225th Anniversary Enhanced Uncirculated Set - A Review of Coins IN HAND - PICS ADDED
RB1026
Posts: 1,469 ✭✭✭✭
There is SO MUCH focus on the flipping/financial side of things in the other thread I thought someone might like to talk about the coins (yeah right! LOL) Anyway, I am strictly a collector these days and this is just my 2 cents worth.
What follows is a Mixed Review....................
1) On day one I placed two orders of (2) sets each. Silky smooth and painless process. Pricing feels fair to me as well. POSITIVE
2) Both packages arrived at my door today, a full two days earlier than tracking had indicated. Fast for Smartpost. POSITIVE
3) Neither package showed any damage inside or out, BUT in each case, the sets were just placed inside a cardboard box with zero padding/bubble wrap etc. Luckily, my mail carrier was in a good mood apparently because all made it safely here unscathed. I feel lucky to have avoided the damage others have reported. NEUTRAL
4) The enhanced finish looks spectacular, imo. As executed on these designs I think they look MUCH better in hand than any photos I have seen so far. Very, very pleased. POSITIVE
5) Quality control (on my meager order at least) was brutal. In the four total sets, I was able to cobble together (2) complete sets ( 2 - lenses of quarters and 2 - lenses of cent/nickel/dime/half/$) that don't appear to have damaged coins inside. The other (2) complete sets contain a varying group of perfect to damaged pieces. The two cents are spotted, there are several (7-8) coins with rim nicks, and one of the quarters has a thick white substance (looks like flour?) on the lower front at 6-7 o'clock. As such, I am returning two of the four sets. I don't expect to buy MS70 coins BUT I do expect to purchase undamaged and untainted pieces. Uggh! NEGATIVE
6) Because of the lack of a sellout, I was able to order an additional five sets at issue price and thus will hopefully be able to land at least two more excellent sets to achieve the original goal of four I had planned on. The others were/are going to be gifts for YNs I know. POSITIVE
I won't know until early next week how the other five sets will play out. For now, my 50% return rate seems incredibly high. If my tiny sample is any indication, 70's from this set MIGHT be a big deal. You never know. Since I'm not an investor or flipper, frankly I do not care. Admittedly, it's been a while since I bought any sort of sets from the mint (just individual coins) and perhaps others are accustomed to this shoddy quality.
I will say, I would NOT buy any of THESE 225th sets sight unseen or without return privileges after opening these four. Still, in the end, I'm happy with the ones I'm keeping and will slug through the process until I am able to get everyone on my list a nice looking set of coins.
Comments
Thank you for the review. Gives some guidance to those of us that we're on the fence about getting a set
You're very welcome! I figured since I was among the first to receive sets, the info might be valuable. Even though many of the coins I received have "problems", I am nevertheless very much a fan of the set. I would definitely urge anyone with interest to buy it, just be selective and carefully review the coins you receive to assure good quality.
Tiny samples added together begin to make a picture
So far only 2 things , 3 considering a recent experience, stand out.
1)
a) white stuff - possible debris from inside assembly facility
b) recent experience with 20 silver proof sets had maybe 2/3rds of the lenses with black plastic shards inside. Previous proof set orders had some with debris or "lint" inside.
2) no plating bubbles at all on the cents? If there are none then that is very promising!
(My recent proof sets all had at least a smattering of them and a couple had the pox.)
And maybe a Postscript edit Q: were there any shiny spots on the matte area and any dull areas where it should shine?
All other observations are in line with what comes in proof sets.
Thanks for your input MsMorrisine. I can't report any shiny spots on the matte areas but there are a few dull areas on the polished regions. Overall, the coins that are nice, look REALLY nice. The ones with issues seem to have multiple issues (ie multiple rim dings, dull "rubs", spots, and so forth) I have no explanation for this but in my tiny sample it's what I can see.
Great report! I look forward to examining the sets I've purchased. Hopefully I will not be returning any of them.
Rim dings, contact marks, spots : all are found on proof set coins in frustrating quantities
I forgot
A new note or question:
3) no strike throughs?
Off hand, I can't think of a proof issue I've ordered in recent years where at least 1 coin didn't have a strike through of of tiny size or more. In fact, 1 of 2 of my 225th silver medals had a quite noticeable, but value detrimental, strike through. The other came with a noticeable tick in the field. I'm wondering why I bothered with only 2.
I would like to get 70s on the medals, but on proof sets I don't delude myself. I just go for ones with merely slight imperfections.
No strike throughs on mine as far as I can tell, MsMorrisine.
It's incredible to me that in the modern era the quality control we're talking about is so lacking. I haven't purchased a proof/unc set since 2007 from the Mint. I just don't remember it being like this.
On the flip side, pristine coins ought to be worth a premium thanks to the circumstances.
Certainly hope you land all "70's"!
I mentioned in the other thread that I'm not thrilled with the cent, nickel, dime and half. The quarters and dollar look really good. I think the Mint should've 'enhanced' the others a bit more than just the outer lettering...ONE CENT is fine but....
One tiny rim nick on the inner edge over the U in Trust, obverse, with 7x loop is my only gripe with the cent. Would probably keep it out of 70 if I was going to have the set slabbed. But I'm not and wasn't planning to.
I just opened a set to take a closer look. The dime and half are absolutely stunning! ...will check the rest later it's really late, lol
Imperfections only show up for the perfectionist. I don't mean that as a negative, but as a truth.
Most of this stuff goes out to the general public who are not numismatists. They don't spot the things you and I would.
Oh, I'm not giving the Mint a "pass" on this stuff, It's just the reality of how far the Mint wants to go with quality control and still be "cost effective". (AKA make gobs of profit).
Pete
Thank you for your close up pics! Glad that I took a pass on this one.