From reading the postings in this thread, I know that I may be opening myself to some grief, but I thought I'd post why I release coin proxies, and how I try to make it better than a 'paper copy':
- I do release a number of 'real' coins, but have lost quite a number and can't afford to subsidize some coin thieves' collections.
- When I release a proxy, I make sure that the word 'proxy' is part of the coin title.
- I take a high-quality photo of the coin and try to enhance the tracking number to make it easier for those with less-than-perfect eyesight to read.
- I print each proxy on a high-quality printer and place the printouts inside of Air-Tite capsules (used by coin collectors to store their collectible coins) These holders cost me about a buck each, but that's still less than the cost of a coin.
Several cachers have told me that my proxies are some of the nicest ones they've found, which I appreciate.
Moozer