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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TheFinn, post: 3021887, member: 90102&quot;]The real bright &quot;cartwheel&quot; luster only becomes apparent as the die wears, and the microscopic flow lines are etched into the steel as the metal makes its way from the center of the planchet to the edge.&nbsp; New dies do not have these lines yet, so you get kind of a waxy, wet look.&nbsp; Then after several thousand strikes, they would polish the dies to remove any potential clashes (when the two dies hit each other without a planchet between them - this puts the image of each side onto the other).&nbsp; This is when you get the prooflike finish with mirrored backgrounds and slightly frosty devices.&nbsp; </p><p>So, even though a coin is not frosty with the cartwheel, there is still luster - just not as pronounced.&nbsp; It is harder to detect, and even harder to tell if a coin has any wear on&nbsp; it.&nbsp; I have a 1936 Wisconsin Commemorative Half Dollar that is without the cartwheel, but the luster is there and goes over the designs.&nbsp; It takes some time and practice to tell the difference.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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