SMS Lincoln's- What category are they in?

RegistryNut

I have an inventory sheet for all my Lincoln's. PCGS' price guide lists the SMS 1965,1966, and 1967 in the
regular issue section. Yet in the registry they are in the variety proof collections. Are these 3 coins considered proofs or not? Why does PCGS lack uniformity in their listings? I want my inventory sheet to be
correct. Thanks for any correct responses.

RegistryNut

Cameonut

You raise an interesting point.

I consider the SMS Lincolns from 65-67 as "tweeners" - they are inbetween business strikes and proof strikes.

I don't know why PCGS opted to list the SMS coins with the other business strikes in the price guide - perhaps it is because the process that was used to mint them is more similar to the business strikes than the process for proofs.

I also suspect that the reason why the SMS coins are listed in the proof Registry sets is that there are no proofs for those years and the SMS sets were supposed to be made for collectors in lieu of the proof sets. Also, if the SMS coins were listed in the Registry with the other business strikes, there would then be two listings for those dates.

In my inventory sheet, I list the SMS coins with my proofs and note that they are SMS coins. Business strikes are listed with the other business strikes. I can easily keep that straight. At the end of the day, I don't really care where PCGS lists them in the price guide - I don't let that listing dictate how I keep track of them.

LeeG

Sounds like a great question to ask David himself. I'd like to know also. Please post to him for his "Tuesdays" questions. Thanks, Lee

nwcs

Hmmm, they should probably be in the same category.

Russ

Sometimes, SMS coins are proofs:



Sometimes they aren't:





Russ, NCNE

anoldgoat

I have Dansco albums for cents, nickels and halves. The Kennedy half album has holes for the business and SMS coins. The cent and nickel albums only business. Seems no one is consistant.

cladking

There is a very wide range in quality for the SMS coins. These probably have the
widest quality ranges for US coins or at least the most even distriburtion within
their ranges.

There are two very distinct ranges of quality for the 40% 1976 unc coins. The bulk
were made on high tonnage slow speed presses used for mint set coins and the
rest were run off very quickly on high speed presses.

carl

OK it's dumb question time for me as usual. Some time ago I had to ask what some abbreviation was and several members submitted large list of abbreviations and their meanings. I just went through them and there is no SMS listed. So what is a SMS?
Someone has to write a book on these abbreviations. I find new ones on this forum all the time.

cladking

Special Mint Set.

Proof and mint set production had been suspended in these years.

Steve

I think PCGS has grouped the SMS Lincoln cents as part of the proof registries because there were no proofs made in those years and it is natural to want to fill those years with coins. Technically, they are not proof coins but a better than business strike coin. I have no trouble keeping mine with the proofs and, in fact, I perfer them there. I already have 1965 thru 1967 business strike Lincolns (although those aren't slabbed). I do wish that PCGS would have put the coins in the Series 14PR instead of Series 14 to be consistant for the labels. Steve