Question about mint sets
shirohniichan
Posts: 4,992 ✭✭✭
I've heard that coins for US mint sets are struck on special planchets on special coin presses using higher striking pressure than that used for circulation strikes. Is this true? If so, for how long? I thought mint sets used to be made up of coins pulled from circulation strikes.
I'm putting together a comparison between the marketing practices of the US Mnt and the Royal Canadian Mint. I've found that the RCM doesn't even sell circulation strikes to collectors, only "prooflike" coins (struck on special planchets using specially polished dies and slower machinery for little scuffing, mirror finishes and better overall quality), specimen coins (struck on special planchets on machinery with higher striking pressure), and proofs. I'd like to know if US mint sets are made up of coins more similar to prooflikes or regular circulation strikes.
I'm putting together a comparison between the marketing practices of the US Mnt and the Royal Canadian Mint. I've found that the RCM doesn't even sell circulation strikes to collectors, only "prooflike" coins (struck on special planchets using specially polished dies and slower machinery for little scuffing, mirror finishes and better overall quality), specimen coins (struck on special planchets on machinery with higher striking pressure), and proofs. I'd like to know if US mint sets are made up of coins more similar to prooflikes or regular circulation strikes.
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Comments
Russ, NCNE
I *think* they now use the dies to strike only X-number of coins and those go in the mint sets. The remaining coins struck from that die are for circulation.
take it from one whose putting a mint set run together, some of the coins are atrocious. i always give an extra look at the nickels and half dollars and lately have been paying closer attention to quarters. finding well struck coins with high rims and a minimum of marks can be tough. i hope to close out the last 4 sets this weekend and then focus on upgrading. it can be a good diversion while looking for FS jefferson's!!!
al h.
over the years. All mint set coins since 1964 are struck by new dies. Coins are typically
struck under greater pressure (about 30%). They are handled somewhat more carefully
and are washed and dried after strike. There may occasionally be some care taken in
planchet preparation but this is not normally the case. Some planchets for SMS coins were
polished. There otherwise is great variation.
Most mint set coins are struck on the old vertical single presses.
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as a closely held secret. Visitors who get too close to some of this equipment have
reported getting the "bum's rush" out of the area. I've only ever seen one picture
and it contain almost no information because it was a close-up of a mint set being
assembled. Inquiries to the mint generally are met with the response that these are
standard issue coins employing the same method of manufacter as though produced
for circulation. Apparently, however, their understanding of these terms simply mean
that the coins are uncirculated.
All of the modern mint set coins have been struck by new dies. Quarter dies are re-
tired after about 30,000 strikes and other dies after a similar amount of wear. Gen-
erally dies will be alligned better but this may be largely because dies are more easily
alligned on the types of presses used for mint set coins. Striking pressure appears to
vary more over the years than many of the other techniques, but is probably always
significantly higher than circulation issues. Coins go through a machine which rotates
them in a drum with cornmeal (likely varies) for drying. It's likely that this is where
they get most of their marking.
Sets are packaged by machines and usually are sent out by zip code. In the recent
past with the longer order periods, this is no longer so apparent.
Not all gems come from mint sets and some coins do not exist as gems in mint sets.
Several modern coins have not existed in mint sets at all. Very few varieties exist in
mint sets, those which do tend to be fairly common because of the low number of
dies used for sets. Least common being about .7%. (except for SMS). Errors are rare.
There are some anomalies and packaging errors. There is very little demand for them.
There is a new book out on mint and proof sets, but I've yet to see it.
Not all 80-D halfs have this scrape, but it's well over 99%.
I also wonder why RCM and the US MInt make their production techniques secret. Is there a threat of industrial espionage? Are they really trade secrets?
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It is good for the general collector, not worth it for the purest.
Tade
I can tell you that many mint sets from the 1970s were gross. They looked like something that got dropped on the floor than run over with track shoes. In fact it almost looked like the mint took the WORST coins for the mint sets and sent the good stuff to the Federal Reserve banks from general circulation.
I see original issue prices listed in the Red Book. Is there anywhere I can find issue prices for blue and brown pack Ikes?
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in quality in the earlier dates but this variation is largely confined to a single parameter- - namely
marking. Mint set coins are nearly universally good strikes from new dies. These qualities are
quite uncommon for many of their counterparts made for circulation. Generally about 2% of mint
set coins will be well struck and mark free where some of the coins made for circulation will have
incidences under .001% as gems. It is a virtual certainty that no gems of some coins survive ex-
cept those from mint sets. Rolls of some of these coins are so difficult to find that meaningful
statistical analysis is impossible.
On a lighter note. Be careful what you wish for. Comments of this type could lead to a whole new group of variations or the slabbing of entire mint sets.
<< <i>For some reason I have been under the impression that coins to be included in mint sets were pulled from the early strikes from new dies. I think I got this from the mint's website.
On a lighter note. Be careful what you wish for. Comments of this type could lead to a whole new group of variations or the slabbing of entire mint sets. >>
The mint has made numerous and seemingly contradictory statements about
the production of mint sets. I have seen references to "first strike from new dies",
I believe for the 2000 and 2001 sets. In point of fact mint set dies have been re-
ported to be retired for use as circulation dies. It's difficult to know whether these
dies are physically removed to another press, but this is the implication.
Mint sets containing all gem coins are far more available than would be assumed
from availability of the individual parts. Only a few seem to be non-existent. Some
will be as common as about 1%. I have seen a 68-P set with each coin a strong
Proof Like gem. At a glance it could be mistaken for a proof set. The odds of these
coins appearing in the same set by chance are staggeringly small.
It depends on who you ask but there is some documentation that this has not always been the case in years past and that some Mint Set coins were pulled from those intended for circulation. Other sources do indicate that there has always been a difference between the manufacturing methods for Mint Set coins and those intended for circulation.
I am not aware of any documentation for a definitive year or cutoff date as to when this difference in manufacturing began - but I do have documentation directly from the Mint that it does indeed exist today.
of these coins. Getting information from them is complicated by the fact
that most branches of the mint issue only the statement which implies
that mint set coins are identical to production coins. Their current ads
for the sets come close to what has always been the case.
The best way to truly understand the techniques used to make these
coins is from side by side comparisons. Get representative samples of
of ten mint set coins and ten production coins (same date/mm/denomination).
These should be obtained from different sources because of a stong tend-
ancy for coins from the same die to appear in an original roll AND in the
same package of mint sets. In all probability all ten of the mint set coins
will be struck from new dies and only zero to two of the production run coins
will be. Three or four mint set coins will be from well alligned dies and only
zero to four of the others. Eight or nine of the mint set coins will exhibit
full detail over at least part of the strike (High pressure) and only about half
of the others. Nice clean mark free coins vary widely in mint sets but most
coins do appear mark free. A few like 89-D quarters or 80-D halfs can be
very elusive with no marks and when one is found there is no gaurantee
that it will be a good strike. (There is a small positive correlation though). Some
mint set coins are fairly common with no marks. Production issues also vary
widely in this regard. None are anywhere close to common though. There are
many production issues I've never seen mark free and many I haven't seen
well struck, and there are several I've not seen well struck or mark free. I've
been looking at these coins for more than thirty years but have always concen-
trated on the mint set coins. No doubt if more effort had been spent on rolls
there would have been many more finds from rolls. I've also always concentrated
on quarters and many of these dates are virtually unavailable in rolls anyway!