ultra cameo gem proof three cent nickel

michael

1871 ultra cameo three cent nick ngc proof 65 this coin is the hardest date to come nice with deep mirrors in this series in proof

the coin is blast white and with some light striations in the fields and on miss liberties face keeping this coin from a 66 grade. overall the eye appeal and deep watery mirrors make this coin one of a kind for an 1871!

silvery and with the flash and blast of a just newly struck coin.

overall solid for the grade and at first glance looks a much higher grade!

this coin came from mark feld at pinnacle and currently is in an eastern collection and the above comments are my own as i have seen this coin in person. this coin is currently not for sale and posted in the interest of showing what a great coin looks like!

how did i come to the conclusion that this is a great coin?

well after looking at thousands of coins over many years and especially so liking/specializing in three cent nicks in proof and understanding that most 1871 coins in proof are a combinatrion of ugly eye appeal shallow mirrors and some type of planchet/striking damage to the coin when i saw this coin i said wow this is it! also this coin is ultra cameo and a real ultra cameo with super deep mirrors. this coin also overall is a solid 65 coin easy any day of the week. the look of the coin is extremely positive. currently there has been little interest or run up of prices! it is a pop one coin overall for ultra cameo in any grade in 1871!! wow!! this is the only one and there are less than a handful of cameo coins! well to me this is a great coin!

only buy great coins if not then pass! act in haste repent in leisure

there are 5 kinds of coins

crappy coins
average coins
good coins
very good coins
great coins

only buy great coins

sincerely michael

goyankeez

That is an outstanding coin. No doubt, it's one of the best.

Are there any hairlines on the coin (or are they all striations). Probably not because of the grade. How would the grade change if there was a hairline in one of the fields. What about those small black dots on the devices. I see some on the upper parts of the wreath on the rev. They look like small breaks of frost. What caused this.

I'm looking at some 19th cent. proof dimes, and am wondering what some of these elements on the coin are. I'm also interested in how to judge the grade. Thanks for sharing this, and any responses. It's been very educational.

michael

hi there goya well this coin has no hairlines they are just die polishing lines on miss liberty and some light striations in the fields which are common on 1871 and many other dates on the proof three cent nicks!!!!!! this is why this coin is not a 66/67!!!

if this coin had minor hairlines which it doesnot it would still be a 65 if the coin had atwo heavy or concentrated hairlines in the fields open fields or on miss lib then this coin would grade 64

the super small dots you see atr toning dots on the coin as remember this coin is 75% or more of copper so when the alloy is mixed you do get these that rise to the surface and being thsat this coin is over 130 years old when the coin tones then the alloy inconsistances that rise to the surface of the coin tone and of course when this coin was dipped and oh waht a dip it turned out well just like it was struck yesterday which is rare to happen!!!!! then the toning dots still stay as they are in the coins compostiton
or maybe something extra small got on the coin it is just part of the toinig and aging process of a coin like this that is again 75% copper and as you know copper really reacts with the air and atmosphere

there were no inert plastic slabs or mylar plastic back in yesteryear

there really are no frost breaks on this coin i guess it is the light and the photography and the way the light hits the coin the problem is with most photographed coins you need to really see the coin sight seen and also especially so with toned and evenmoreso with proof/dmpl coins the technology is not here yet where you can get a really accurate photo of a proof coin

hope this helps also these coins need to be understood and evaulated as waht they are and how they come and overall this coin for the date the series and waht it is is simp[le an amazing unique coin
and you must compair it to the timkes it was minted in and other factors

now yes if there was a huge carbon spot that was alive and growing on this coin due to someone caughing on it long ago or pvc damage still eating below the surface of the coin well then that is a totally different story

but the toning dots you see are the way these coins usually come just a fact of life and the toning dots are all dead in other words they are neutral on the coin and also this coin is blown up like 20 times if you saw this coin in pwerson you would never see waht you see on these photos!!!!!!!!!

and also you might come upon an 1871 with no toning dots at all but ugly and not deeply mirrored with no cameo and just plain ugly so you cant have it all with any coin

also if you showed me an 1871 like this onw qwith no die polish marks no toning dots no striations and deeply mirrored and deep cameo then i would say you got a fake coin as they do not exist like with this sceniro.....................lol this coin was minted in 1871 not 2000 if in 2000 i am sure it would be perfect then that would be no fun and the coin would have no character but to look st this coin overall it is a monster super rare superb coin!!!!!!!!! which really should not exist!

thanks for the great post and questions goya!!!!!!!!! you are to me a respected member o fthis board!

sincerely michael

DesertLizard

Michael,
Guys like you make this forum truly great!

What a wealth of info. I am in the market for such a coin but all the ones I saw had the milky spots. Now I know why and that they just come this way.

Thanks!

TONEDDOLLARS

Michael
Thanks for all the interesting comments. Your posts are ones that I always open even if I'm in a rush. They are always informative and insightful. Please keep up the great work. It is areal joy to read your "stuff". jack

Clankeye

Michael---
Truly great coin. I must confess to having little appreciation for proof three cent nickels in the past. But, this coin looks tremendous, and your explanation of why it is remarkable in this condition was very informative to read.
I didn't get a chance to weigh in on the thread the other day where many people expressed their appreciation to you for all that you share with the forum. Well, I will do so now. Thank you, michael. Look forward to the next post, the next coin.
Clank

michael

hi there thanks for all the great comments!!!!! hi there desert lizard the milky spots if the coin is white ans silvery are most probsbly from a dipping of the coin where there were spots of toning on the coin where the tone was so deep etched into the coin that when the coin is dipped it leaves the nilky patches where the dip cant get into the surface of the coin for this.

now i have seen toned very nicely milky proofs and those are original but without seeing the coin in person i do not know but it most probably the above two scenerios!!!!!!!!!!!

just make sure that you always go with eye appeal first if you like it then others will and if you question a coin then pass on it if it doesnot look good to you now maybe you might pass on a few great coins because of this but that is okie as most all of the time you will pass on coins that you were smart on passing them!!!!!!! and in tgime with a trained eye you will get very good where you will always for the most part reconize great coins!!!!!!!! and hopefully have the money to buy them!!.......lol

thanks jack toned dollars i really apprecaite it you are most kind and in our pm and on here you are graceous and always have something good to say pleawse keepcomingh back on here no matter what happens we need you

thanks clank you keep me grounded and you are right there are many great people on here even better than all the coins that get posted on here i like the people well some well most all......lol better than the coins i guess you have a great attutide and way of thinking i love it on here and i will always come back no matter waht thanks clank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sincerely michael

sincerely michael