The 1959 proof penny is one of the most elusive post-55 proofs to acquire with full original mint brilliance. Their poorly packaged release has resulted on most examples of this date toning and although toned examples can still be quite desirable, the scarcity of fully brilliant red pieces has resulted in a strong preference from proof coin collectors for this year in its original red state. At small number of 1959 proof sets were sold to an American dealer who repackaged them in an acrylic case, these appear to be the only way this date had a reasonable chance of offering fully red examples.
