Question Concerning Mint Sets & Proof Sets

marshallmead

I'm new to the PCGS Set Registry. I started adding my PCGS graded coins to my inventory last night. Aside from my graded coins I have a fairly comprehensive Mint Set & Proof Set (in original govt pkg) collection going. I'm back to the early 50's and up to present with very few gaps in both Mint and Proof. Do people that have PCGS registered Mint Sets and Proof Sets typically remove raw coins from gov. issued sets and send them in for grading for purposes of building a registered set? Or is it more common for people to purchase already slabbed coins and make a set out of them?

NorCalJack

Well for me I buy slabbed coins so I know what grade I am adding to my registry set. I don't have a good enough eye to grade proof coins so it is safer for me to buy graded coins. I specialize in Washington Quarters and I have been purchasing DCAM coins. DCAM and CAM coins are also difficult to grade. What I think is a DCAM, PCGS may not. I do know others that submit raw coins to build registry sets. @SanctionII (Kevin) cherry picks proofs all the time and I know he has built a really nice registry set by submitting raw.

One of the advantages of submitting raw is you do learn a lot. I have sent in a lot of Business Strike coins and I am a much better grader because of it. I had to pay for that education, but I am ahead in the long run because of the knowledge I have gained in submitting coins.

Best of luck and let us know how your submission goes if you are turning in some coins.

Jay

SanctionII

marshallmead.

Welcome to the Forums.

I will echo Jay (NorCalJack).

Looking for raw proof and mint set coins to submit for grading is a time consuming, labor intensive, expensive, uncertain and extremely educational endeavor. However, you will find coins that you purchase for modest prices that upon grading are worth far, far more than your purchase and grading costs.

With respect to proof sets, I have focused on raw sets and singles from 1936-1970, including the 65-67 SMS sets (in OGP and in aftermarket holders). The majority of these coins are very common and not very eye appealing. However you can come across coins which have attributes that make them stand out and be very desirable (including varieties, attractively toned coins and coins which have frosted devices and black, mirrored fields [Cameos]). I have built PCGS Registry Sets (Proof and SMS from 1939-1970) mostly from raw coins (I do have 37 and 38 proof coins I recently acquired at our host for grading). I am now in the upgrade phase and find it exceedingly difficult to upgrade my sets with newly acquired raw coins that I have graded; so I have slowly started upgrading by purchasing slabbed coins.

I am not the only forumite who collects this way. Modcrewman is another and he has been wildly successful in building some top notch sets.

I do not collect post 1970 proof and mint sets, for the most part because they lack silver and are exceedingly common.

If you are interested in collecting in the area of 1950-1970 Proof and SMS sets you should first read up on the subject matter. There are some books that have great information in them about this area.

SanctionII

marshallmead

Thank you both for your input. My situation is somewhat unique I guess......I have boxes and boxes (large boxes!!) of OGP mint sets and proof sets dating back to the 40's all the way through the 90's passed down from 3 generations, along with a massive raw coin collection passed down in addition to the sets. 3 generations of obsessive collectors. When they purchased sets each year they didn't just buy one set, they bought 10 or sometimes more! It was like a ceremony for them, a ritual! I remember it as a child. They had visions of passing them down to multiple children and beyond. But, as you can imagine, the younger generations of the family showed little interest. I didn't have any interest as a child or young adult....but as time went on things changed. As estates were being passed down through the family it was easy for me to say "hey, ill take the coins and less of the other stuff". It worked out and everyone was happy.

My wife and I have made a single OGP mint set / proof set collection dating back to the early 50's (some in the 40's) from the inherited sets. There were basically no gaps up thru the 80's. My wife enjoys internet shopping, she has caught us up thru present. She got burnt a few times.....cheesy aftermarket packaging that wasn't real, but no major losses. We bought a book that shows pictures and that has helped. we want to take the collection back to '47 and '36, and we will eventually (when we can afford it!)

This whole mint set / proof set endeavor is what really got me going in coin collecting. I am just beginning to build a PCGS type coin collection, amongst other graded collections. My family never had any interest in third party grading, they turned their nose up at it, they were just "good ole country folks" ! I don't hold that against them, I'm proud of them, its just not what I enjoy. I enjoy graded coins.

Currently, I find myself purchasing graded coins for my collection at auction sites (mainly Great Collections) that I know I already have at least 10 of in OGP that are sitting in a box. I do this for a couple of reasons I think.....(1) I like to buy coins, its fun! (2) I can look at 50 ea raw mint state Franklin Halves that I own and they all look the same to me.....I cant tell the difference between MS-63 and MS-69.

I just made my first raw coin submission to PCGS at a coin show in Dalton, GA a few weeks ago. I submitted an 1875 20C piece, an 1829 50C, an 1856 half disme, an 1853 10C, a few MS Ike's and a Spanish Milled Fractional Dollar. I have been checking the PCGS website 10 times a day to see if they have graded them yet! I could submit raw coins for the next 5 years of my collecting experience! I just don't know what to submit! I'm definitely in a pickle!

SanctionII

marshallmead

Turn on your PM (private message) and send me a PM. I will respond to same. I would be interested in sharing information with you about US proof and mint sets.

SanctionII

marshallmead

I hate to sound stupid but I may need some on how to do that.......

marshallmead

guidance

SanctionII

marshallmead.

First, click on the "profile" button at the top of the CU Message Board screen.

Then. once your profile is displayed, scroll down until you see the "Allow Private Messages" toggle switches. Hit the "On" option and then click on the "Update Profile" button at the bottom of the profile page.

Finally, to send a PM, click on the little padlock thingy which appears, among other places and along with other icons, in each poster's message box. When you receive a PM the padlock icon at the top of each screen here will show something like "1 new message". Just click on that message and/or the padlock icon to view your messages. You can go to your message area at any time and check out the "view history" of your messages.

winesteven

My understanding is that @SanctionII , who has an excellent trained eye, looks at MANY raw proof and mint sets before buying raw, and is then very selective on which coins to submit for grading. Due to his expertise, he does VERY well.

If you were to just submit your own raw sets for grading, while some will grade nicely, my sense is you’ll be disappointed with the results on more coins than your successes. Listen to @SanctionII in your pm back and forth, but depending on the grades you want, you might end up with greater success by buying coins that have already been graded in the grades you want, AND those coins have the eye appeal that YOU like!

Steve