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 Replies: 17 / Views: 3,341 |
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Valued Member
United States
116 Posts |
i have been reasearching this for awhile and cant seem to fin an answer. I have a couple of questions
1. do proof coins have to be minted in san fransicsco
2. is a proof coin any coin that is just mirror like or does it have to be cameo
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8137 Posts |
I think I can answer your question.
proof coins have been made in San Fran. since 1968. They have the "S" mintmark All proof coins made before that were made in philly and have no mintmark. Proof coins can have cameos and some of them do not. The Philly proofs also do not look like the San Fran proofs.
Edited by CoinCollector2012
09/11/2014 5:38 pm
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Moderator
 Australia
16808 Posts |
"Proof" is primarily a description of the method of production: the coins are struck twice, not just once like for normal circulation coins, from specially prepared and polished dies. The dies can be fully mirrored, partially mirrored or completely frosted, depending on how the mint wants the coins to look. Partial-frosted, giving the "cameo" appearance, is the modern fashion for most proof coins these days.
They can in theory be made in any mint; currently, American proof coins are all struck in San Fransisco, but this has not always been the case and need not always be the case in the future.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Circulating design proofs have been struck at San Francisco since 1968 as previously mentioned but commemorative and bullion proofs have been minted at Philly and West Point as well.
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Valued Member
 United States
116 Posts |
so if I find a coin in really good condition and it look like the background is mirrored is it a proof or just a new nice looking coin
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Pillar of the Community
United States
997 Posts |
Check the RedBook or other resources to see if that particular date/mint mark combination was struck as a Proof, and if it was then note the fields, edges and devices for the proper finish and details. Even Proofs that get circulated (often due to kids stealing them from their parents collections...) will usually show evidence of sharper edges, mirrored fields or higher relief devices. Occasionally coins that were not struck as Proofs get cleaned and polished, or are just so new they can be mistaken for Proofs at first glance but can usually be excluded after closer examination. |
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Valued Member
United States
116 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11951 Posts |
Also want to mention that that can be business strike coins that have mirror fields and/or mirrored surface. We sometimes see this on Morgan dollars. This can cause a non proof coin get a proof like (PL) or deep mirror proof like(DMPL) designation. I have seen current coins get labeled PL .. for example State Quarters. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
No to both questions.
While most proofs have been minted in San Francisco since 1968 there have also been proofs struck in West Point and Philadelphia since the proof production moved to SF in 68.
And as Sap said proof is a method of manufacture and it can have several different types of surface finish. Depending on the condition of the dies and sometimes on what polishing has been done to them business stikes may or may not have mirrored finish and may or may not have a cameo contrast of various degrees.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3755 Posts |
Quote:
so if I find a coin in really good condition and it look like the background is mirrored is it a proof or just a new nice looking coin If it is a modern circulating coin, 1968 or newer, and it does not have an S mint mark, then it is NOT a proof. I can think of no penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half or even dollar that is circulation design proof and not from San Fran. If it is prior to 68, that gets sticky. The proofs were made in Philly then, and proof coins with cameo were the exception rather than the rule. So if the proof gets any kind of circulation, it can be hard to tell. |
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Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
Quote:
If it is a modern circulating coin, 1968 or newer, and it does not have an S mint mark, then it is NOT a proof. Unless it is a missing mint mark error (which is still from San Francisco).  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
so if I find a coin in really good condition and it look like the background is mirrored is it a proof or just a new nice looking coin The problem here is so many people polish, not just clean, but polish coins that they look like mirrors. I seen demonstrations for auto polishes where they use coins as an example and they end up looking like Proofs. Some people just polish coins to make the sell better since some people like bright, shinny stuff. These are usually put in circulation since most collectors don't want them as a collection item. The only way to be sure is to look up either on web sites, in many books and/or magazines that list proofs. Proof coins made in our Mints have been around for a long time. Many have been stolen and put in change as if ordinary coins and that is when you may find them. And too I'm sure China is or will be soon enough making all sorts of those.   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3755 Posts |
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Unless it is a missing mint mark error (which is still from San Francisco). OK, because you run across THOSE every day.  LOL |
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Valued Member
United States
116 Posts |
great information everyone
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Valued Member
United States
116 Posts |
the reasoning for asking these questions was because I was at a jeweler that sells coins and he was selling "proof" quarters I picked one up looked it over and there was no S mintmark I told him that the coins weren't proofs just in uncirculated condition he kept saying they were proofs so I just wanted to see if was right before I bought anything
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Valued Member
United States
115 Posts |
well comoderatives arn't always struck in philly
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Replies: 17 / Views: 3,341 |
Posted 09/11/2014 6:16 pm
