Hey Belay-
Incredible stuff on this 1893-C.C. gold eagle. Your bulldogest efforts to dig deep and bring forth all this information on this subject is a testament to your admiration for C.C. coins. Your articles, as with this one, are treasures and you should be valued as much as the C.C. coins we love so much.
On the proof-like discussions, it is my understanding that proof coins are made from highly polished dies and special planchets. With all 1893-C.C. eagles having been struck with the same reverse die of 1892, that would rule out special dies for proof coins. Proof-like coins, again to my understanding, are usually the first struck coins from brand new dies. Perhaps the existing proof-like '93' eagles are results of being the first strikes on the new obverse die and a reconditioned (as in cleaned up and polished) reverse die of 1892. Perhaps they even polished up the planchets to make them special. Who knows. There may even have been more proof-like 1893-C.C. eagles coins, but share the fate of the 97.7% of the coins that exist no longer.
Again, great stuff and thanks again for all you do.
-R.-
