Question about original US Mint packaging for older proof sets

EricSan

Can someone please explain to me the differences in packaging that the US Mint used for the early proof sets?

I have some from the late 1950s that are in a clear, flat celophane wrapper that seem to have been shipped from the mint in a flat envelope. The last of these issues seems to have been 1964, but what year did this packaging begin?

Then there are some from the 1950s that I see for sale in a small square box. The coins inside seem to be individually wrapped (or perhaps the plastic wrapper is folded over on itself...).

Others from the 1940s are housed in flat, rectangular Capital holders with a black plastic background. Still others are in similar flat, rectangular plastic holders with a white background.

Have sets with the soft celophane packaging simply been re-packaged in the hard plastic containers? Is is more desireable to have the original celophane wrapping (obviously, the hard plastic better protects the coins...).

As I begin looking for some of the earlier sets, it would be useful to have a better understanding of what I am looking at. Could someone please explain what packaging was used for the various year ranges?

Thank you!

LanLord

That flat pack started mid year in 1955, you can find both box and flat pack 55s.

EricSan

Thanks for the info on the crossover from boxes to flat packs!

When the did mint begin shipping in the small square boxes?

kranky

You should get this book which covers packaging of every US proof and mint set from 1936 on.

Baley

I'm pretty sure the little square boxes were used beginning in 1950 and continued into 1955. the '55 sets can be found box or flat.

I've always been curious how the 1936-42 sets were shipped..

morgannut2

The 1948 mint sets were sold in dense cardboard multicoin holders (3) that had a thick paper backing and a paper over-fold to hold them in. They were put in a regular envelope and the whole group mailed in a bigger Mint envelope. The paper over the front of the cardboard holders sometimes wasn't close enough to the smaller coins to tone the entire obverse face but the thicker Franklin halves commonly are toned on both sides.

Baley

are we talking mint sets or proof sets? nothing wrong with discussing both, but i think the poster was asking about the proofs

morgannut2

Sorry--You're right. The only proof sets I have from 40's are probably not original packaging--I wonder what the difference was in packaging for PR vs MS in the 1936-1949 period?

19Lyds

From 1936 to 1942, proof coins were "packaged individually in their own cellophane sleeves and then stapled together with any other coins from the same order. They could be ordered individually or as a set and were then wrapped in tissue paper and shipped in a variety of boxes or envelopes." From United States Proof Sets and Mint Sets by Ron Guth and Bill Gale.

Conder101

I have an original 1938 Proof set that I bought from the man that ordered it from the mint. The coins were in the celophane envelopes, stapled together and then mailed in a fabric lined paper envelope (no box) about 3X6 inch. (8 cent stamp for postage.)

The early coins came in individual cellophane envelopes. At some point they began shipping them in the little square boxes. At some point, I think in 1954 they switched from Cellophane envelopes to polyethylene. Then in mid 1955 they swiched from the boxes to the cellophane flat packs. Between 1955 and 1964 the flat packs come in three or four different types of paper envelopes. Then in 1968 they started packaging them in the rigid plastic holders and cardboard boxes. There have been many different types of these as well.

EricSan

Thanks, guys! That is exactly what I was looking for!

Thanks also for the link - I didn't think there was 200 pages worth of material to write about the proof set series...

Russ

<< <i>Thanks also for the link - I didn't think there was 200 pages worth of material to write about the proof set series... >>



In addition to some pretty extensive information about proof and mint sets, it has some non-numismatic historical tidbits included with each year, as well as quite a few images.

Russ, NCNE

EricSan

OK, OK, I'll buy the book... Sounds like a good resource to have! Thanks for all of the input!

Mercury

Ericsan,

The only thing that has not been addressed is the Capital Holders you mentioned. Anything in a Capital holder is something that has been removed from the original mint holder for a variety of reasons.

Mercury

EricSan

Mercury,

I was developing the sense that the coins in the Capital holders had been removed from their US Mint packaging. Is there any reason that proof sets in the Capital holders are less or more desireable? Does this make any significant difference at all? Are coins that are still in the stapled celophane wrappers more valuable or desireable?

The only thing that I can think of is that there is an increased opportunity for mixing/matching coins in the Capital holder, but I don't have any feel that this is better or worse...

Essentially, when looking to purchase a proof set that is pre-1950, should I be looking for any one type of packaging over another? Or is it just sufficient to see that each of the coins are in good shape?

Eric

jdsinva

1954 proof set

coinguy1

<< <i>Essentially, when looking to purchase a proof set that is pre-1950, should I be looking for any one type of packaging over another? Or is it just sufficient to see that each of the coins are in good shape? >>

It is best/essential to focus on the actual COINS. You might find lousy coins in "original" packaging, just as you might find great coins in non-original packaging. All other things being equal, however (which they hardly ever are), I'd much prefer the coins in their original packaging.

One other consideration - the large majority of such sets have already been looked over, picked over, broken up and submitted for grading. The odds of finding truly superb examples not yet in slabs these days, are extremely slim.