Wow, Major Belize Find: 1984 Specimen Set From Your Favorite Franklin Mint

7Jaguars

I was delighted to have with some crazy good luck purchased a 1984 Belize Specimen Set that was only rumored to exist on ebay this last week. It was reported in Krause and never confirmed to my knowledge and I have never seen one in THIRTY years! Anyway, fun to find such goodies!! Beautiful designs that shame the modern US Mint efforts.

brg5658

This thread is worthless without pics...

Stork

Agree...photos please, I'm curious! Did the seller know what s/he was selling?

7Jaguars

Well, have to email them - its not worthless as this set has got to be extremely rare. I do not know of ANY other Franklin Mint sets of 1984, even for other countries. The specimen sets were PL uncs of the same design as the proofs and probably loss leaders for the mint - this in an era when they were shutting down operations.

Stork

@7Jaguars said:
Well, have to email them - its not worthless as this set has got to be extremely rare. I do not know of ANY other Franklin Mint sets of 1984, even for other countries. The specimen sets were PL uncs of the same design as the proofs and probably loss leaders for the mint - this in an era when they were shutting down operations.

I think he meant worthless as in we want to see pictures . Not that the set was worthless...just we want pictures.

7Jaguars

Here goes I phone photos!

Stork

I'm curious, did you 'drag and drop' the jpg or did you 'choose file'? I only ask because yours posted as thumbnails (which is fine and easy to pull up) vs. an embedded photo that shows right away. I've been using the 'choose file' method and wouldn't know how to do the thumbnail...and my files have been bigger.

Pretty set by the way! And, if the seller didn't know what it was, no excuse as it's clearly labeled! How cool to find something only rumored to exist!

7Jaguars

I did the file thing...
Yes, I love this kind of thing and only occasionally find such. I did also once get one of the mule 1982 Belize $10 coins. The coins look better in silver proof which maybe I'll post now that I found it is not hard to do.

coinkat

Yuge find... Congrats

7Jaguars

Here's the 1984 Belize silver proof set.

giorgio11

Congratulations 7jaguars, that is just totally enormously cool!

Kind Regards,

George

bidask

I think I have some boxed Belize silver sets from 1980's but not sure if they are PL.

7Jaguars

The proof sets are of course more common and come in Sterling silver and "circulation metal" composition. Date is all important as the 1981-84 are best, and the rarest of these is the 1984 "circulation metal" set. The specimen sets are struck as putative currency examples, although in my experience it does not appear that any FM coins went into circulation after 1978.
This set is special because they had pretty much thrown in the towel and there was no need for any Loss Leader sets. It had to have been done for record keeping purposes only because it was not even advertised in the 1984-5 period. The 1981-83 specimen sets are also quite scarce.

1984worldcoins

The Belize specimen set for 1984 must be very rare, here is the only place I have ever seen one, great find! I got only the proof and the silver proof sets till now.

7Jaguars

Yes, these are of extreme rarity. This year I had an offer on it that was obscene (but not obscene enough!!), but declined as I am a collector.

1984worldcoins

Well, at least now I know those exist! I proceed the same, do not sell, only if I already have a duplicate or a better grade. No idea how obscene must be a price to make me (or you) sell from the main collection, especially such a rare set.

7Jaguars

Don't laugh, but it would have to be more than 5k, 10 might do it.

1984worldcoins

Ok, why not, but I still need to win the lottery or something, thank you, good to know.

bidask

I really don’t collect these don’t know what to do ?

pruebas

@bidask said:
I really don’t collect these don’t know what to do ?

Sell them so you can make some extra money so you're not a bridesmaid all the time?

bidask

@pruebas said:

@bidask said:
I really don’t collect these don’t know what to do ?

Sell them so you can make some extra money so you're not a bridesmaid all the time?

Makes sense

pruebas

@bidask said:

@pruebas said:

@bidask said:
I really don’t collect these don’t know what to do ?

Sell them so you can make some extra money so you're not a bridesmaid all the time?

Makes sense

It has been extremely cathartic to unload my unneeded coins into this market. And I am glad they are finding loving homes!

7Jaguars

Yes, well, these are nice sets. What all do you have besides this set?
Let us know.