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quality U.S. proofs and mint state Franklins in our inventory. The best thing about the exceptional proofs and mint state Franklins we offer, is that we can sell them by simply telling the truth about their quality and rarity. We don''t need to give you a sales pitch. And we won''t. In numismatics, as in real estate, jewelry, or any other form of collectible, pokemon gold and silver trading cards "quality" is a primary consideration in one''s buying decision. doing one''s best, being the best, owning the best.....is a basic human desire. certainly, without that instinct or drive, the human race would not have progressed as it has over the past 10,000 years. and so it is the desire of most every collector to own the highest quality issue available of whatever it is they are collecting. unfortunately, in most fields of collector interest, the very finest quality specimens are priced beyond the pocketbook of the average collector at today''s levels. there is only so much "beach-front" property available in real estate, and there are only so many coins in numismatics that offer the collector the opportunity of owning the best. however, while the most desirable beach-front property in the u.s. is beyond the pocketbook of the average toned in iridescent shades of purple, plum, burgundy, green, orange, gold.....virtually every color of and the rainbow, can sometimes be found on a single coin! the design of the franklin half, with the broad expanse of franklin''s bust on the silver obverse, and the liberty bell on the reverse, is an easy target for bagmarks or abrasion. a pristine franklin half, with a smooth, unblemished cheek of franklin on the obverse, and equally pristine liberty bell on the reverse, is a truly beautiful coin. on the other hand, the simplicity of these surfaces also serves to magnify, or hilight, the smallest bagmark! the cheek of franklin & the liberty bell make easy targets. the quality of the typical uncirculated franklin roll is quite low, with all 20 coins usually grading between ms 60 and ms 63. by comparison, if one had the good fortune to acquire an original roll of uncirculated walking liberty half dollars (the series immediately preceding the franklins, minted from 1916-1947) the general quality of the coins would likely be quite high, with most coins grading ms 64 - ms 65. what about any hordes of gem bu franklins that have yet to surface? original unsearched bags of bu franklins? the last bag think of! gold and silver let''s take a brief look at these five areas, and how cameo''s rate in relation to other u.s. coinage. there are few coins in numismatics as attractive as a cameo proof. while some may disagree with this statement, there is no disputing the opinions of literally thousands of collectors and dealers already familiar with this coinage. proof coins and themselves are minted specifically for collectors. as such, they have always represented the state-of-the-art in minting techniques. the mint has always gone to considerable trouble to produce these coins. proof dies are highly polished and buffed until the surfaces silver possess a mirror-like gold and and perfection. silver planchets go through extra steps in their preparation, until they too possess a brighter, satiny appearance. traditionally, proof planchets have been hand-fed into the die, and have always been double struck, under higher pressures than business strikes, to bring out every possible detail. once struck, the coins are handled individually so as not to abrade with other coins, as business strikes normally would. cameo proofs were the very earliest strikes off new proof dies. during certain periods in the history of the mint, part of the die preparation process
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