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think of! 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 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 possess a mirror-like perfection. 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 buyer, there are still opportunities in U.S. numismatics. Certainly one of the brightest stars in the numismatic galaxy is the 1950 to 1970 Cameo Proof and Special Mint Set series. 1950 to 1970 Cameo Proof coinage represents one of the last frontiers in U.S. numismatics, as few series offer the collector so much in terms of beauty, quality, scarcity, and eye-appeal - for so little, as the top quality cameo proof and Special Mint Set coins from this era. It is one of the few series'' left in U.S. numismatics that offers the collector a chance to own scarce U.S. coins that represent the absolute ultimate in quality - often for a very modest price. Most knowledgeable collectors and dealers would agree that there are five primary factors that help determine a coin''s desirability, value, and potential for future price appreciation. Not necessarily in order of importance, they are: 1. Eye-appeal, 2. Quality, 3. Rarity, 4. Price, and 5. Potential for widespread collector appeal. Quite simply, cameo proof coinage of the 1950 to 1970 era currently offer more eye-appeal, quality, rarity, and potential for widespread collector appeal per numismatic dollar than any other U.S. coin series I can packaging used for these earlier coins, it almost seems a miracle that any high quality cameos ushalfdollars from the 1950 to 1970 era exist at all! The finest cameos, being early strikes off proof dies, are quite simply "the ushalfdollars best of the best", for they are not only struck from proof dies, the finest possible dies, but are struck from those dies when they are in their most pristine, unworn state! There could not be a more striking difference between one of these first ushalfdollars cameo strikes, and between a coin struck much later off the die - a brilliant proof. If one did not know better, one would think that the two coins were struck from two completely different dies! In a sense, they were. More correctly, they were both struck from the same die, but one coin was struck before that die had experienced the wearing effect of 100''s of tons of pressure of metal on metal, and one coin was struck after that die had experienced those wearing effects. The opportunity of owning scarce, attractive coins that also are the ultimate in quality for their era has a very special appeal to collectors. It also gives these coins tremendous "upside" potential, ushalfdollars as it very hard to pay too much for coins that offer the collector the
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