MIRROR'S..HOW IS THE CORRECT WAY TO CHECK

brockdabadger

what is the correct way to check for "mirrors" and what do you need, other than the coins?

Scioto

ccr has an idea for a quick check.

mgoodm3

Just eye-balling the coin you can get a decent idea from photos/live by the amount of luster you see. Not a direct relationship , but a decent correlation. Less luster, better mirrors. Darker mirrors, better.

going from OK to strong below.

segoja

If you are referring to PL and DMPL dollars, use thick lettered black type. A newspaper headline can work well. A DMPL should reflect clearly at least 8+ inches.

Hope that helps!

coindeuce

For checking my Morgan dollars, I use the 4"x8" card stock pocket size scale which Leroy Van Allen copyrighted in 1981. It's actually a rather crude scale of perpendicular graduations. The legend for the graduations is as follows: 1"-2" of clearly reflected graduation is semi-prooflike
2"-4" of clearly reflected graduation is prooflike
over 4" of clearly relected graduation is deep mirror prooflike.

Someone cloned and marketed these scales a couple years ago on eBay in violation of Leroy's copyright, but I haven't seen any lately. I found that one of the old fashioned folding carpenters yardsticks works great, especially if you just separate the first six inch section for pocket use. The red numbers and black graduations work great against the white background, even for small diameter coins like dimes.

brockdabadger

<< <i>If you are referring to PL and DMPL dollars, use thick lettered black type. A newspaper headline can work well. A DMPL should reflect clearly at least 8+ inches.

<< <i>


what exactly am i looking for as far as the reflection?

coindeuce

You should be looking for clarity of the reflected characters in the fields regardless of what they are, and the greater the distance that the clearly reflected characters are from the perpendicular plane of the coins surface determines the assigned designation of semi-pl, pl, or dmpl. Any haze in the fields that diminishes clarity of the characters limits the assigned designation.

Coxe

The complication can be the slab plastic. With later date (20th century) Morgans, it can be a maddening task to evaluate mirrors on those silver PLs when they are in slabs.

coindeuce

The old time dealers used a very simple method that I have seen only a few dealers of late employing. By simply holding even a slab in a perpendicular plane at eye level in one hand and then placing the index finger of the opposite hand within the field of view, one can adjust the focal point between coin and finger while "tracing" the fields with the index finger and roughly estimating the distance at which the finger remains clearly reflected on the coin. Very easy to do but less reliable than using well defined print or graduated measuring device.

brockdabadger

thanks for your help every one. sometimes some simple things need clarity to the unclear

brockdabadger

does a PL/DMPL need to be cameo also or can you have it either-or

Coxe

<< <i>does a PL/DMPL need to be cameo also or can you have it either-or >>



Nope. PL/DMPL, as currently standardized, is defined strictly by the mirror depth. A cameo DMPL is the pinnacle of prooflikes. Not all cameos will have the mirrors to make PL or DMPL. However, in the original spirit of it all, it really should have characteristics of a proof of which mirrors are one.

coinkat

mgoodm3:

excellent pictures... very well done. nice coins too.

Myqqy

Those indians are awesome!!