By Eric Von Klinger for Coin World

In virtually any series of coins, collectors may run across a designation of “prooflike” surfaces, but the term is most often encountered in regard to Morgan silver dollars.

It gained currency in the 1950s and 1960s as the last of silver dollar releases from Treasury Department vaults took place. Seemingly vast quantities of decades-old coins suddenly were becoming available in “Uncirculated” condition.

It was apparent even among all these never-used coins that there were substantial differences in overall appealing qualities. Some were “bag-marked” (heavily affected by contact marks). Some were toned from contact with canvas. Some had dull surfaces and others – exceptional pieces – were, well, “prooflike.”

“Proof,” as collectors learn early in their grading lessons, is not a grade but a manufacturing process. A Proof generally is exceptionally well struck, but the surface might vary by process chosen. A Matte Proof, for instance, has a grainy-looking surface.

When collectors talk about “Proof surface” or “prooflike surface,” however, they mean a more usual, brilliant, highly reflective finish in the fields. (Fields are the flat, plain areas away from the design and inscriptions.)

A “prooflike” Uncirculated coin, then, is one with such fields, often described as “mirrorlike.”

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Something has happened to our money. And no, not just that the American peso has dropped historically against the euro, making trips to France and Italy half-again more costly than they used to be.

Rather, our $5, $10 and $20 bills and our coins have suffered a severe drop in quality when considered as art.

Yes, money is art, whether it’s the engraving that makes up the bills or the bas-relief sculpture on our coins. There are long histories in both as art mediums, from the intricate lozenge-and-dot portraits of the 17th and 18th centuries and the commemorative medallions struck from the Renaissance on.

But craftsmanship at the mint and at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing has declined precipitously, leaving us with wallets full of bad art. This wouldn’t be so noticeable if the older coins and bills hadn’t been so beautifully made.

“When I compare our money with European money, ours has fallen quite flat in design and execution,” says Dan Mayer, printmaker for Pyracantha Press at Arizona State University.

Look at an old bill, before the anti-counterfeiting “improvements” of the 21st century. Not only are the portraits more lifelike - there’s a personality behind the eyes in Grant’s picture on the $50 bill - the designs also are fuller, more detailed and graceful, full of trailing acanthus and olive leaves.

The vegetative growth and architectural motifs that used to grace our bills announced our national fecundity. We were a waxing moon, a rising tide. The scrollwork and border ornament recalled the inventive bustle of the Renaissance. Read Full Arizona Republic Article

Jaded Professional Numismatist that I am, I sometimes need to be reminded what coin collecting is all about. I recently attended the first official meeting of the newly-formed 20th Century Gold Club and it left me feeling really good about the state of the hobby. It reminded me that coins are about more than upgrades, slabbing disputes, Registry Set battles and message board bickering: they are, more than anything else, about fraternity

The 20th Century Gold Club was founded by two prominent collectors of gold coins minted between 1907 and 1933. The club is by-invitation and it includes a number of the most serious collectors of American gold. The group is unique in that it not only includes these collectors but it incorporates prominent professionals who are Associate Members. The list of these dealers and researchers is extremely impressive and I was flattered to be included in a group that featured David Hall, Mark Salzburg, David Akers, John Albanese, Jim Halperin, Kevin Lipton, Todd Imhof, Mike Moran and Roger Burdette.

The meeting was held in Dallas and it was refreshing in that it wasn’t held in conjunction with a show. This meant that I was much more relaxed than I typically am at a show (if you’ve ever spent time with me at a coin show you know that I can be pretty intense and that I rarely have time for non-business chatter). It also helped that the meeting was held at a world-class five star hotel, was catered with incredible food (thanks to Heritage for the chow and the logistics) and that the weather in Dallas was perfect.

I thought one of the most interesting things about the meeting was the lack of agenda. All of the dealers were on their best behavior and no one was secretly passing out business cards looking for new clients. It was great to be able to chat with David Hall and not be worried about my latest round of PCGS grades. (more…)

Ask Baby Boomer collectors how they got started collecting coins and there’s a strong chance many began by filling holes in blue Whitman coin folders with coins pulled from circulation.

The multiple dates and Mint marks in the holders encouraged many beginning collectors to avidly search their pocket change.

Many of today’s hobbyists, whether neophytes or collectors of long standing, still opt for coin storage boards, whether they are single-board, open space holders; tri-folds; multipage albums with sliding window covers, or something similar.

Coin World’s parent company, Amos Press Inc., through its Amos Advantage program for hobbyists, offers a wide range of coin folders and albums from a number of manufacturers.

Some of these manufacturers, as well as designated distributors, also advertise their products in Coin World.

Advantages, disadvantages

Each coin board, folder or album has its own set of advantages or disadvantages in storage and preservation, depending on the condition and value of the coins that an individual collector may choose to place in them and the composition of the storage medium.

Evolution

In Coin Collecting Boards of the 1930s and 1940s: A Complete History, Catalog and Value Guide, David W. Lange traces the genesis of coin boards from the first board created in 1934 by J.K. Post, who subsequently contracted for their printing with Whitman Publishing.

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The latest May/Jun 2008 issue of Die Variety News online bi-monthly magazine is now available in Adobe Acrobat© rich-text PDF (Portable Document File) which allows the viewer an extremely clear high resolution with dynamic zoom capability and detailed printing of each page.

This May/Jun Issue #13 of DVN Magazine includes highlights on a “2004-D Roosevelt Dime Analysis,” “1988 1c Transitional Varieties,” “Wyoming State Quarter DDRs,” “OIV Doubled Dies Continue,” “Strange Reverse on 2006 Lincoln Cent,” and we continue with more “Presidential Varieties & Heavy Abrading.” Plus our extremely popular “This & That” section, “World Varieties,” “Mint Error Showcase” and our “Variety Spotlight” covers the 1943-S 1c DDO.

Susan Headley , the About.com Coin Guide reviewed this issue in her latest column as follows:

” The cover story for this issue is the mysterious 2004-D Roosevelt Dime which has an apparent doubled ear. The doubled ear is difficult to see in the small photo I have here, but if you click through to Billy’s site and look at the full-sized Die Variety News #13 cover, you’ll see an enlargement of this intriguing coin.

Inside issue #13, Billy examines this remarkable coin and provides an answer to the question people have been asking ever since the coin was discovered: Is it a doubled die? Was this semi-circular mark on the ear made by the same person who added the “extra leaf” to certain Wisconsin Quarters (also done at the Denver Mint in 2004?) Or is this mark just some kind of random die damage? Billy shows us what he thinks is the cause, using his lovely large-sized microphotographs and a clear, point-by-point explanation of his theory.