Roosevelt Dime Experts Please Help

moosesr

Is it easy to tell the difference between a PCGS Proof CAM and Proof DCAM clad Roosevelt dime? I have looked at several photographs online and can't easily see the difference. But there is a big difference in price!

Thanks, Charlie

CarlWohlforth

Sorry, it isn't always easy to tell the difference. Proof coins can be anywhere from totally brilliant to super, duper, extra frosty, Deep Cameo. So there are lots of coins that are almost cameo or almost Deep Cameo or just made it cameo. Those are often hard to judge. When you add that to any slight inconsistency in grading and it can be confusing.

The photos on my Jefferson nickel web page show some different stages. The '38 has slight cameo contrast and would NOT be considered cameo. The '65, while it is a SMS, has solid cameo contrast. The '78 is a strong, no questions asked, Deep Cameo coin.

sinin1

there are 2 components and photos are hard to catch one of them

the first is the frost you alluded to - mostly complete on both obverse and reverse


the second (and difficult to capture with photos) is the depth of field / mirror
=- it is somewhat comparable to PL and DMPL commonly seen in Morgans
=- if you hold the coin and look at it from an angle, how many reflections do you see in the field (flat surface) of the device

moosesr

How about the difference between a PCGS PR68DCAM and PR69DCAM clad Roosevelts? Will there be a mark or break in the frost that can be seen in a photograph or some defect that can be seen without magnification when looking at the actual coin? I have a few Proof 68 and 69 DCAM Ikes and on the 68's I can usually find a break in the frost or mark on the coin without magnification. I am trying to decide if it is worth the extra cost to buy PR68DCAM vs PR69DCAM Roosevelts.

Charlie

CarlWohlforth

I would only buy PR 69 DCAM clad Roosevelts. You don't save much by dropping down to 68 DCAM. Usually the frost does not have any breaks on DCAM coins. Usually there is a minor mark or hairline or planchet flaw or something that makes the difference between 68 and 69. These are visible to a trained eye under a good light. These are usually not visible in photographs.

sinin1

I hate to say it - but I would stay away from proof clads completely

The mint decided to start making money off of collectors when they took away silver coins 39 years ago



Since then - they have made 2 million + proof sets a year - there are probably thousands of PR68+ DCAMs that are raw in plastic covered sets ( maybe hundreds of thousands in recent years )

the population reports do not tell you much, because many dates need grades very high just to pay for slabbing costs


If you really want to collect clad Roosies - a lower scored (67 or lower) set probably can be collected for under slabbing costs - the 69's and 70's will cost more - but very uncertain on how they will would their value - if they start becoming worth more, people will start looking at the couple million proof sets for that year


The difference between a 69 and 70? need a microscope to tell?



your 68 and 69 look similar but the 69 is probably a little better somewhere - do the fields look like water on the 69? Is there some haze or areas or poorer reflection in the fields on the 68?

moosesr

What do you think about the 1970 and 1983 no s dimes, would it be better to buy the proof sets or slabbed dimes?