CAM and DCAM experts... Here's a question for ya's

AKFlyer

So, what makes a proof become cameo? (moderns, I get. Asking about the pre-1980's proofs)

Seems to my uneducated logic that the entire surface would be FROSTed, not just the devices. I sure do like seeing the CAMs. Would love to get one someday...

I look forward to the explanation.

ModCrewman

What makes a cameo is the contrast between the white frosted devices, and the black fields. The descriptor is (I presume) based upon the classic jewelry design of a white portrait against a black background, such as this:


This is a PCGS PR68 DCAM (top pop):


This is a PCGS PR66 CAM:


The distinction between cameo and deep cameo is generally the depth of the fields, you'll note the blackness of the fields on the DCAM I've shown compared to the less black fields on the cameo Franklin which show flow lines that inhibit the reflectivity of the fields. The Franklin has heavy frost which amplifies the contrast between the fields and devices, with lighter frost on the devices, the coin would likely not have made the cameo designation.

I love the CAM and DCAM coins, and is nearly exclusively the area in which I collect. I hope this is helpful to you.

Cameonut

In addition to what ModCrewman mentioned, the dies used to strike proof coins were prepared differently from business strikes. The process has changed over the years so that now every proof coin is a cameo.

But back in the 1950-70 era, the dies were pickled in acid prior to use. This produced frosty surfaces over the entire die. The fields (being flat) were then polished to a mirror finish. This yielded dies with frosty devices and mirror fields which were imparted to the coins that were struck. Unfortunately, the frost wore off the dies after a certain number of strikes and the proof became brilliant thru the rest of the run. Dies were routinely reprocessed and repolished so you can see evidence of that on some coins. Sometime in the '70s, the mint started chrome plating the dies which significantly extended their life and coins became 100% cameo.

The net effect is that cameos tend to be the first strikes off a die set and exhibit the contrast that us collectors covet.

If you want to learn more about this, Rick Tomasaka wrote a book called "Cameo and Brilliant Proof Coinage of the 1950 to 1970 Era". This book is full of explanations and photos that help explain the process.

Here is link to Amazon, but you can likely find them much cheaper. Link to book

Casman

I'd recommend amazon or occasionally you can find a better price on Ebay.

Be careful if you run a search for this title, one "particular" dealer offers them for sale, and you can buy them, but he doesn't have them, and apparently he's too busy to update his inventory.

derryb

In most cases the fields won't be black, but they do appear to be so when photographed, primarily a result of being highly mirrored. As MC pointed out it's the contrast between the two.

joeykoins

<< <i>What makes a cameo is the contrast between the white frosted devices, and the black fields. The descriptor is (I presume) based upon the classic jewelry design of a white portrait against a black background, such as this:


This is a PCGS PR68 DCAM (top pop):


This is a PCGS PR66 CAM:


The distinction between cameo and deep cameo is generally the depth of the fields, you'll note the blackness of the fields on the DCAM I've shown compared to the less black fields on the cameo Franklin which show flow lines that inhibit the reflectivity of the fields. The Franklin has heavy frost which amplifies the contrast between the fields and devices, with lighter frost on the devices, the coin would likely not have made the cameo designation.

I love the CAM and DCAM coins, and is nearly exclusively the area in which I collect. I hope this is helpful to you. >>

Very clear explanation! The OP doesn't need to read on after your example. Very good. Is that portrait of Ike with a beard? LOL

ricko

ModCrewman nailed it....very nice examples....Cheers, RickO

TopographicOceans

It's the frost.

If you took 50 PR69's and one PR70 and cracked them out you might not be able to find the 70 again.

But for the most part it is the amount of frost that makes a coin a 70.

ModCrewman

<< <i>It's the frost.

If you took 50 PR69's and one PR70 and cracked them out you might not be able to find the 70 again.

But for the most part it is the amount of frost that makes a coin a 70. >>

Frost has NOTHING to do with the grade of a coin. You know that right? A coin can be caked with frost or not, and still not receive a 70...in fact it could receive a 61. Hairlines and other condition of the coin post mintage are what will determine the grade. But the OP isn't asking about grade, so we're drifting off-topic.