FlyingAl

They're letting the coins speak for themselves, which makes sense. They also don't have the staff like Heritage. We also don't need to get into the frequent errors HA auction descriptions have.

A four paragraph description from GC is practically unheard of. They usually let million dollar coins sell without a single word of description.

Definitely long overdue. Well deserved and congratulations!

I have the photos from the thread here (and PCGS), and I also have a video so we should be good there. My goal is to preserve the coins as best as possible, while still maintaining the original set.

I will remove the coins from the cello (removing the staples and letting the coins out the top of the sleeves) and send them to PCGS to be slabbed in series. I think that this is the best reason because: 1. The cello was never meant to be long term storage. The coins are in a questionable state of preservation, and it is unlikely how they will continue to fare in the years to come. 2. It will protect the coins for decades to come. 3. The set will still be together, with the original packaging. It will be instantly recognizable as an original set. 4. The coins will be able to be viewed and referenced on a consistent basis (as well as better images can be taken). If the coins remain in the cello, the research value could be lowered (since the coins will not be easily accessible). I was asked today a few questions about characteristics of the coins, and it was very difficult to answer with the coins in the cello. Removing them I think is the best way to study them. Downsides would be the following: 1. Loss of the true "original set" as it came from the mint. Even this is debatable as the set is missing its box @RWB - is there anything that you would suggest that I do before removing the coins research wise? Any research that needs to be done can still easily be done with the set removed from the cello in all reality.

They are mine. Sorry about the photos not showing guys, it must be a failed upload. Please use the PCGS forums link for photos (the post is identical).

It appears to be frosted in texture (same as the rest of the devices).

Looks like some minor planchet marks that didn't strike out all the way. Seems common on the Walkers of the era.

@RWB I was assuming this was a set that was shipped in an envelope (and the envelope was then discarded, hence no box. Does this seem valid to you?

Nothing on the eagle's breast. Just original color.

Here's the photos over at PCGS, not sure why they won't show for you guys. No issues here. https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/comment/13528720#Comment_13528720

This time, it appears to be the real deal. This appears to be an original (Mint cellophane) 1942 Proof set. The coins are all high grade, and the set overall is matching. Here are images (this is the most challenge I've had imaging coins, ever). . . . . . After discussing with @CaptHenway, who has seen original sets before, it would appear that this set has all of the hallmarks of originality. The packaging matches what he and other associates remember seeing from early Proof sets that came straight from the Mint (or from those who bought them from the Mint). However, the appearance of two staples is interesting (one has tissue paper in it). The cello is rather stiff and crunchy, and has a texture at the base of each pouch that appears on each pre-1950 Proof set I've seen. However, I haven't seen it on post-1950 sets, which seem to have a lined texture or none at all. Perhaps I'm not looking hard enough at this though. Contrary to what I think most of us would believe, the cent is bright red and has no discoloration or spots. This would further my stance that most wildly toned pre-1950 Proof cents are NOT original, but rather album/holder tone, or artificial tone. I grade the cent PR64RD. The cent is a deep, blazing red and shows deep mirrors that flash under a lamp. Light hairlines are present in both the obverse and reverse fields, but no spots or discoloration are present. The deep red orange hues show at all angles, and truly shine with the flash of the mirrors. I grade the cent PR64RD. . . . . The nickel is also bright in appearance, and has no tone. A touch of contrast is present, but barely noticeable. Deep mirrors flash on both sides of the coin, and a light yellow touch appears throughout. I grade it PR67. . . . . The dime has an overall steely gray appearance, with the reverse graced with some deep red and purple spots. The overall look is pleasing, and the surfaces appear clean. I grade it PR67. . . . . The quarter has a light brown haze upon the surfaces, which fades to a steel gray flash when tilted into the light. The obverse and reverse have light orange, red and magenta rim tone spots. The mirrors flash through the toning easily, presenting a wonderful glare of color mixed with originality. I grade it PR67. . . . . The half is absolutely stunning. Deep blues, greens, and purples adorn the obverse, fading into a blazing flash as the mirrors turn a silvery grey in the center. The reverse shows a similar color, with a light deep red spot tucked into the reverse periphery. The surfaces show a deep silvery grey, and no disturbances hinder the deep, clear mirrors. I grade it PR67+ STAR. . .

Well, when you find them... I want 'em all!

I'd buy a 1885 proof set for a couple of dollars.

Depending on the grades of the coins, I'd guess several hundred thousand dollars to upwards of $1,000,000. I'd expect a good chunk of the value is in the proof Morgans, given that they'd likely be fairly high grade and wonderfully toned. My educated guess without really looking at guides will be $415,000, assuming an average grade of around 66 with a few CAMs and DCAMs mixed in.

Great half cent! It looks super original and the it appears to be evenly worn which I prefer to see.

Looking forward to the book! Please post links when it's available for purchase (though that is likely a ways out still).

I'm going to TTT this one more time for anyone interested. This was a huge undertaking, and literally every die that produced a cameo proof from 1936-1942 is cataloged, inventoried, marked, and described. This is a TON of research and information. IMPORTANT NOTE: If anyone would want to see this published, let me know and I can see if I can get it prepared for publishing. I'd want some strong support for it though.

Every die has now been added. The catalog is complete to my knowledge.

Ha! I just noticed this too! I copied the photos from my PCGS post for the OP, and I like how they showed up big. For whatever reason, when I paste photos from Docs or import them they show up either low resolution or skinny like this (just discovered that now).

I could get the same look without any edits, it'd simply be lower resolution. Here's an example. The top one is the composite shot, with the coin in high resolution. The second is the regular shot with no edits other than a crop.

One more:

I took some slab shots today, and I was fairly pleased with the results. Some things need a bit more ironing out, but for now I'm happy. Composite slab shots are done by taking a full size image of the coin and imposing it on a slab of the coin in photoshop. This gives maximum resolution of the thing that really matters - the coin. Edit: redid the 1942 dime and managed to get the prongs to line up. It was a bit tricky, but doable as I thought.

I'm very confused why the Canon images appear so weird. Here are some pics I took with my Canon Rebel XTi (which is an inferior camera to yours based on specs) and these blow the phone images away. Your camera should have done the same.

Enjoyed your two installments in The Numismatist! I wanted to post the table over ATS to correct a few inaccuracies in the OP post, which I believe was accomplished.