subsequent purchasers. I have only been able to purchase the last four commemorative coins directly from the mint and they all look fine to me. No hairline scratches, no spots, haze, cloudiness etc. I realize toning could happen later. Any thoughts?
