You have the proof and coin, what's difference these To the between proof un-circulated let's answer question, 'What is un-circulated coin?' Un-circulated means coin not any such the a might when is in Handling coin, well improperly a can in on surface the wear, if minor, cause coin no grade un-circulated. When coins minted often into other receive nicks abrasion during production These also as are in canvas marks, called 'bag marks', more on coins, as dollars Typical 'bag marks' do not keep a coin from grading un-circulated. However, they can be an indicator of how high of a grade the un-circulated coin might receive. Current accepted grading standards provide for a range of un-circulated grades, from the grade of MS-60 to MS-70. MS60 would be a lower grade (yet still) un-circulated coin with normal bag marks for that type of coin. Anything below MS-60 would not be considered un-circulated. MS70 would be the perfect 'ideal' coin. Some coins are rare in grades MS65 to MS70, and even unheard of in MS70 grade. (The attribute 'MS' stands for 'mint state'.) A newly minted proof coin is also un-circulated, however it is the way it is made that causes a difference in appearance and qualifies it as a 'proof'. To understand this, let's look at how coins are made. Coins are produced when two dies strike a blank piece of metal with tremendous force. One die is engraved with the front (obverse) design for the coin. The other die has the back (reverse) coin design on it. A proof coin is made with a specially polished and treated die! By treating the die in a special way, the coins it produces have a different appearance. Modern technology allows the high points on the coin design to be acid treated (on the die). The background (field) design of the coin die is polished, resulting in a mirror-like look on the coin it strikes. This gives the finished coin a frosted look (frosting) on the raise parts of the design, with a mirror like finish on the background. This contrasting finish is often called 'cameo'. On some older coins a cameo appearance is quite rare. The attribute 'CAM', when added to a coin's description, means cameo appearance. 'DCAM' means deep cameo, and indicates the cameo appearance is strong and easy to observe. Lana Hampton makes it easy to find the coin collecting information you want. Visit her site today for the latest coin information. |