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quality U.S. proofs and mint state price value of old coin 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 value the truth about their quality and of 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, "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, old 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 coin 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 price specimens value are priced beyond the pocketbook of of the average collector at today''s levels. there is old 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 coin beach-front property in the u.s. is beyond the pocketbook of the average opportunity to own the "ultimate". i recently sold a 1954 ngc cameo pf 66 lincoln cent, ultra-heavily contrasted, to a client for $400. no other series in u.s. numismatics today offer the collector so much quality, eye-appeal, and rarity, for so little money. if there is any doubt as to the rarity of a 1954 price ultra-heavy cameo lincoln cent, go out and try to find another! attend the next local coin show. attend the next ana show, the next fun show (one of the two or three largest shows of the year). good luck! you will find other u.s. coins of far lower quality, with far less appeal, that are far more common, for the same amount of money! you won''t find that 1954 cameo cent!there are many other dates and denominations in the cameo proof series as undervalued as the 1954 cameo lincoln. the series value is loaded with "sleepers". the special mint set coinage of the 1965 to 1967 of period are sleepers, as is the 1950 ultra-heavy old cameo pf 65 franklin (yes, even at $6500 - it is one of the great rarities of twentieth century coinage), 1951 ultra-heavy cameo pf 65 franklin, 1952 ultra-heavy cameo pf 65 franklin the most popular single market in u.s. numismatics today is unquestionably the silver dollar market. yet, 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 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, coin depending on the year, are obviously quite rare. when one also considers the inferior nature of the proof
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