Question for all you cameo fans.

SanctionII

Many forum members, me included, are fans of cameo proofs and SMS coins and actively hunt for these coins in proof and SMS sets.

In my own search for cameo halves, I have found that of the Franklin halves, by far and away the easiest date to locate in raw cameo is the 1962.

My question to all cameo fans is what is your experience in finding raw 1950-70 cameo cents, nickels, dimes, quarters and halves? For each denomination rank the dates that have been the easiest through the hardest to find.

Now that I think further about this topic I will review my cameo coins, dust off the cobwebs in my memory and try to come up with my own answer to the above questions. When I do, I will post my results.

My response and yours should make for an interesting read. SanctionII.

MadMarty

1968-1970 Kennedy

1969-easiest
1968-next
1970-hardest

All three dates the Washington is the toughest to find in a high grade DCAM

100proof1957

I sorta specialize in 57'S

Maybe one of the tougher years to "MAKE" a Cameo proof in high grade !

Aethelred

I don't collect cameo proofs, but I enjoy the thrill of the hunt. I have had better luck with 1963 Halfs than 1962 for some reason. I find more cameo and DCAM Dimes than Quarters and more Quarters than Halfs. I believe this is due to the pressure needed to strike the coins wearing the delicate frost on the dies. I have found very few Cents and no Nickels that I can recall that have very heavy cameo contrast.

Numismanic

1952 was a very poor year for cameos. This one is very close.

mnmcoin

Order is toughest to easiest...

For 1950 to 1964 dates I have found the following results...

1c---1951, 52, 57, 50, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58, 59, 61, 60, 62, 63, 64
5c---1953, 51, 50, 52, 57, 54, 55, 56, 58, 59, 60/61, 62, 63, 64
10c---1951, 52, 50, 53, 54, 55, 58, 59, 57, 56, 60-64
25c---1950, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 58, 57/59, 56, 64, 60-63
50c---1950, 59, 52, 51, 53, 54/55, 58, 57, 61, 60, 63, 56, 62

For 1965sms, 66sms, 67sms...

1c-50c---1965, 1966, 1967

For 1968-1971...

1c---1971, 68, 70, 69
5c---1971, 69/70, 68
10c---1971, 69, 68/70
25c---1971, 68, 70, 69
50c---1971, 70, 68, 69


The true monsters in dcam are the following few coins...

1951 Lincoln...1953 Jefferson...1951 Roosevelt...1950 Franklin

morris <><

Cameonut

I agree with Morris' list above. With maybe one exception - I think the '59 Franklin is a bit easier than the '52.

One way I look at it is to look at the PCGS pop reports for dcams (not cams). This will also give you a ranking that also accounts for differences in mintages.

SanctionII

Thanks for the post replying to this thread.

Since last night I have not been able to look through the cameo I have acquired. However in general I have been able to recall the following general results of my search for 1950-1970 cameos:

Cent - 1950 - 1 with intensely frosted obverse devices but with lightly hazed fields
1951 - 1 with nicely frosted devices and nice mirrored fields
1952 - 1 close to the 1951 in appearance, but frost not quite the same
1953 - 1 with frosted devices, but the haze on the fileds would preclude a CAM designation
1954 - 1 nice contrast, frosted devices and mirrored fields
1955 - 1 nice contrast, frosted devices and mirrored fields
1956 - 2, with one being much nicer than the other, the better one similar to the 54 & 55
1957 - 1, the frost on the devices looks creamy instead of granular,
1958 - 1, nice contrast, frosted devices and mirrored fields
1959 - multiple, with one being close to DCAM with deep orange color instead of fiery orange
1960 - multiple, both small and large date, but no DCAM
1961 - multiple
1962 - multiple
1963 - multiple
1964 - multiple, including DCAM
1965 - 1 that is cam [frosted devices and good mirrors] and a few others that are close
1966 - 2 that are cam with frosted devices and very very nice mirrors
1967 - 1 that is cam and a few others that are close
1968 - multiple, including DCAM
1969 - multiple, including DCAM
1970 - multiple, including SD and LD, including a DCAM LD

Nickel - 1950 - none that would CAM, but one has lightly frosted devices
1951 - same as 1950
1952 - 1
1953 - a few
1954 - 1 with nice contrast, nicely frosted devices and nice mirrors
1955 - 1, same as 1954
1956 - 1, better than the 1954 and 1955, great eye appeal
1957 - none with two sided cam appearance, 1 with frosted reverse
1958 - 1 that is not as nice at the 1954 & 1955
1959 - 1 that the same as the 1954 & 1955, and 1 that has DCAM reverse and brilliant obverse
1960 - 1 that is not as nice as the 1958
1961 - 1 that is similar to the 1960
1962 - multiple
1963 - a few
1964 - multiple
1965 - a few, including a DCAM
1966 - multiple
1967 - multiple
1968 - multiple, including DCAMs
1969 - multiple, including DCAMs
1970 - multiple, including DCAMs

Dime - 1950 - none
1951 - 1, possibly 2
1952 - none, though 1 is has a light cam appearance
1953 - a few
1954 - none
1955 - none
1956 - 1
1957 - a few with cam/dcam obverses and brilliant reverses
1958 - none
1959 - none
1960 - multiple, including DCAMs
1961 - multiple
1962 - multiple
1963 - multiple, inclulding DCAM
1964 - multiple
1965 - a couple
1966 - a couple
1967 - a few
1968 - 2 DCAMs
1969 - 1 DCAM and a couple of others
1970 - 1 DCAM and a few others

Quarter - 1950 - none
1951 - 1
1952 - none, but 1 with a cam obverse
1953 - multiple, including a possible DCAM
1954 - 2
1955 - 1
1956 - none, but a couple with cam obverses
1957 - a few
1958 - a couple
1959 - a few
1960 - multiple, including DCAMs
1961 - multiple
1962 - multiple
1963 - multiple
1964 - multiple, inculding DCAMs
1965 - multiple, including one with DCAM obverse and cam reverse
1966 - multiple
1967 - multiple
1968 - a few
1969 - multiple
1970 - multiple

Halves - 1950 - 1, with mirrored fields, lightly frosted fields, nice eye appeal, but probably not cam
1951 - 1, very nice in appearance
1952 - none
1953 - a few, very nice in appearance
1954 - a few, including one that is DCAM
1955 - a couple, but none that are that great
1956 - multiple, inculding 2-3 in DCAM, Type 1 only, (plus 1 brilliant Type 2)
1957 - a couple, but none that are that great
1958 - a few, including 1 very nice in appearance
1959 - multiple with moderate+ cam, nice in appearance
1960 - multiple, including a DCAM
1961 - multiple, but not as frosted as the 1960s' and the 1962's & 1963s
1962 - multiple, including DCAMs
1963 - multiple, including DCAMs, but not as many as the 1962s
1964 - multiple, including DCAMs and AH's (no DCAM AH's though)
1965 - multiple, including one with DCAM frost on the obverse
1966 - multiple
1967 - multiple, including 2 DCAMS
1968 - multiple, including DCAMs
1969 - multiple, including DCAMs
1970 - including DCAMs

No precise numbers, cuz I have not the time or inclination to do the work to get the numbers. Some of the coins descirbed above a no longer have. I expect that my years long hunt for cameos is similar to the experiences of other cameo collectors.

My favorite finds are the 1950, 1951, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1965 and 1966 cents; the 1956, 1965 and 1968 nickels; the 1960, 1966 and 1968 dimes; 1951, 1953, 1960, 1965, 1966 and 1968 quarters; and the 1951, 1953, 1954 DCAM, 1958, 1960DCAM, 1963DCAM, 1964 DCAM, 1965 and 1967 DCAM halves.

melikecoins

I have found this one





Glen