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the nation. Subsequent population reports emanating from PCGS will reveal how very scarce the majority of proof issues are in cameo. With the release of the cameo proof book, and with PCGS'' and NGC''s leap into this market, cameo dealers and collectors will now have accurate, hard coinvalue data with the release of these services'' grading reports to back up what we long-time cameo dealers and collectors have known for years - that exceptional cameo examples of many dates are extremely rare, and are truly among the best values in U.S. numismatics today. Most collectors and dealers are very familiar with BU Franklins. The majority of uncirculated BU Franklin half dollars on the market are extremely baggy, and/or possess very heavy, unattractive brown or gray toning. These are ugly coins. The Franklin design is a work of art in its simplicity. The bust of Franklin on the obverse, and the famous Liberty bell on the reverse, are beautiful when their surfaces are clear and unblemished! In addition, many Franklins were issued by the mint in cardboard mint sets. The sulfur from these paper products often created some of the most beautifully toned coins in all of U.S. coinage! While rare, gem Franklin halves successive coin struck from one of these dies would exhibit somewhat less cameo contrast than the coin before. Eventually, the intense pressure of die on planchet would wear the devices to the same smooth, brilliant appearance as the surrounding fields of the coin. These subsequent coins, brilliant proofs, have no discernible contrast between the devices and fields. They are also far more common than the earlier coinvalue cameo strikes. In recognition of the collector demand for these cameos, the mint began experimenting with sandblasting techniques in the early-mid 1970''s which helped create a much more intense cameo effect. They also began chromeplating the dies to give them added durability. As a result of these new techniques, proof dies today can strike many hundreds of exceptional "black & white" cameos before they begin to wear. What is somewhat astonishing, however, is that if one is patient, and fortunate, one can occasionally find cameos minted from the earlier 1950 to 1970 era that possess the intense cameo contrast, quality, and eye-appeal of these later proofs! These very early strikes, coinvalue depending on the year, are obviously quite rare. When one also considers the inferior nature of the proof involved "acid-dipping" the dies before they were polished. The solution used during the 1950 to 1970 period, a bath consisting of 5% nitric acid/95% water, was used to create an acid-etched appearance on the die. When the die was subsequently polished and buffed, the recessed portions of the die, the devices, retained their acid-etched cameo. The very first strikes off one of these new dies would possess a gorgeous, intense cameo effect very similar in quality to the proofs minted today. The raised portions of these early strikes, the devices (on the Franklin half, these coinvalue would be the bust of Franklin, the lettering, and date on the obverse, and the Liberty bell, eagle, and lettering on the reverse) would display a snow-white cameo effect that would stand in stark contrast to the deep-mirrored fields surrounding them. The flawless, jewel-like quality of the best of these cameos almost look like works of art rather than mere coins! Indeed, to most collectors, these coins are works of art! The frosted devices of these early cameo dies were quite delicate - one could easily scratch a bit of frost from the die with one''s fingernail, and were the first part of the die to wear. Each
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