Proof Vs Reverse Proof & Proof Like

A little education goes a long way: the U.S. Mint in 2006 launched its first-ever Silver and Gold Eagles in traditional "Proof" and new "Reverse Proof" formats. A "Proof" manufactured by the U.S. Mint, as they are know, has brilliantly mirrored, polished fields, and thick mint "frost" on the devices. If you think about a coin die, it is easy to polish the "fields" since they are the highest part of the die, while the "raised" devices on the coin are the lowest part of the die. OK, a Reverse Proof is the opposite: the FIELDS are frosty, while the DEVICES are brilliantly mirrored.

A Proof coin is manufactured by the Mint especially for collectors, as opposed to "business strikes" or "circulation strikes" intended for normal coinage. The Proof coins are struck multiple times to bring out all of the details, from highly polished blanks "planchets" and dies. A Prooflike coin is a "circulation strike" coin that possesses the brilliantly mirrored fields like a true Proof. Currently NGC and PCGS, the two premier grading and certification services, certify Morgan dollars as Prooflike and Deep Mirror Prooflike. NGC certifies many other series as Prooflike when appropriate, while PCGS does not. The coins from NGC and PCGS cost more because they are authenticated as genuine, and the companies have a reputation for conservative and accuate grading--more so than many of the other so-called grading and certification services. I hope this helps you.

Best Regards,

giorgio 11

Great explanation. Glad someone understands all that.