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Does anybody remember or have a.........................

MWallaceMWallace Posts: 4,216 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited March 29, 2022 4:55AM in U.S. Coin Forum

1993-W James Madison Commemorative Half Dollar with the ANA edge lettering? I haven't seen one in 25 years and had forgotten about them.

Comments

  • RichieURichRichieURich Posts: 8,513 ✭✭✭✭✭

    You're talking about the "Freedom Pack" I think they called it. I have one somewhere around here, will post a pic if I can locate it.

    An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.

  • 1630Boston1630Boston Posts: 13,981 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I do not have one but have some info from CoinWorld, By Paul Gilkes

    1993 Freedom Pack special collector set

    The U.S. Mint collaborated with the ANA in 1993 to produce a limited number of Bill of Rights half dollars in a Freedom Pack. They were actually serialized on each coin with a mintage of 9,656 coins. I have five of these sequentially numbered. Mention has all but disappeared about this low number.

    The ANA purchased at a bulk discount Uncirculated 1993-W James Madison/Bill of Rights silver half dollars.

    The ANA contracted with the private minting firm of SilverTowne in Winchester, Ind., to remove a portion of the reeding on the edge of each half dollar and to impress, incused, the ANA’s “Lamp of Learning” logo, the organization’s acronym (ANA), a sequential serial number, the Madison foundation’s acronym (JMMFF) and an outlined portrait of James Madison.

    All of the coins altered have a five-digit serial number on the edge. The first coin was numbered No. 00001. The 9,656 Freedom Packs were sold between July 28, 1993, and Oct. 15, 1993, for $19.95 each.

    Individual silver half dollars were sold by the Mint for an introductory price of $9.50 and for a regular price of $11.50.

    Coins sold in the Freedom Pack represent nearly 5 percent of the total 193,346 Uncirculated 1993-W Bill of Rights silver half dollars recorded sold by the U.S. Mint.

    The set was intended as an educational tool to provide information about coin collecting, the ANA and the James Madison foundation. The foundation received a $3 surcharge for each Freedom Pack sold.

    The set is not heavily traded in the marketplace today. Five numismatic dealers who handle U.S. Mint products on a regular basis said they have not handled any of the Freedom Packs in recent years

    Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb

    Bad transactions with : nobody to date

  • RichieURichRichieURich Posts: 8,513 ✭✭✭✭✭

    So if there were only 9,656 of the Freedom Pack made, it sounds like a scarce to rare item.

    An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.

  • 291fifth291fifth Posts: 24,453 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @TomB said:

    @RichieURich said:
    So if there were only 9,656 of the Freedom Pack made, it sounds like a scarce to rare item.

    Now you just need more than a half-dozen or so folks to care about them!

    I wouldn't be surprised to hear that there are thousands of unsold Freedom Pack sets sitting in storage somewhere.

    All glory is fleeting.
  • Batman23Batman23 Posts: 4,999 ✭✭✭✭✭

    PMD

  • MWallaceMWallace Posts: 4,216 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Batman23 said:
    PMD

    Yes. I remember there was some controversy at the time that the ANA would alter a coin.

  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 9,105 ✭✭✭✭✭

    So it's just a business strike that's been defaced to create a "special" retail piece?

    BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW

  • MWallaceMWallace Posts: 4,216 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Namvet69 said:
    So it's just a business strike that's been defaced to create a "special" retail piece?

    Correct.

  • 1Bufffan1Bufffan Posts: 655 ✭✭✭✭

    Found five on the Bay from 68.00 to 99.00 what a spread, and like you said create a special retail price that you will not be able to get squat for if you try to sell.

  • JBKJBK Posts: 15,868 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Namvet69 said:
    So it's just a business strike that's been defaced to create a "special" retail piece?

    Is that necessarily a bad thing? Don't tell DCarr. :D

  • JBKJBK Posts: 15,868 ✭✭✭✭✭

    As I recall, many decades ago a dealer added reeding to some buffalo nickels to sell at a big show (maybe ANA?). I believe they are quite collectable now.

    Are the edged-lettered halfs mentioned in this thread more or less valuable than unaltered ones?

  • TomBTomB Posts: 21,601 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @JBK said:
    As I recall, many decades ago a dealer added reeding to some buffalo nickels to sell at a big show (maybe ANA?). I believe they are quite collectable now.

    Are the edged-lettered halfs mentioned in this thread more or less valuable than unaltered ones?

    Ira Reed has these produced and sold them at the 1941 ANA Convention in Philadelphia. The cent and nickel sets do sell for quite a bit.

    Thomas Bush Numismatics & Numismatic Photography

    In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson

    image
  • BuffaloIronTailBuffaloIronTail Posts: 7,493 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yep. Ira Reed produced them as a play on his "Reed" last name.

    How do you like that kind of advertising?

    Cool.

    Pete

    "I tell them there's no problems.....only solutions" - John Lennon
  • braddickbraddick Posts: 24,216 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Is there still a market for the Kennedy-facing Lincoln stamped penny?

    peacockcoins

  • RichieURichRichieURich Posts: 8,513 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @TomB said:

    @RichieURich said:
    So if there were only 9,656 of the Freedom Pack made, it sounds like a scarce to rare item.

    Now you just need more than a half-dozen or so folks to care about them!

    Ain't that the truth!!!

    An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.

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