Calling all experts on Swiss material!

coinpictures

Today's idiotic question: On 20th-century types, what differentiates a business strike from a specimen?

The reason I ask is that I received the 2 Swiss coins I referred to in this thread.

While both are designated "MS66" by NGC, the surfaces of the two coins are completely different. The 2 franc has the normal surfaces I would expect from a business strike, but the 1 franc has a prooflike appearance; extremely "liquid" fields, especially on the obverse.

Cladiator

Does the prooflike coin have die polishing lines in the fields? I know many of the Swiss "specimens" have these, some rather heavily.



Edit to add: I ain't no expert though.

MacCrimmon

If pix are worth a thousand words.......


This 1928 is a Specimen-strike, aka EA, or erstabschlag.




The 1932 is a business strike





and, once again......


EA





Business Strike




It is common for 1920 Swiss silvers to have the semi-PL, liquid fields and NOT be a true specimen-striking.

coinpictures

<< <i>It is common for 1920 Swiss silvers to have the semi-PL, liquid fields and NOT be a true specimen-striking. >>



That's probably it then. I see no die polish lines, yet the surfaces of the two coins are decidedly and distinctly different. Weird.

MacCrimmon

It is also entirely likely that your 1920 was struck from EA dies; i.e., those that were used in their finest state for 50-100+ strikes and retired, only to be used again later in the year when the mint was running low on good quality die sets.

It's a long process, but I'm working on documenting hybrid EA/MS coins.....see ya in 10-15 years.

SYRACUSIAN

Those hybrids will be the death of me... PCGS considered this one a hybrid, but I'm not so sure...