Frosty SMS half dollars.
SanctionII
Posts: 12,122 ✭✭✭✭✭
1965 SP66CAM
1966 SP66CAM
1967 SP67CAM
These three half dollars were graded in 2021. All three coins have exceptional contrast between the frosted devices and mirrored fields.
Last November the following 1966 SP67CAM half dollar was graded.
Though it is a numerical upgrade to the 1966 SP66CAM half dollar shown above, I like the eye appeal of the SP66CAM half better.
8
Comments
Very nice! In your opinion, what is rarer: Cameo SMS or Cameo proofs from the same era, say, 1960 to 1964?
Nice!
Mark.
Good question.
Proof coins for 1960-1964 are easier to find in Cameo than proof coinage for 1950-1959, primarily due to: 1. the increases in the number of proof sets made (for 1950-1959 only 1957 and 1959 have mintages of over 1,000,000 sets; while mintages for 1960-1964 range from over 1,000,000 to almost 4,000,000); and 2. an increase in the skills/knowledge/abilities of the mint employees who produced proof coins over those same things during the 1950-1959 era. Even today, if one looks at large amounts of raw 1960-1964 proof sets and singles you can still find an occasional Cameo coin. I have found and made some very nice Cameos from cents to halves dated 1960-1964 grading from PF65 to PF69.
SMS coins made in the 1965-1967 era are very, very, very hard to find. This is due to various factors (which are described in Rick Tomaska's 1991 book on 1950-1970 Proof and SMS coinage), including lower quality in planchet preparation, lower quality in die preparation and maintenance, striking coins only once instead of twice and the softer 90% silver metal content being replaced with the harder clad metal (completely in the dimes and quarters; and partially in the 40% silver halves).
My experience in looking for Cameo SMS coins is that the easiest to find are the nickels and the halves (I have found and made Cameos of these nickels and halves dated 1965, 1966 and 1967) though they still are much harder to find than the 1960-1964 proofs; followed by the dimes and quarters (I have found and made two Cameo SMS dimes and one Cameo SMS quarter); followed by the cents (I have never made a Cameo SMS cent).
As far as DCAM coins for these same areas go, they are even harder to find, especially the SMS coins.
Those are some really nice Kennedy's. I have a 1967 SMS Cameo set, not quite competitive.
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I really like the first 1966 Half Dollar.
Those are super nice! Thanks for sharing..
K
That is a very nice group of cameo Kennedy half dollars. I am working on the 1965 - 1967 SMS Registry set and trying to complete it in cameo examples. Currently sitting at #76 on the depth chart and needing some help to finish it off. I love the SMS group of coins and congrats on yours.
etexmike