EgCollector I will try to explain the situation to you. There is a huge difference between proof and business strike coins. PROOF coins are as perfect in every way with all letters evenly spaced and proportionately shaped. It seems, if I remember correctly, the U.S. Mint accidently used PROOF reverse dies, that should have gone to San Francisco mint facilities, in Philadelphia Mint circulating cent production. Wide AM reverses from proof dies have been found on circulating cents in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. Proof coins also have been found with the closed AM (circulating business strike dies) in 1998 and 1999. So to some collectors these coins are errors with a premium added to their value. Some, especially the 98 and 99, are far more scarce so the value has increased tremendously for a modern day small cent.
Some of the areas most noticeable would be the AM but also the shape of the S in States as they are, on a proof coin, very well designed and equal at top and bottm. Also the designers initials at the right of the Lincoln Memorial are full letters, well defined, while the business strike coins have a less than perfect G in the designer initials.
Hope this helps you understand the difference? I will have to do a little digging as I know I have the 1998 and the 2000 cents with wide AM around here some where as I found quite a few in 2000.
