Owner Comments:
A STUDY OF PROOF-LIKE (PL) vs. NORMAL BUSINESS STRIKE COINS.
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THE COIN ON THE LEFT WAS AWARDED A RARE PL DESIGNATION, IT DISPLAYS HIGHLY REFLECTIVE AND MIRRORED SURFACES ON BOTH THE OBVERSE & THE REVERSE OF THE COIN.
A COIN MUST DISPLAY CLEAR REFLECTIVITY AT 2 TO 4 INCHES AWAY FROM THE FIELDS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN TO BE AWARDED A PL DESIGNATION. NGC WILL SOMETIMES AWARD A STAR DESIGNATION TO A COIN THAT IS PROOF-LIKE ON ONE SIDE ONLY, USUALLY THE OBVERSE SIDE FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN. PROOF-LIKE (PL) KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND PRIOR TO THE YEAR 1970. THE NGC CENSUS SHOWS JUST A HANDFUL OF PL COINS TO EXIST FOR THE YEARS 1964-1969. IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO ASSEMBLE A COMPLETE SET OF 1964-1970 PL COINS, SIMPLY BECAUSE PL COINS DON'T EVEN EXIST FOR SOME OF THE EARLY YEARS IN THE KENNEDY SERIES.
FOR SOME MYSTERIOUS REASON 1970-D KENNEDY HALF DOLLARS SHOW THE GREATEST POPULATION OF PL DESIGNATED COINS OF THE SILVER BUSINESS STRIKES. THESE ARE HIGHLY VALUED & SOUGHT AFTER , AND CANNOT BE CONSIDERED COMMON IN ANY WAY.
SOME COLLECTORS OF THE EARLY KENNEDY SERIES HAVE NOTED THE QUIRKS OF THE INDIVIDUAL MINTS. IN THE CASE OF THE DENVER MINT, THEIR BUSINESS STRIKE HALF DOLLARS SEEM TO BE BAGGY AS A RULE. THOUGH RARE, THE DENVER MINT SEEMED MORE LIKELY THAN ANY OTHER MINT TO PRODUCE A HALF DOLLAR THAT HAD A PROOF-LIKE, REFLECTIVE SURFACE ON A BUSINESS STRIKE COIN.
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COIN #1 ( coin on left )-
** NGC MS64 PL **
A VERY SCARCE PL (PROOF-LIKE) BUSINESS STRIKE. THE NGC CENSUS PRESENTLY SHOWS A TOTAL OF ONLY 30 PL COINS IN ALL GRADES COMBINED FOR 1969. MOST OF THESE ARE SALTED AWAY IN SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES AND WILL NEVER COME TO AUCTION. AT FIRST GLANCE, THE COIN ABOVE RESEMBLES A SPECIAL MINT SET ( SMS ) COIN. BUT THERE WERE NO SMS COINS PRODUCED IN 1969, OF COURSE.
A MYSTERIOUS COIN FOR SURE. PL BUSINESS STRIKES ( NOT SMS ) ARE EXTREMELY SCARCE IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE KENNEDY HALF SERIES. THE SPECIAL MINT SET ( SMS ) COINS OF 1965-67 , ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE REGULARLY FOUND IN A PROOF-LIKE FINISH BECAUSE THEY WERE INTENDED TO BE THAT WAY. ONE RARELY SEES A PL BUSINESS STRIKE COIN COME TO AUCTION FROM THE YEARS 1964 TO 1969.
THE BEST CHANCE OF FINDING ANY PROOF-LIKE BUSINESS STRIKE PRIOR TO 1970 MIGHT BE IN FINDING A ONE SIDED PL COIN THAT WAS GIVEN A STAR. NGC HAS GIVEN A STAR FOR A ONE SIDED PL COIN, JUST AS THEY MIGHT AWARD A STAR FOR A ONE SIDED CAMEO. GOOD LUCK EVER SEEING ONE COME UP FOR SALE.
FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, THE YEAR 1970 PRODUCED FAR MORE PL SPECIMENS THAN ALL OF THE EARLIER YEARS COMBINED, AND YET EVEN THESE CAN BE HARD TO COME BY AND ARE HIGHLY VALUED BY COLLECTORS.
HOW AND WHY DID THESE FEW PL BUSINESS STRIKES COME ABOUT? WAS A SINGLE PRESS OPERATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE FEW PL SPECIMENS ? WAS HE BORED ? WAS IT HORSEPLAY ? WAS SOMEONE TRYING TO CREATE SOME PRESENTATION PIECES ? WAS HE EXPERIMENTING ? DID THE DENVER MINT RECEIVE A SET OF HIGHLY POLISHED PROOF DIES INTENDED FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE? NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW. WE CAN ONLY SPECULATE. INTERESTING STUFF!
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COIN #2 ( coin on right ) - PCGS MS 65 , GOLD SHIELD HOLDER WITH A TRUE-VIEW.
A COLOR TONED KENNEDY. THIS COIN WAS INCLUDED IN KEEPING WITH THE GOAL OF DEPICTING SOME ATTRACTIVE OR UNUSUAL COINS . COBALT BLUE TONED BUSINESS STRIKE COINS ARE AMONG MY FAVORITES. BEAUTIFULLY TONED BUSINESS STRIKES LIKE THIS WILL COMMAND A GOOD PREMIUM.