Good historical write up on rise and fall of the Franklin Mint

bidask

https://coinweek.com/education/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-franklin-mint/

pmac

I have many of my mother's FM medals, waiting for their dreamed of rise in value. They sponsored trips and cruises that she went on. Somehow she also got on one of their executive's Christmas mailing list. I have around ten of their Christmas card medals. I suppose I inherited her collecting genes but hopefully they are focused on the real "stuff".

pruebas

One probably had to BUY those Christmas medals. I remember that was the case for Pobjoy, a similar outfit.

Kkathyl

interesting read. Many still carry the same thoughts about Moderns of today.

Insider2

the Franklin Mint cemented relations with the numismatic community by hiring a number of numismatic luminaries for its growing staff.

Charles Hoskins, the Director of INSAB (first TPGS) and the former Director of ANACS while it was in DC, was one of these numismatists.

bidask

@Kkathyl said:
interesting read. Many still carry the same thoughts about Moderns of today.

I'm warming up to buying selected legal tender coins of the world that were struck at the Franklin mint even if they were non-circulating .

Insider2

There are a lot of attractive, very low mintage gold coins around that they struck. One day, who knows what they may be worth as numismatic items rather than traded as bullion at melt +.

Kkathyl

@bidask I have a James Garfield Limited Edition Sterling Silver Proof Metal it is pretty cool looking. it is from a 1967 production.

Elmhurst

I remember in the early 80's, only the 70 and 71 Christmas ingots had any collector value, everything else was bullion. 60 Minutes did a show on this.

bidask

@Kkathyl said:
@bidask I have a James Garfield Limited Edition Sterling Silver Proof Metal it is pretty cool looking. it is from a 1967 production.

I'm sure it is cool looking but I have no interest in it thank you .

jgenn

Ok interesting article but it failed to mention the sale of El Cazador shipwreck artifacts.

JBK

@Insider2 said:
the Franklin Mint cemented relations with the numismatic community by hiring a number of numismatic luminaries for its growing staff.

Charles Hoskins, the Director of INSAB (first TPGS) and the former Director of ANACS while it was in DC, was one of these numismatists.

And U.S. Mint engravers/sculptors as well (or at least one, anyway). Gilroy Roberts was brought on as a FM employee. Many, many years ago I got an autographed photo from him when he worked at the FM.

291fifth

I wonder how many complete Franklin Mint silver medal sets still exist? Almost 40 years of melting (starting with the 1979 silver price run-up) has probably taken a fearsome toll!

7Jaguars

Dan Everhart, just retired from the US Mint was another engraver.

Actually some of the gold has done VERY well. The 1982 Panama Unc. 100B (mintage 26) sold for 3600 USD with lots of bidders & the Belize 1982 and 1983 100D go for about 1k when sold - if you can find one. I just posted what a Papua Proof set with no COA or box sold for a couple of days ago with MULTIPLE bidders - $1025+!
I am glad I got some of these a while back when much cheaper.

The early to mid and even late 70s issues remain at basically bullion except for a couple of the scarcer varieties of matte unc. from 1975-77.

bidask

@7Jaguars said:
Dan Everhart, just retired from the US Mint was another engraver.

Actually some of the gold has done VERY well. The 1982 Panama Unc. 100B (mintage 26) sold for 3600 USD with lots of bidders & the Belize 1982 and 1983 100D go for about 1k when sold - if you can find one. I just posted what a Papua Proof set with no COA or box sold for a couple of days ago with MULTIPLE bidders - $1025+!
I am glad I got some of these a while back when much cheaper.

The early to mid and even late 70s issues remain at basically bullion except for a couple of the scarcer varieties of matte unc. from 1975-77.

So it's the mintage that make these Franklin coins scarce or not?

I have a 1985 Balboa .

What is that one worth ?

7Jaguars

Well IMO it is supply-demand curves in action. So a more popular country will have more demand.

You have a 1985FM Proof balboa?
Those were issued only in sets with examples available from broken up proof sets. I am unaware of uncirculated 1985 Specimen Coins.

bidask

@7Jaguars said:
Well IMO it is supply-demand curves in action. So a more popular country will have more demand.

You have a 1985FM Proof balboa?
Those were issued only in sets with examples available from broken up proof sets. I am unaware of uncirculated 1985 Specimen Coins.

It's a 20 balboa

pruebas

Everything old is new again. The FM issues are gaining legitimacy and value.

I seem to recall the Richard Stuart FM issues didn’t do too badly. The mid-70s stuff is less valuable than the mid-80s stuff (perhaps due to the 79-80 melt).

All of it sells well for me though!

7Jaguars

The 20B has some demand, people like those designs and seem to support the price.
Yes, a couple of his big gold pieces went for 7k or more. The one that stuck in my head was the specimen unc. 1982 100B (mintage 26) for 3600!

WildIdea

I read the article but didn’t pick up where the dies are now. Anybody know?