What constitutes original packaging for a 1956 mint set?

airplanenut

Hi,

An eBay buyer of a 1956 mint set wants to return it because it "doesn't have all the original sleeves and they aren't attached." I don't have a clear photo of the sleeves alone, but from what I can tell from my image and remember, there was one piece of paper twice as big as each cardboard insert, which would have folded over and covered both sides of one cardboard piece, separating it from the other cardboard piece and its coins. The outlines of the coins are shown as faded parts of the paper, so it's been with the set for a long time at the very least.

Any image I can find showing a 1956 set makes it seem like this is original... the paper wasn't attached to each cardboard piece (as I think was the case in other years, where a flap covered one side) and there's only one sleeve, not two.

Can anyone confirm if I'm correct that this is the original packaging for a 1956 mint set, or if, indeed, something is missing?

Thanks,

Jeremy

georgiacop50

There should be two pink paper sleeves, one for each mint.

airplanenut

@georgiacop50 said:
There should be two pink paper sleeves, one for each mint.

Am I correct that they are both the kind that wrap around each piece of cardboard, but are not attached to the cardboard anywhere?

DollarAfterDollar

My recollection (with limited experience) is that each cardboard was wrapped in pink paper that was an exact fit covering both sides of the cardboard. The two cardboards were then placed into a mint envelope and that was placed in a mailing envelope.

I'm guessing that your buyer looked at the coins inside, wasn't pleased with the colors he'd hoped to receive and shipped it back. Mint sets is the only thing I won't accept E-Bay returns on because of the open exposure of the coins and the possibility of switching.

BillJones

I thought that all of the mint set holders were green, except for 1957, when they were pink. Otherewise the outside envelope is tan. It might have an address and stamps on it if it was an outside mailing envelope, or it can be plain if it was an inside envelope with came with a multi-set order.

georgiacop50

When issued, the paper was glued to the cardboard on one side, but over time most have come unglued (with the exception of 1958 sets, where a good percentage of them remain glued on one side}. The paper can be pink or green on 1956 sets, with most for that year being pink, in my experience.

TomB

As others have stated, each cardboard insert had a colored sleeve (pink or green depending upon the year) and the sleeve was glued to the cardboard on one side only as well as on the hinge area between sides. Often, this glue would dry over the years and pull away from the cardboard without tearing the cardboard. On occasion, the entire colored sleeve will fall away from the cardboard and, as you have noted, typically the outlines of the coins will be present as imprints only or as brown outlines as well. If the coins have been worked on to be removed from the holder then the holders either have punch-out marks where the outer paper sleeve is broken from having the coin forced out or the paper sleeve will be severely deformed in that area.

It sounds like your paper sleeve dried over the years, not unusual, and fell away from the cardboard insert completely.

coindeuce

I can see how a purist would pass on the set as it stands, only for the reason that there have been sellers of "put together" sets that do not have the original fly leafs with and attached to the mounting boards. I'm not in any way insinuating this is a situation you created - it's simply a hazard of dealing with the collecting community's perceptions. Your unsatisfied customer will probably look long and hard for a 1956 Mint set that has remained undisturbed, and when they do locate one, it won't be a bargain.

Bochiman

Were ALL the 1956 mint sets actually glued?
I have had a handful and none of them were glued, or showed any signs that they were glued (and, yes, I am 100% certain on a few of them that they were 100% original and that I was the first person to see them).

Now, on the 1955 and 1954 sets I have had or seen, then, yes, the reverse of the sets were still glued on. I haven't seen an original set for those 2 years that wasn't still glued.

segoja

56 MS paper is mostly loose. They were all glued, but apparently with poor quality glue. I have never seen green paper on an original 56 set (not to say it doesn't exist). It's either pinkish....or grey (whitish) I have also seen mixed colors on original sets that I opened as they were sealed.
Inner manila envelops are a must for originality. The outer envelop may or may not be present depending on how the order was placed. If you ordered multiple sets, they were not place in the normally encountered outer envelop which does have the stamps, addresses and postmarks (Which are always 1 year after the date of the MS)