$50 1960 P Cent Unopened Mint Bag, Lead Seal Intact Auction / Bid Value?

epcjimi1

A local auction advertises a $50 1960 P cent unopened mint bag with the lead seal intact.

My brief review of the innerweb discusses a potential for small dates and errors to be present for this type item. Also that the bag should be marked -

U.S. Mint
Philadelphia
CENT
$50
TFB
1960

Assuming it's the real deal, not messed with, like a small sewn up slit in the bag (evidence of tampering) does any one have an idea on what an appropriate bid for same would be?

I'm going to the auction, I just don't want to do something stupid, which is easy to do, doing something smart takes more effort.

Advice / input welcome. Thanks!

AUandAG

Shot in the dark on those. Getting caught up in the bidding would be a disaster.

I, personally, would not buy the pig in the poke. They certainly are not rare and
with my luck they'd all be spotted or so baggy from being mishandled that I would
not be able to get a cent each and have to spend them.

Good luck,
bob

MsMorrisine

I'd also smell the bag for evidence of mold/mildew... no cents in having pre-treated coins

ambro51

Whatever its worth NOW, think of what it was worth at the high point of the 'small date mania'

jonathanb

Um... the mint didn't use lead seals. They sewed the bags shut. If this bag is closed via a lead seal, you know for sure that it was opened outside the mint.

goodmoney4badmoney

<< <i>Um... the mint didn't use lead seals. They sewed the bags shut. If this bag is closed via a lead seal, you know for sure that it was opened outside the mint. >>

epcjimi1

<< <i>Um... the mint didn't use lead seals. They sewed the bags shut. If this bag is closed via a lead seal, you know for sure that it was opened outside the mint. >>



No fooling? Hhhmmmm....maybe I'll not bother with this auction after all.

Thanks for the info!

ambro51

A google search reveals the following. Maybe you are incorrect about the lead seals.


"I have a sealed bag of 1968 Kennedy halves that I'm curious as to the value of. The bag is sealed and says "U.S. Government Property Return To Treasurer, U.S. Washington25, D.C." It is sealed with a piece of string through some red metal thing then a piece of metal that looks like lead that the string is going through squished to seal it. There is a tag that the string went through that says "FORM TUS 2842 - Treasury Department". On it it says $50 Halves. It's stamped MAR 5 - 1968 and it's signed by the counter "Woody". Would you know what the value of this unopened bag might be? Part of me wants to open it but the other part wants to leave it as is. Any help would be great. If you needs pictures I can send them to you. "

291fifth

My opinion: $50 ... and I'm not joking.

ambro51

291 Though I do respect and appreciate your often contrary views....if that bag has a percentage of uncirculated small date coins in it....even today...after the mania is but a distant memory, the value will FAR exceed fifty dollars.

jmski52

"I have a sealed bag of 1968 Kennedy halves that I'm curious as to the value of. The bag is sealed and says "U.S. Government Property Return To Treasurer, U.S. Washington25, D.C." It is sealed with a piece of string through some red metal thing then a piece of metal that looks like lead that the string is going through squished to seal it. There is a tag that the string went through that says "FORM TUS 2842 - Treasury Department". On it it says $50 Halves. It's stamped MAR 5 - 1968 and it's signed by the counter "Woody". Would you know what the value of this unopened bag might be? Part of me wants to open it but the other part wants to leave it as is. Any help would be great. If you needs pictures I can send them to you. "

I don't think that the Mint supplied $50 bags of Kennedy Halves in 1968. And Woody only worked there from 1965 to 1966.

epcjimi1

I looked around a bit more and this 1960 bag of 1960 P cents sold for $277 on ebay in Sept., 2010 -



Better image here -

1960 cent bag

This bag appears to have a wire tie and a lead seal? I don't think it's sewn shut.

I can't tell the quantity of coins, is this what a 5000 cent bag would look like?

Hhhmmm...guess I'll have to go this auction after all and see what this purported unopened 1960 cent bag looks like.

ProofArtworkonCircs

<<I have a sealed bag of 1968 Kennedy halves that I'm curious as to the value of. The bag is sealed and says "U.S. Government Property Return To Treasurer, U.S. Washington25, D.C." It is sealed with a piece of string through some red metal thing then a piece of metal that looks like lead that the string is going through squished to seal it. There is a tag that the string went through that says "FORM TUS 2842 - Treasury Department". On it it says $50 Halves. It's stamped MAR 5 - 1968 and it's signed by the counter "Woody". Would you know what the value of this unopened bag might be? Part of me wants to open it but the other part wants to leave it as is. Any help would be great. If you needs pictures I can send them to you. ">>

That seal sounds like what the Federal reserve Bank of Boston used to seal bags in 1963. They did furnish bags of silver dollars as small as $50. I think that 1968 bag of halves was probably mixed date halves sealed in 1968.

Edited to add: Maybe that cent bag is just a reused mint bag with ramdom cents in it. Those mint bags, when emptied, are reused.
I have a few empty ones, myself.

metalmeister

Well, there is at least $125 in red Copper bullion in there