Proofs?

[Brownie289]

Hello friends:
New bee question here. I read about proofs in the beginners guide, are they over stamped?
What makes them so shiny? How can you tell a proof from a shiny coin?

Sorry but thanks again!
Db

 

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[CoinFetcher]

Google it. Their are photos.

A VERY wore, and circulated proof would be hard to distinguish.

The differ from a shiny coin by this: A proof has a MIRROR finish. MIRROR. So...99.99% of coins are not proofs.

You can also go into a coin shop to look at proofs yourself.

1979 S PROOF Susan B Anthony "SBA" Dollar DEEP CAMEO | eBay

The black area in the photo above is actually the mirror finish - it can reflect BLACK at times.

But, seriously, google your question, and you can actually see photos.

 

[Brownie289]

Thanks I think I got a half then its like a mirror!
Db

 

[CoinFetcher]

It would ALSO have a mint mark that is the letter "s"

What year is it? If you look at the edge, rim, the reeded side of the coin, do you see a copper layer? Or all silver?

 

[jrf30]

And most proofs not only have a mirror background, but a frosted image. On the half, Kennedy is frosted white, and the rest is mirrored. the eagle onthe back is frosted too.

Look for a contrast from teh background to the image. If it is all the same shininess then you have a BU coin. Just shiny. If the background is shiny and the image (Head) is not, that is also a good way to notice a proof.

then, of course, when you think you have a proof, you look at the mint mark. For the halves, they are all S mint marks.