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1956 Proof Type 1 Half - Coin received, new photos attached
SanctionII
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It is a new EBay purchase.
3
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Very nice! Needs new images, but I’d say it looks like a solid CAM to me!
Coin Photography
I agree.
The stronger reverse slightly carries the weaker obverse.
CAMEO would be a fair assessment.
There’s an old adage that the reverse won’t necessarily take the grade up but it might take it down. With that in mind and judging what looks like weak overall frost on the obverse coupled with some clear hairlines I would say PR66 no-Cam.
My searching has shown that there are many one sided Cam/Deep Cam coins from the 1950’s, the Mint had a bad habit of switching only one die.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin
it looks very nice in your pics
As we know, accurately grading a proof coin from a photo (numerical grade and designation, if any) consistently is impossible.
For this coin the obverse photo does not show the coin as it looks in hand. It shows frosted devices, but it could be less or more than it appears. There are hints the obverse frost is similar to the reverse frost.
I will post photos of the coin when I receive it.
Kevin, your above post is rather confusing. You state that the photo “does not show the coin as it looks in hand” while also saying “I will post photos of the coin when I receive it” so have you seen the coin or not?? I am thinking not which is OK.
Logic tells me that the seller posted pictures to show the coin at its best so it won’t look better when it arrives, although I hope it does.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin
Maywood.
I took a gamble and bought the proof set containing the half dollar based upon the photos only.
I may win or I may lose. I decided to give it a shot. I bought a similar 1956 proof set with a frosted Type 1 half. I submitted it for grading and our host graded it PF66CAM. Maybe I will get lucky on this one also.
It looks very nice. Would wager cameo.
Yowza. Even if it doesn't make cameo, the premium for the variety alone justifies the grading fees. I've done very well cherrypicking/certifying these over the years.
I used to search eBay for encapsulated 1956 Franklins with the hope of finding a T1 listed as a T2. Never found a Cam/DCam but several brilliant coins. That window has pretty much closed now.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin
I like that one a lot! Are the lines on the obverse as-struck or are they minor hairlines?
Collector, occasional seller
Looks pretty nice to me.
I hope you have good luck with it.
How can you tell a type 1 from a type 2?
Student of numismatics and collector of Morgan dollars
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Looks like a solid shot at cameo to me. Boy, those Type 1s are tough in cam.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
Here are additional Seller's photos of the obverse of the half dollar that show the obverse frost a little differently from the photo in my opening post. I think that the obverse frost is heavy enough to warrant a Cameo designation.
I love a type 1! I’ll be surprised if you get a cameo designation out of it, but I hope you do. You’ve got a lot more experience with the CAMs than me. It just seems like a little lack of cameo on the cheek indention is enough to keep it out. I hope it’s great in hand.
Was/is the seller a a knowledgeable coin pro, or likely just a random heir?
The proof set is being delivered to me today (so I have been told).
Looking forward to seeing the half dollar in hand
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This one suggests to me you won't get the CAM, but still very nice
Your thoughts.
Definitely a non-Cameo to me. The above pictures look like “lamp shade” pictures with diffused light which always gives an enhanced look of the coin. I’ll stick with my initial PR66.
1956 Type1’s in Cam/DCam are very scarce and I admire you for continuing the hunt, I gave up long ago.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin
Maywood.
The coin does have obverse frost that is not as heavy as the reverse frost. I think it will not receive a Cameo designation. However in 2024 I submitted a similar Type 1 half that I thought would not Cameo, To my surprise PCGS graded it PF66CAM.
This newly acquired coin is gorgeous
The coin looks gorgeous, nice pickup.
Obverse looks just ever so slightly short of a CAM.
Here is the PF66CAM I made in 2024. It looks similar to the half I received today.
The new coin does have a nice look. My question is this: Do you think PCGS grades the Type One coins differently??
Another observation is that all the images which show these coins to have wonderful contrast appear to have been shot with low light which will accentuate the contrast. JMHO.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin
Maywood.
I have seen three Type 1 halves in hand that have frosted devices on both sides. Two have been graded by our host. One is the PF66CAM I made that now sits in my Registry Set of proof Franklin halves with major varieties. The other is a PF68CAM CAC previously owned by Winesteven. The third coin is the raw coin I received yesterday. All three coins have heavy reverse frost and obverse frost that is moderate at best.
I will send my new raw Type 1 in for grading. It may or may not CAM.
I think that if the three halves mentioned above were Type 2 none of them would have received a CAM (my opinion is based on my grading results on multiple Type 2 halves that I have submitted that have heavy frost on both sides and mirrored fields that did not receive a CAM designation).
I have also found quite a few reverse frosted Type 1's where the obverse ranges from brilliant to very light frost.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin
I have a Type 1 half that has a heavily frosted reverse and a brilliant obverse.
Kevin, please keep us posted on a submission, results and TV's.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety," --- Benjamin Franklin
Maywood.
Will do.
I am going to submit this Type 1 half dollar to our host for grading later this month along with some other coins I recently acquired, including some or all of a 1942 proof set (especially the half), a toned 1952 proof dime and a 1952 proof Superbird quarter.