65, 66 and 67 SMS

zeek

I'm always so confused over them. I try to keep my Kenned Set upgraded to the best I can. I have a 65, 66 and 67 SMS. Are these for mint sets, proof sets or both?

guitarwes

Neither.

They were special sets put out in these years because they didn't make the regular Mint or Proof sets.

zeek

<< <i>Neither.

They were special sets put out in these years because they didn't make the regular Mint or Proof sets. >>



There is a 65, 66 and 67 with no mm and the SMS has no mm, this is part of the confussion.

planetsteve

It seems like it's harder to find good 65, 66, and 67 circulation strikes, and so I finally looked at the Price Guide. Indeed, the higher grades in FB are priced fairly high. (Yes, for some reason I'm thinking about dimes and not Kennedys. Same deal though.)

It's easier to find the SMS coins in dealer books. As noted above, there was no Mint Set in those years for the business strikes, and no Proof Set either. Filling the gap was the SMS set alone. Coins intended for circulation in those years were not mintmarked -- as of course it was us collectors responsible for a nationwide coin shortage -- and I would surmise it wasn't much of a priority to mintmark the perfunctory SMS issues either.




Edit: get on topic with Kennedys and not Rosies

zeek

I'm still confused. Was the SMS stuck in Philly? Why no Proof Sets? Is the SMS the same classification as a high grade business strike?

cladking

The proof production capability was shipped to San Francisco and this
was used to strike the SMS.

Proof sets were discontinued primarily to punish collectors for hoarding
of coin during (or causing) a coin shortage but if memory serves the mint
did say they were using all available resources to strike coins for circula-
tion.

SMS is not always discernable from circulation quality , but it usually treat-
ed as though it is. There can be confusion at the high end of the grade
for several reasons but SMS dies were often retired to strike circulation
issues in San Francisco with no mint mark.

zeek

So whats the deal with the 64 SMS?

Gemineye

1964 SMS...!!!
Extremely limited production ...!!! only a handful were minted.