I received my "regular edition" 2017 commemorative silver dollars today - the standard "all silver" version in proof and the gold-plated version in the fine silver proof set.
In general, I like the overall appearance of the silver SD - I've always liked coins with allegorical designs - but I still find the "fur cape" a distraction to the overall design. I think the design would have been far more clean and cohesive without the looping/hanging cape!
The gold-plated version of the SD shows better in hand than it does on the
RCM web site. I do, however, have issue with what I would term "sloppy plating" by the
RCM.
First, the GP is not perfectly aligned on the female allegorical figure on my coin - it extends beyond the design on the lower left of her gown (viewer's perspective) and thus plates part of the field. This also causes the corresponding areas on the right side of the figure's gown to be w/o plating. The issue isn't at the "in your face" level but it is readily apparent upon reasonably close inspection.
Second, and much more noticeable, is the sloppy plating around the fur cape. On the plain silver SD, one can see through the loops of the cape (under the figure's raised arms) to the flags in the background. On the GP version, the areas within the cape loops have been inappropriately plated and thus give the appearance of a "full" cape or shawl vs. the intended "open" loops.
These same issues can be seen on the coin images included on the sales page for the proof set on the
RCM web site. I had hoped that the images there were "draft" versions of the coin and that the design would be cleaned up in the actual production sets. This is clearly not the case.
Even with its issues, I doubt I'll return the GP proof set as it doesn't seem likely I will get a "cleaner" coin in another set. The issues aren't so distracting that they become a focal point, but the sloppiness of the Mint's technical execution of the coin is a bit disappointing.
One thing I noticed in comparing the two coins, the standard proof SD uses a mix of finishes which results in some design elements having a brilliant finish vs. the satiny finish typically associated with full proof coins. This is most noticeable on the two large Canadian flags and the mountain range in the background. These areas are fully frosted on the GP version of the proof coin and are mostly brilliant on the regular SD.
All that said, it's nice to be able to add a pair of new SDs to my collection.
Posted 03/14/2017 3:59 pm
