RWB

No alloy used for US 5-cent pieces should be attracted to a normal magnet. Color balance in the first photo seems normal and the coin does not have the typical tone of a wartime Cu-Ag-Mn alloy. It might have been struck on a foreign planchet, but one would need to check the various Philadelphia Mint production schedules Paramagnetic atoms - atoms with an unpaired electron (one orbital has a net spin) - are slightly attracted to a magnetic field. A strong rare earth will attract certain paramagnetic alloys. As B.C asked - what were the ERF readings and the margin of error (post calibration)?

Condemned dies could not be returned to service.Once, undated master dies were sent to SF. William Barber got in hot water over that....he was already on the Director's sh-- list.

I think Susan B herself was non-round, too/.

Auction catalogs are notoriously copy cat. Some of the earlier ones have original or insightful information, but only a few modern ones have anything original. Remember - their purpose is to tell stories that will stimulate people bid high and buy. Truth is in the rear view mirror and certainly not "closer than it appears."

The Panama-Pacific $50 was octagonal (and round, also) as were USAO gold $50 slugs. Many low-fineness gold California halves and quarters were octagonal as were the jewel imitations.

Non-circular coins have been considered multiple times, but rejected for various reasons. Holed coins have also been proposed and rejected. Since about 1890, the vending industry has been the most vocal objector. The last serious consideration was when small dollar coins were being discussed in the 1970s. (See the book Private Pattern and Related Pieces: International Nickel & Gould Incorporated for information on some of the small dollar private pieces and discussion.)

After1906 all overdates are the result of using the wrong hub. For the SG 8/9 the die had one or more blows from the correct 1909 hub then a diesinker used the old 1908 hub to make another blow. Since everything else on the design was the same, the only difference visible was the date. After 1909. Engraver Barber changed the date and monogram position each year.

The MCMVII price range was $25 to $35. Remember that buyers were not ordinary folks, they were people inside the sub-Treasury system and bankers - people who could afford a $35 souvenir. Within a couple of months the price declined to about $22.50 then to $21...or less. They remained at or near this price until the gold price advanced.

That would be interesting to see. Public demand and interest was high in 1907, and almost all the coins were "distributed:" even if only to clerks who promptly resold them for $30-$35 each. They were, after all, a circulation issue. When interest waned, some coins went into circulation and worn pieces occasionally appear in dealer lists and auctions. That half the mintage exists is evidence of very wide interest and reluctance to sell. (See Renaissance of American Coinage 1909-1915 for details aboutf the small "Treasurer's Treasure" kept for VIP rewards.)

Nope. Dated dies were destroyed at the end of each calendar year. usable non-date dies could be reused, but never at a different mint.

The intent was to have all die work except repair done at Philadelphia - this would ensure all dies were identical and passed Engraving Dept. examination. But San Francisco had different presses than Philadelphia and their dies were sent unhardened. Also Carson Mint received both hardened and soft dies depending on denomination and available equipment. For example, until Carson received a new Ajax large press, dollar dies were shipped soft. Once the Ajax press was in operation, the dies were hardened and tempered at Philadelphia.

Bubblebling, It's not about what you "enjoy." You said you want to start a business. That means you must know about the items you are selling - at least the basics. For modern proof coins, it appears you do not have the fundamental knowledge to clearly describe them or understand the differences. You are obviously capable of learning this, if you want to. You asked for their input --- please accept their suggestions.You asked for business perspectives from members, and that is what they are giving you. Everyone here is trying to help you face reality and succeed.

All dies were made at the Philadelphia Mint until the late 20th century when a die shop was set up at the Denver Mint. All design masters and software to run machine tools come from Philadelphia, only All mintmarks were applied at Philadelphia. No exceptions. No other mint was supposed to alter dies in any way except for repair and basining, but there are documented instances where a mint changed details - usually to prolong die life or to correct excessive abrasion from basining. There are rare instances of the wrong dies being sent, but we do not have the original die records. The details and extent of misshipment are unknown.

Moneyy, The plastic holder in your photo has no recognized value. As JKK mentioned, it appears to be one of many "self slabbers" or people who put coins into plastic holders for the purpose of deceiving potential buyers. Given the cleaning, mentioned by Mark and myself, none of the three top authentication/grading companies would put the coin into one of their holders. No legitimate company or coin dealer would claim that coin is "uncirculated." The rule is to always carefully examine the coin, and not accept the "grade" printed on a holder. Accept the coin as a valuable lesson in both grading and the low ethical standards of many sellers.

Not uncirculated. Might be Extremely Fine, no better. Also, looks scrubbed.

Pareidolia and confirmation bias.

Bubblebling, My purpose is the help you focus on the basic things you have to know in order to have a fair chance at being successful, even on a very modest scale. Here are the five questions, your answers and my comments. You got two points out of five. As a buyer or seller you will have a special status among many of your potential customers. You must know this kind of basic information before you open your ebay shop door, or you will be unable to clearly describe your coins, or understand what you are buying. I, personally, want you to succeed; you have much to do in my opinion. 1. What is/are the difference(s) between modern proof coins and modern uncirculated coins? Questions one and two are pretty much the same. 0-Credit. Question not answered. Uncirculated coins are struck once on a high speed horizontal coinage press at sufficient pressure to reproduce the design satisfactorily. Dies receive no special polishing or other treatment. They fall into a collection bin, then pass through a series of riddlers to remove defective pieces, and eventually dumped into large packages of high strength plastic. They are not physically counted or inspected but accounted for by aggregate weight. Proof coins usually have highly polished, mirror-like fields. They are struck multiple time with a slower press at higher than normal pressure in order to bring up as much detail as possible. Proofs are not allowed to touch each other or anything except specially designed surfaces. They are individually inspected, but manipulated and packaged by machine. 2. How are modern proof coins made? Modern proofs are made with special dies. The proofs are made (usually, I am finding out now), to higher specs and finishes. And of course, the proofs are limited editions for most series. 1/2-Credit. Your response is incomplete and lacks detail. Most modern proof s of ordinary circulating designs are made using dies with highly polished fields and frosted relief devices. Dies are cut by automated machinery, the fields polished by machine, then manually inspected, and possibly retouched if necessary. Frosting is applied with an etching laser that makes tiny pits in areas that will appear frosted on the coin. 3. What is a "reverse proof?" A reverse proof is a proof where the fields on the coin are reversed. This can result in a beautiful coin. These coins are highly sought after by collectors. 1/2-Credit. Answer ambiguous. Stating “the fields on the coin are reversed” is not clear. Do you mean the fields are backwards, or something else. A conventional proof has polished fields and frosted devices (relief). A reverse proof has frosted fields and polished devices. (Clarity of communication is critical when selling or buying – especially when everything is written and there is no opportunity to explain.) 4. What is the best way to clean a proof coin? You don't clean a proof. Full Credit. Correct. 5. What is a "proof-like" coin? A coin is either a proof, or it isn't. There is no such grade. This is a marketing gimmick by a seller. 0-Credit. Question not answered. “Proof” is not a grade either – it is a method of manufacture. “Proof-like” is a term commonly used to describe a coin that has a somewhat shiny or mirror-like field. The relief can be either frosted, normal or something in between. “Proof-like” fields are created when a normal dies is lightly polished to remove cracks or other defects. If properly completed, this kind of repair allows a die to be returned to service – possible for many thousands of additional strikes.

Coinbuf's comments are correct. Do some research into how strike doubling/mechanical doubling occurs. (You can also look in the book "From Mine to Mint" where the cause is explained and illustrated. You can buy the book or borrow it from your local library through ILL.)

An opinion--- These and similar designations from TPGs are meaningless. They have no relationship to coin quality.

You've heard of "forever stamps?" Well, these are "forever coins." Can be used on any date you wish - even in the future.

Agreed. There are thousands of counterfeit and altered 1914-D cents floating around. They began appearing in the 1920s (!) and are still churned out by crooks from Colorado to China.

Bubblebling - Let's do some basic coin knowledge. It will help you in your business plan. Answer the following questions: 1. What is/are the difference(s) between modern proof coins and modern uncirculated coins? 2. How are modern proof coins made? 3. What is a "reverse proof?" 4. What is the best way to clean a proof coin? 5. What is a "proof-like" coin? It should take you less than 5 minutes to correctly answer the questions.

Too bad. It's a really ridiculous idea.

Yep. Combination of damage and corrosion.