Just Bob

If you "have no clue how to tell the surface is altered," then I suggest holding onto the coin, and comparing its surface to the surfaces of many more coins over the coming months and years. I bet you will be able to have more than just "a clue" in a relatively short time, if you are diligent about looking and learning.

I just happen to have one of those :)

O'neal Tatum established Tatum Lumber in 1893, near Hattiesburg, MS. In 1915, W.S.F. Tatum took over, and formed the town of Bonhomie. The mill officially shut down operations in 1940. The Tatum family also owned the local gas company in Hattiesburg, as well as other businesses and much property. W.S.F. was also a two-term mayor of the city

It's a good looking coin, and definitely looks Ucam, but I can't tell if all of the scratches are on the holder or if some are on the coin.

There are modern coins that have received the "prooflike" designation: (not my coin)

^ ^ What he said, above what he said.

Welcome to the forum. My opinion is that the coin is fake. It has that "Chinese Counterfeit" look about it.

They do look flat and squared, but the rest of the coin does not look like a matte proof.

I must be slow. I am not sure what you are asking.

Aww, that really is a shame about the scratch. Quite a nice coin, otherwise.

It is worth 25 cents, but only in a cash transaction - hand to hand. In a drink, snack, or other type vending machine, or in a Coinstar machine, it is the equivalent of a metal slug.

Ditto to the above. Compare the date on your genuine 1943s to the date on this coin. Not the same. And, as a general rule, cleaning coins lowers their value significantly. Don't do it.

I have no idea how accurately most collectors grade, but I do know that there are members of this message board who regularly grade coins quite accurately - usually within a point or so of the TPG grade, and they do it from pictures.

Were there any new varieties or other unknown information discovered during this time?

I'm leaning toward an applied foreign substance, but the pictures are hard to interpret. Welcome to the forum.

No need to apologize. Greenstang was not talking to you. He was talking to the person above his post, who posted on your thread, and stated that they had a 1943 steel cent. Notice how he led off with their name? Welcome to the forum, by the way.

Welcome to the forum. If you are looking to buy gold coins, and you have a $100 to spend, your options will be limited, but you still have some choices. There are half gram and one gram coins available, minted by Australia, China, Mongolia, and other countries. You may also be able to find 1 gram gold bars by Engelhard, Credit Suisse, etc. While you are there, take a look at some ancient coins, check out some Early American Copper, or Conder tokens, and look through a few reference books. It can be a real learning experience, if you take the time to browse look around. Have fun!

As common as these are, a lot of collectors seem to treat them with a kind of "ho-hum" attitude. Having an accompanying letter of authenticity signed by the president of the exposition would make this coin highly collectible, in my opinion.

Hang around this forum for awhile, and you will see more examples, along with all sorts of other odd looking damage.

Do you feel better after venting your frustration in three different threads?

I don't think it will qualify for a Cameo designation, so it will need to grade PF68 or better to be worth the expense of grading, shipping, insurance, etc., in my opinion. If there are any marks anywhere on it visible to the naked eye, including hairlines or spots, it would probably not be worth the risk.

The pics are a bit small, but I like it as a high VF. Nice coin & nice present

Here is an article that helps explain the difference between mechanical doubling (MD) and hub doubling (DDO, DDR) https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/5688/Double-Dies-vs-Machine-Doubling/ I think I link this article more often on this forum than any other article, about any other topic.

Yes, the proofs are graded the same as MS coins. If you click the links above, you will see the grades at the top of each column of prices. And, as for my opinion of the set: Although the coins may not be extremely valuable, they certainly are collectible. I personally like it. In fact, it has given me an idea for a set. Substitute a reverse proof Kennedy for the Franklin, and maybe add one of the 2014 High Relief examples, and that would make a nice display. I wonder if Capital Plastics makes a holder that would work...