1986 Cayman Islands Royal Mint Set With Franklin Mint Marked Coins

7Jaguars

A pet interest of mine are the orphaned FM proof and currency sets that are legal tender (well NCLT as they used to say).

I had noted that the 1985 Birds of Belize set released by the Royal Mint looked very much to be a continuum of the FM 1974-1984 series but have not seen any mintmarked with the FM monogram mintmark. Comes just this weekend I saw a 1986 Cayman Islands Royal Mint Proof set that included 50c, $1 and $5 coins with the FM monogram on the reverse. Vision def. not perfect but other coins did not have the mark (stigma?).

Well, just a FYI post....No pics sorry.

GritsMan

This is really an interesting discovery. It makes you really wonder what was going on with FM in general--and why the Royal Mint would accept something like this. FM coins themselves have a lot of mystery, and it would be fun to know the inside scoop on many of the issues.

7Jaguars

On one level, this could occur as a practical matter but still it does serve as a mark of approval for the Royal Mint to use Franklin Mint dies & let alone issue a set with their mintmarks. I wonder where all the engravers besides Gilroy Roberts went from Franklin Mint after they ceased making coin dies?

The coins in this 1986 set that had earlier dates of same type from Royal Mint did not have the Franklin Mint mintmark/monogram.