Cameo

Cockney · April 4, 2003 5:43AM

Can someone explain why some proofs are cameo and some not. Whats is the process that causes the Cameo? Thanks

MadMarty · April 4, 2003 5:58AM

I would reply, but I can't stand to look at that picture!!!

BNE · April 4, 2003 6:17AM

C ockney, you gorgeous devil you, the cameo effect (on pre-1970 coins) is caused by "pickling" the dies in a solution of acid and alcohol -- which causes tiny pitting, similar to sandblasting, on the die. Then, the highest surfaces are carefully polished to a mirror-like state. (These become the mirrored fields.) The contrast between the two types of surfaces only lasts for a few strikes, going from deep cameo, to cameo, then finally brilliant for the remainder (that is, most) of the strikes. That's why the cameo coins are rarer. The process changed around 1970 to make the cameo effect last longer. That's why virtually all proofs that come out of the mint today are DCAM.

Hope that helps, Cutiepie!

Cockney · April 4, 2003 6:31AM

Thanks BNE you are a scholar and a gentlemen, Unlike MadMarty who obviously wants me........anyway, do you know why the mint did this in the first place? Thanks awfully

sinin1 · April 4, 2003 7:31AM

I think they started doing it more often when they discovered people were willing to pay much more for them.

Gilbert · April 4, 2003 9:51AM

Since they were/are struck as presentation pieces/collector coins, the care and appearance was, shall we say, upgraded.

michael · April 4, 2003 1:25PM

this coin is a deep/ultra cameo

usually new highly polished fresh proof dies with the first coins off of this die being deep cameo as such with this coin

sincerely michael

michael · April 4, 2003 1:32PM

as the dies wear and more coins are struck the cameo frosting on the dies wears away and the coins are just brilliant reflective proofs without any contrast between the devices and the mirrored fields

deep cameo proofs say for example as a product of not only frost on the devices but evenmoreso the contrast between the fields and the devices

and if the fields are really deeply mirrored and the devices are hugely contrasted as such with the fields then it is a deep cameo

but again depending on the series the type of compostiton the dates within the respective series this desiangtion varuies and each coin needs to be individually seen on a sight seen in person basis to detemine as such the cameo deep cameo or lack of

sincerely michael

Cameo

Comments

Leave a Comment