Most felt the new matte finish compared unfavorably to the shiny, reflective surfaces present on previous proofs. Collectors were much less impressed with the results.
The US Mint was impressed with these new technologies and issued proof gold coins with the new matte finish in 1908 (roughly coinciding with new Indian Head and Saint-Gaudens designs). Instead, coins had a “granular” finish throughout, the coarseness or fineness of the finish dependent on the size of the sand particles used. The sandblasting eliminated almost all reflectivity. This gave the coins a much more matte finish compared to previous proof coins. One method, popularized by the Paris Mint, involved striking the coins with unpolished dies and sandblasting them after they were struck. With technological improvements in the late 1800s, many European mints began experimenting with different techniques to produce proof coinage. Early proofs were often given as gifts to dignitaries and were not offered for sale to the general public until 1858. Some rare early US Mint samples have proof-like characteristics and are sometimes designated as “specimen strike” and graded as proofs. While proofs were initially struck in England in the late 17th century, they were not officially struck in America until 1817. Usually, dies are specially polished for production of proofs, giving parts of the design (most often the “field,” or flat background) a shiny, mirror-like appearance. The key feature common to all proof coins is that they are struck by the die multiple times, often at a slower striking speed than usual, thus forcing metal into every crevice of the die and giving the coin a much finer detail compared to regular strikes. Historically, proof coins were made at the very start of a production run to check the quality of the dies being used. From a technical perspective, the purpose of a proof coin is to display the original design as faithfully as possible.
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