1988S Proof Silver Eagle Pics

[nwcs]

Nothing like a nice black and white proof coin picture to brighten the spirits. That, and I'm getting better at taking proof pics.

 

Neil

[nwcs]

And the reverse...

[jeh46544]

What is the grade of this beautiful coin?

[nwcs]

Oh, I don't know. I have it still in the original packaging. It was the first mint product I ever bought! I was dumb enough to get the gold 1/10th oz, though. Should have gotten three of these!

[jeh46544]

Ooooh, I was wondering why it didn't look like any kind of slab I have seen. Slabbed or not it's still beautiful!

[jeh46544]

I love the reverse pic. The eagle has a sort of glow coming from the tips of it's wings! AMAZING! I think the silver eagle is one of the most beautigul modern coins, and yours is possibly the most beautiful of them!

[nwcs]

 

Have you noticed how the design has changed over the years? Look at her left hand. It's so short and chubby. If you look at the design now it's more graceful. Also, the design has been strengthened and added-to in recent years. This one has softer elements in the drapery, head, and flag.

 

BTW, on the reverse pic that's a bit of lint on the inside of the container.

[jeh46544]

I've noticed they have made canges to alot of coins. Especially the half dollar. The hair on kennedy is diferent, ALOT different. It used to have few details in it, now you can see every hair on his head!

 

Old version:

 

New version:

[PQSeated]

I personally don't like the changes they've made on coins. Hair looks artificial anymore.

 

Also, relating to Silver Eagles, has anyone noticed a drop in quality of MS SAEs? I've heard a lot of bad things about the 2003 SAEs. Such as lots of marks, being struck through stuff, and overall just bad. Anyone else have similar problems with them?

[nwcs]

I don't have many of the unc SAEs so I can't speak to that much. Much of the regular issue coinage has undergone a lot of changes. Especially when the mint went to a single squeeze hubbing/die process in 1995. This makes it more economical for them, but creates a lower relief coin. And since the coin is lower in relief, the design had to change. Hence the ugliness of modern coinage. I don't mind clad coins that use the older relief designs (about 1991 and earlier). Some of them are quite nice (just picked up an irridescent 1975 dime in MS-66 for 35 cents and a 1966 MS-66 dime with decent tone for 25 cents) but now they're just ugly.

 

Neil