1938 LWC Proof For Grading

Well then I must say whoever polished it did an incredible job. I myself could never get it this shiny.

Agree with others, plated or polished business strike coin.

Not hard at all to get a cent polished like this. 2 minutes with a buffing wheel and buffing compound.

Is there anywhere I can find close ups or detailed photos of a proof Wheat cent as a reference so that I know what characteristics/features to look for?

2foxy just an fyi. the chances of finding an impaired proof (circulated proof coin) is very slim. I've been collecting over 50 year and never have seen one however it would be good for knowledge to compare a real proof to this coin.

one of the biggest challenges with those starting in this hobby is learning how to determine if a coin has been cleaned or has PMD (post mint damage). polishing would be considered PMD as the value of the coin is pretty much destroyed for collector value whereas if a coin was cleaned it could still have a premium based on how it was cleaned and how bad it was. these coins would receive what is called a "details" designation.

best advice if you are starting to collect plug in here and go through some of the threads to find comments on a cleaned coin to see what responses are seeing on the coin to determine that. this can take years of looking at coins and even then its a challenge especially when grading from photos

The images on the PCGS website don't show a circulated proof Wheat cent, and there doesn't seem to be any helpful examples via google search either. I'm a bit perplexed, I tried to recreate this polishing result on a business strike, to the best of my ability, and mine was nowhere near as glossy as this coin. The difference is most evident in the hard to reach crevices around the detail areas. I do understand that this coin is not a proof, I'm just amazed at the quality and effort that went into polishing it.

@NumismaticFTW please read my entire previous comment. I clarified that I understand that this coin is not a proof. And I am very grateful for the expert advice and feedback I receive in this forum which is why I continue to post my questions here. If I had any doubts that this coin was not a proof, I would clearly state it, I certainly wouldn't beat around the bush. I have 100% faith in, and a deep respect for the expertise in this community. Reading comments in their entirety prevents them from being taken out of context.

I did read your last comment, I read through the lines.

You agreed but didn't agree, leaving the conversation open to this still possibly being a proof due to lack of online photos and the improbability of polishing the crevices with your at home experiment.

I understand how you feel, I did this when I was just starting out as well, it's hard to accept when you felt certain.