Question Regarding Kennedy Half "SMS"

SarasotaFrank

As I round out or upgrade various collections, I have been using the Intersept Shield Albums, transferring coins from Whitman or Dansco Albums and 2 x 2's to these finished books.

I purchased the Intersept Shield Kennedy Album yesterday, and am, of course P.O.'d that the current Album stops at 2001. They're gonna get me for a new one, or a second edition in a few years.

My question is - on the first pages there are three coins I do not recognize. These being a 1965 SMS, 1966 SMS and 1967 SMS. Color me not smart, but I have never seen this designation, nor can I find any reference to it anywhere. It has always been my belief there was only one coin issued in Kennedy in these years.

Any help would be appreciated!

thanks

LanLord

In those three years there were no proof or mint sets and all coins had no mintmark, regardless of which mint produced the coins. In SF, they produced some Special Mint Sets for collectors and they are referred to as SMS. They are a hybird of mint and proof. Sets can be found with really nice example and some really ugly ones.

Neptune

Funny thing, I visited Russ's website yesterday, and asked him that exact same question yesterday. I am happy to be able to provide you the answer that he gave me, altho I can't take credit for knowing myself until yesterday - thank Russ when you see him ...........here is what he told me:

SMS is "Special Mint Set". The mint didn't produce proof sets in the
years 1965-1967. Instead, they produced SMS sets. Kind of a tweener coin;
not a proof and not a business strike.

SarasotaFrank

thanks!

another mystery solved!

richbeat

It's a miracle that the mint produced sets of any kind those three years. That was when they were very anti-collector, blaming them for the coin shortage.

nwcs

Yeah, and the mint was full of it!

a2labmom

Of course they had to pick my birth year as one of the years they did not produce Proof sets!

cladking

The poor SMS's have always had a tough row to hoe. For some reason the
proof collectors tend to think of them as mint sets and ignore them. The mint
set collectors tend to think of them as proof sets and ignore them. While in
actuality they are both right. They are for most practical purposes proof sets
since they are specially made and look proof, but they are struck only once so
are technically uncs. The quality of these coins cover a very broad range from
poorly struck on normal planchets to fully proof-like. There are even a few which
are probably proofs. Many of these were heavily polished blanks struck by pol-
ished circulation dies. If you don't like the look of an SMS just look at some more,
they come to suit most any eye.