How were proof coins packaged and shipped in the old days?
BuyLowSellHigh
Posts: 7 ✭
Before plastic lenses, cellophane flat packs, etc. I've always been curious how they were packaged, take a 1900 proof Morgan Dollar for example. How was it packaged and shipped from the mint? How did people order proofs from the mint way back when? Or did you have to buy them in person or what?
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Sean Reynolds
"Keep in mind that most of what passes as numismatic information is no more than tested opinion at best, and marketing blather at worst. However, I try to choose my words carefully, since I know that you guys are always watching." - Joe O'Connor
<< <i>First, welcome to the Forum. I wish I had an answer for you, but I don't. You might want to come back and bump/re-ask this question in a day or two, you inadvertently picked the worst time imaginable to ask a question.
Sean Reynolds >>
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<< <i>Before plastic lenses, cellophane flat packs, etc. I've always been curious how they were packaged, take a 1900 proof Morgan Dollar for example. How was it packaged and shipped from the mint? How did people order proofs from the mint way back when? Or did you have to buy them in person or what? >>
You could buy them by mail. I know that for sure. You could even buy BU coins directly from any Mint, including Philadelphia. I saw a collection that was assembled that way from about 1895 to the late 1930's, and it was obvious that the Mints took pride in workmanship and only sent out the nicest coins to serious collectors.
I have no idea how they were wrapped. I have always assumed they were wrapped in paper, but have no evidence to sustain that assumption.
Welcome aboard!
TD
<< <i>
<< <i>Before plastic lenses, cellophane flat packs, etc. I've always been curious how they were packaged, take a 1900 proof Morgan Dollar for example. How was it packaged and shipped from the mint? How did people order proofs from the mint way back when? Or did you have to buy them in person or what? >>
You could buy them by mail. I know that for sure. You could even buy BU coins directly from any Mint, including Philadelphia. I saw a collection that was assembled that way from about 1895 to the late 1930's, and it was obvious that the Mints took pride in workmanship and only sent out the nicest coins to serious collectors.
I have no idea how they were wrapped. I have always assumed they were wrapped in paper, but have no evidence to sustain that assumption.
Welcome aboard!
TD >>
Tom, weren't older proof coins wrapped in tissue paper?
<< <i>Bayard1908 might be a resource for you. >>
There's an old thread where somebody had a Barber era proof set still in the original envelope from the mint.
<< <i>Tom, weren't older proof coins wrapped in tissue paper? >>
I've heard minor proof sets (1 cent, 3 cent, and 5 cent) were put in a paper holder, although I've never seen one.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>Before plastic lenses, cellophane flat packs, etc. I've always been curious how they were packaged, take a 1900 proof Morgan Dollar for example. How was it packaged and shipped from the mint? How did people order proofs from the mint way back when? Or did you have to buy them in person or what? >>
You could buy them by mail. I know that for sure. You could even buy BU coins directly from any Mint, including Philadelphia. I saw a collection that was assembled that way from about 1895 to the late 1930's, and it was obvious that the Mints took pride in workmanship and only sent out the nicest coins to serious collectors.
I have no idea how they were wrapped. I have always assumed they were wrapped in paper, but have no evidence to sustain that assumption.
Welcome aboard!
TD >>
Tom, weren't older proof coins wrapped in tissue paper? >>
Probably, but I cannot say yes or no from personal experience. I never bought any in that way.
TD
<< <i>
<< <i>Tom, weren't older proof coins wrapped in tissue paper? >>
I've heard minor proof sets (1 cent, 3 cent, and 5 cent) were put in a paper holder, although I've never seen one. >>
While at NGC, I saw a number of original/straight from the mint, early proof sets with each coin individually wrapped in tissue paper. It is my understanding that they were shipped directly to the buyer(s) that way, though I can't claim it to be a fact.
Weren't older proof coins wrapped in tissue paper?
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Yes. I cannot speak for the later years but in the 1870s and 1880s mint letters
mention that tissue paper was used to wrap the proof coins when mailed out.
Denga
1900 Proof Morgan example.
The Philadelphia Mint maintained a card file of those who had purchased collector’s proofs in the past or when were newly requesting them.
Early in the calendar year, a public announcement was issued stating that orders for collector’s proofs would be accepted. Some years, especially before 1900, post cards were sent to everyone on the list, other years collectors had to look for an announcement or write the Philadelphia Mint.
The cost varied somewhat over time, but was only a small amount over face value. Collectors could order sets of all minor, silver or gold coins, or they could buy individual coins. Small denomination gold proofs were especially popular as gifts, and many ended up in jewelry.
The coins were individually wrapped in tissue paper and sent registered mail in an envelope or box depending on the number of coins.
Sometimes, the mint notified collectors of proofs in the middle of a year, such as 1883 when three different 5-cent CuNi coins were issued. In December 1904, the mint sent notices to collectors who ordered silver sets in mid-year and did not get a dollar coin. They said that more dollars had been made and collectors could order the dollar coin even though production had officially ceased months earlier. (The led indirectly to the following.)
In about 1905 (if my memory is correct) the mint director decided that no collector’s sets would be struck until after ALL the denominations planned for circulation had been struck as production coins. This irritated wealthy, gold set collectors, who were accustomed to getting their impressive coins early so they could display them. It also irritated collectors of modest means because they could no longer send in an order in January or February in anticipation of production – the mint refused to accept advance orders.
This policy, combined with the unpopularity of matte proof Lincoln and Buffalo designs, led to reduced orders, and raised cost to the point where the mint was losing money by 1914. Suspension of gold coinage further sealed the fate of collectors’ proofs, and they were discontinued by Director von Engelken in November 1916.
[The above is documented in US Mint archives in NARA. Document copies are in my research files, and pieces of this have been published.]
Roger, do you know where the silver came from for the late 1904 production? If production had officially stopped months earlier, it sounds like they had exhausted their bullion supply.
Ditto.
A couple of years ago I was able to purchase an original 1900 proof set from my local dealer. He had just purchased the set from the same family that owned it since 1900...and he was close to tossing out all the wrappers, etc. The coins were wrapped in heavy tissue paper (thicker than your standard 8x11 notebook paper). I'd almost compare it to construction paper. After over 100 yrs of being left in those holders the silver coins were quite deeply toned. The dollar was mottled and the half and quarter were a very deep blue/black. The cents were the prettiest of the group with a dazzling magenta and yellow toning. The orig buyer had ordered a standard 5 coin set + 2 additional minor sets (cents/nickels). Hence there were 3 neat PF66RB cents in this group. The set included the original addressed manila envelope along with a mint price list for gold/silver/proof coins for that year. My memory is getting weak but I think there was also an inner paper envelope that secured the tissue-wrapped coins...and the outer envelope was addressed by hand.
The proof set only sold for about $3-$3.5 back then. Even the proof $20's could be had for something like $22-$24 as I recall.
roadrunner
Month Quantity
Mar. 275
Sept. 10
Dec. 300
All from silver under authority of the Act of July 14, 1890.
Sept. batch was ordered by the British government.
The Dec. batch was authorized Dec. 24, 1904 and produced Dec. 27-31.
Silver & minor proof set was originally $2.50 with the dollar, but sold out and proof dollar production then halted.
June 9 director authorized selling set w/o dollar for $1.50
Dec 27 director authorized striking more proof dollars to sell to those who did not get dollars earlier in year and others. Price was first stated at $1.25, but when director restricted sale to previous purchasers of sets w/o dollar, he also reduced price to $1.00 so that all would be charged same total. Sales permitted through Jan. 31, 1905.
Apparently, no assay pieces were removed from the Dec. batch of proofs. Contrary to mint regulations, none are listed in the Annual Assay report, although at least one coin should have been reserved.
[Sources: NARA, US Mint RG 104 entry 229, box 234;entry 229, box 223; entry 43, box 1.]
Welcome, BuyLowSellHigh.
Good info RWB.
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