Home World & Ancient Coins Forum

Franklin Mint Coins Rising Again - Kicking Tail and Taking Names!

I was watching the 'bay and saw quite a fight last night over a couple of Franklin Mint items, one a set and the other a single coin.
The unloved Philippine 1979 proof set went for $197 but the star was the 1984 New Guinea 10 Kina proof selling at 700.02 dollars with underbidder at 700.00.

IMO that is rather impressive and not explained away by saying it is a Papal coin - the Trinidad coins and some of the Barbados and Belize have gone quite high as well, with those of the 1984 year being especially popular (when they show up).
Love that Milled British (1830-1960)
Well, just Love coins, period.

Comments

  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,719 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I found a regular (copper-nickel) for circulation 1975 Panama 5 Balboa recently- looks as if 5,000 or so were struck. The later issues through 1979 are much tougher but even still, I wonder how many of these still exist.

    I think this is sort of a fun collecting sideline... world modern

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • 7Jaguars7Jaguars Posts: 7,226 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yes, CK, mine as well. Late English milled silver and copper I've pretty much run into the ground with a few crazy rarities excepted and so I like following these.

    I recently got an unheard of and unpublished (apparently) 1983 Panama proof 25 centimos on the eBay for about $60. It has the "Ley 0.500" inscription on the reverse - so not a cobbled together bit and had it graded ATS. Really fun and rare stuff that seemingly people are starting to catch on to. There were evidently some Russian buyers of the rarer uncirculated gold FM coins of Belize and the like that pulled up the price of many of the issues.

    A really interesting story is that the FM used to strike and turn over to the Central Banks uncirculated coins, especially in the era 1974-77 and that some of the smaller bits DID get into circulation. One example of a higher denomination where this sort of occurred is with the Jamaica matte uncirculated 1976 100 dollars coin: this evidently was sent out to the order of one per bank branch IN JAMAICA. So these got widely distributed and have seen one for sale on Heritage by recollection and then I got one that was well cared for and came back PCGS MS69; think mine was gotten for about gold value by recollection. I wonder if any of these were spent like the $4 Stellas of the USA in 1879-80??? LOL!
    Love that Milled British (1830-1960)
    Well, just Love coins, period.
  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,719 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I came across the Panama proof sets through 1982 and the Bahamas through 1982...

    Still curious as to the surviving population on these- especially after 1979

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • 7Jaguars7Jaguars Posts: 7,226 ✭✭✭✭✭
    No way of telling, a shame you did not get those up through 1985. Check the "fineness" in silver on reverse of the one and five balboas in the 1982 set - the error set is a bit scarcer when the fineness is .925 rather than the actual .500 - does that make sense?
    Love that Milled British (1830-1960)
    Well, just Love coins, period.
  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,719 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Unfortunately, there were no sets offered after 1982...

    I did check the 1982 5 Balboas and it has the .925 fineness...

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • MrBreezeMrBreeze Posts: 1,035 ✭✭✭
    I recently picked up a few boxes of FM world sets. I am actually amazed by the quality and attractiveness of the issues.
  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 33,811 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I recently picked up a few boxes of FM world sets. I am actually amazed by the quality and attractiveness of the issues. >>



    I'm glad they are starting to get some attention. There are some really nice coins there.
  • 7Jaguars7Jaguars Posts: 7,226 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Interesting that one of the main designer and engraving people is (or was last I checked) was working at the US Mint - obviously without much say-so. I remember at the time of issue that the "hidden" rarities were the special matte specimens not released to the general public in 1975-77 and also the mint sets of several countries that were low in price and very low in mintage. Couldn't afford the silver proof sets and such, and then these subsequently collapsed in price to near bullion.
    In fact these are, even the much scarcer bits, still available at bullion but that seems to be changing. Amazing how 30 year old coins can look so much better than what we have now...

    As an interesting task for anybody that cares to look or who can post a link is to look at the bust rendering of Porras on the 1975 Panama 5 Balboa and then compare it to, say, Teddy Roosevelt on the Presidential golden dollars. Although he was not necessarily handsome, it is the engraving job that was done on a FACING bust WITH GLASSES!
    Love that Milled British (1830-1960)
    Well, just Love coins, period.
Sign In or Register to comment.