Identifying Older Proofs

Your best bet is to post some picks of what you have 1965-1967 Lincoln cents where not proof they didn't make them those years there called SMS special mint set. proof coins started back in 1968 minted in San Francisco.

Fair question.
Older proofs do not have polished fields and are not cameoed. Nevertheless they can be excessively rare.
And nevertherless again: the business strikes in MS65 or better for older coins can be rarer than the proofs of the same date.

The reason proofs were originally made is for record purposes, and as a criterion of quality against which the quality of business strikes were judged. It was never intended that they were to be sold commercially or issued into circulation.

Things have changed.
Today, the raised detail on a cameo proof coin has been etched into the die using a laser (these days), or in the past using acid or sand blasting. Because of some of the detail is lost during this process, I do not have a personal preference for any modern proofs produced in this way.

The blanks and the dies are now polished to produce a mirror shine in the fields of the proof coin.

The Mint knows that most modern collectors prefer polished cameo proofs, and so that is what is sold, and quite often in huge numbers relative the to older style of proof coin.

I am of the understanding that the early proof coins were produced as a "Benchmark" of quality for the run of that particular coin.
On the modern proofs this is NOT the case , these are made simply to satisfy the collector interest and has NOTHING to do with the reason that "proof's" were produced in the first instance.
The Australian pre decimal proofs are hard to distinguish (Especially the silver coins) because we are all used to seeing high cameo and polished fields in proofs, This was not the case in the early years of these special coins

There are not any proof Lincolns from 65-67 all SMS I would love to see a proof Lincoln from those 3 years.

No I think he was saying that SMS sets had proof coins idk

here is a 1961 LMC Proof and a 1966 LMC sms you can see the difference

How are you supposed to get your pics to come out right with this stupid optimizer? No matter what I do, it rotates my pic either 90 degrees or 180 degrees

WV blue and gold-those arent proofs they are just mint state coins. Proofs are noticably nicer. I really cant give you a straightforward answer, you just have to spend time looking at proofs and business strikes (regualr coins)