Jamaica - More Late Proof Set Excitement!

7Jaguars

Just an update on some modern proof set madness if any are interested:

Have located a 1998 proof set in Jamaica and will attempt to picture in a week or so. Why the excitement for such a boring looking set? Not listed in Krause and not seen it yet in well over 20 years of looking. Also just two months ago saw (and lost in bidding) on the unlisted 1996. Got that too, along with an elusive 1991.

Also, last PM on ebay a 1984 proof panama set (9 coin) sold for 377 incl. P&I. Kind of high since silver is low, and the set itself does not have the higher silver content of the earlier, through 1979, sets...

TwoKopeiki

Nice! Not sure what the craze is about, as well, but glad you were able to land some sets!

7Jaguars

Well, I was teasing about that, the craziness/madness. But it is true that a few of these sets seem to be edging up price wise. These would be those mentioned before: the later (1983 and later) of Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, Panama and Trinidad, especially.

There is something of mystery (at least to me) as to what happens at the Royal Mint which took over these issues from the Franklin Mint and even EXPANDED operations. Hard to know the actual years and numbers of what and how much was struck and there may be some legitimate scarce issues, with some very, very hard to get even now.


That having been said my core collection is Victoria-EII copper and silver, but have precious little to chase these days so have to have a collecting distraction.

SYRACUSIAN

Speaking of late sets, I have a question that is not meant to hijack this thread, it's just a question:

I've seen Russian (USSR) mint sets, unopened and sealed from 1970,71 and 72 selling for crazy (near $1000 a set) amounts. I assume that their issue price was near a dollar or two and assumed that it's the latest trend in the Russian madness of coin collecting. Then I recently saw a 1968 selling for just $100. What gives?

7Jaguars

Not my area directly but I have noticed a two-tier market many times, and for the interested collector or even a speculator perhaps some opportunity awaits. I know where sets can be obtained at "old" prices that have not yet caught up to the levels that may be held in, for lack of a better term, pockets of interest. I would tend to doubt that the overall market goes up and down radically. BTW, I do seem to recall that these old USSR sets were dirt cheap almost pieces of junk at one time...