Owner Comments:
Total Graded: 9781
Total Prooflike: 31
Percentage: 0.3169%
One of my goals as a collector is to buy coins that make people go WOW. It is great when I can impress a collector. Dealers, who often see so many nice coins, are often harder to impress: there are very few coins that will impress dealers. This is one of them Every dealer I’ve shown this to has paused, looked at it closely, admired it, and reluctantly handed it back (my 1871 Shield Nickel is another coin like this).
Silver 3 cent coins are actually fairly available in prooflike condition, compared to many other series. With a little looking, you can find 62-64 PL coins with more frequency than you would expect, given the number graded. What you will not often find, however, is one graded 67* PL. There are a few graded in the series at 67, and a couple at 68. I’ve had the pleasure of looking at one of the 68s and it was stunning, but the mirrors on mine are deeper. The most common date in prooflike is 1871, 1862 is second most common; 1851O, 1864, and 1872 are tied for third.
My coin has stunningly deep mirrors and a fantastic strike. There is a minor planchet flaw on the obverse which adds character, and very light die polish is evident at the right angle. Cameo contrast is strong, and the coin is nearly entirely free of contact marks. This is a tiny coin, but it packs a powerful punch. There is some disagreement among dealers I’ve shown it to whether it is actually a proof or a business strike. The rims are fairly square and the strike is strong, but the planchet flaw and die polish are uncharacteristic of a proof coin. Either way, the coin is attractive (and CAC agrees).