2000 P SACAGAWEA

[Merlin8971]

Hello:

I found this 2000 P Sacagawea "Golden" dollar that appears to be a "Proof-like" strike. Although it does look circulated, it has an awesome mirror finish un it. As you can see in the third photo you can clearly see the camera reflected in the coin.

I know there were 5,000 special "Presentation Finish" coins made for Glenna Goodacre as payment for the obverse design of the Sacagawea. Is this possibly one of those coins?

[wavysteps]

I believe that this coin has been polished outside of the mint. Look for the cartwheel effect.

[Merlin8971]

Really?

I believe that this coin has been polished outside of the mint. Look for the cartwheel effect.

I am curious as to what evidence made you come to this conclusion. The details on this coin are sharp and crisp and all the nooks and cranies are all as highly reflective as the fields (hard to polish the nooks and cranies and NOT loose detail to accomplish complete mirror polishing), all the lettering are sharp on the edges, rounded where they should be rounded and flat where they should be flat, the serifs are complete and sharp.

This coin (in my humble opinion) was NOT polished outside the mint. In order for the coin to have been polished outside the mint, it would LOOSE some of its detail in order to accomplish a mirror finish. I compared this coin with other 2000 coins including the P, D and S Proof and there is NO loss of detail anywhere on the coin.

The only flaws I can see are the contact nicks and scratches from apparently some really light circulation. All of the polished and/or whizzed coins I have seen ALL have significant loss of detail on the coins.

[wavysteps]

Do you see a cartwheel effect? Does it look like a proof coin even though it is a business strike?

With the semi-mirrored fields that you show on this coin, one would expect that the coin was polished to bring it to that type of luster. Not all polishing compounds leave deteriorated surface on design elements.

BJ Neff

[19Lyds]

Do you see a cartwheel effect? Does it look like a proof coin even though it is a business strike?

With the semi-mirrored fields that you show on this coin, one would expect that the coin was polished to bring it to that type of luster. Not all polishing compounds leave deteriorated surface on design elements.

BJ Neff

True but the 5,000 presentation pieces presented to Glenna were "burnished" after the strike and none that I've seen have that cartwheel effect. BTW, this was the primary reason that ICG would not assign "grades" to the coins they graded but instead assigned numbers.

I believe that this is what the OP is alluding too in reference to the finish of the coin.

As for finding one in a roll of coins? That's a 1 in a million shot since these coins have always had some healthy premiums associated with them.

I suppose its possible though but the coin would have to have been cracked out of its ICG slab. From what I understand about the coins, it might be impossible to actually prove.

[Merlin8971]

Yes

Do you see a cartwheel effect? Does it look like a proof coin even though it is a business strike?

With the semi-mirrored fields that you show on this coin, one would expect that the coin was polished to bring it to that type of luster. Not all polishing compounds leave deteriorated surface on design elements.

BJ Neff

Yes the coin does display the cartwheel effect. Holding a 2000 S Proof next to it and rotating both, they cartwheel the same. The only difference I see is some darker golden color (toning) to the subject coin, whereas the S Proof's color is a lighter brighter gold color. The S Proof does look slightly more detailed in the hair of the woman and the child (which I think ...is appropriate in that the proof has more detail than the business strike). The subject coin has no frosted areas at all.

I guess it will go into the "mystery" coin department.