Franklin Mint Actual Coins On RAMPAGE AGAIN! Updates

7Jaguars

Wow, there is a seller on ebay that had some really hot action on these, some just ending today and others over the last two or three.
These were for specimen sets of the later 1982 & 1983 years: Barbados, Belize, Trinidad primarily. THis with multiple bidders pushing prices. These are all potmetal copper nickel and bronze and aluminum coins, NO silver.

Highest: Barbados 1983 $364
Trinidad 1983 $355

All these had issue price of around 26-29 dollars. Despite the naysayers, I have seen this trend and have reported on it occasionally. I am a "side collector" in that these are not my main interest but they are fun and beautiful designs that appear to be coming into their own now. Couldn't compete on the Trini set as I had wanted that one and one of the only ones I was missing.

shirohniichan

Are Franklin Mint issues worth something now?

I bought some Commonwealth proof sets (e.g. 1973 Bahamas proof set) 15 years ago or so. I can't remember what I paid, but the silver proofs weren't expensive considering their melt value back then. I collect mostly George V silver circulation issues, but the sets looked nice and were cheap. Maybe I should dig them out and look at them again.

7Jaguars

Those are only silver. The proof sets of the Caribbeans (Barbados, Belize, Bahamas, Cayman, Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana) are basically only worth silver value from 1966-1980. !981 and after some may start to have value. The key years are 1982-84 in proof sets.

What is remarkable about these is that they are uncirculated quality ProofLike mint sets that have absolutely NO silver in them. These are now reaching 5 and !0 times issue prices.

Elmhurst

I have a Bahamas gold independance proof set , 1973 or 74. Any action on these ?

7Jaguars

Nope, gold value only with a smidge of premium.

MrEureka

It's about time! FM coins are the early classics of the modern coin market.

JBK

I am sure you know more about these than I do but I have a couple FM prof sets from that era and I recall that after they were done cranking out the proof and BU sets they would make limited numbers (in the hundreds) of circulation-quality coins, I assume to establish that they were minting legal tender for circulation. These ha the FM mintmark but otherwise were the same as what was made elsewhere for circulation. These used to be sold by a few dealers - I always wished I had picked some up and always wondered what became of that niche market.

I also recall a few issues (Panama?) where they did this routine by using the dies they used for proof/unc silver versions, so the limited run FM clad circulation versions had the .999 or .925 silver purity on them. I think I do have one of those somewhere.

MrEureka

Somebody needs to write the standard catalog of FM coins. Seriously. Amazing that nobody has done it yet.

7Jaguars

Yes, none done since Krause in about 1980....

The Panama coins you spoke of I have written about - 1975 & 1976 FM for the 1B and 5B dies had the monogram removed but NOT the .925 fineness (Ley) indicator even though they were struck in copper nickel. Not rare, maybe a bit scarce.
The uncirculated coins in 1975-1977 were in many instances struck in matte (proof) finish and released through the Central Banks. Some are VERY scarce, others not so much. Confusing matters is that the FM released Uncirculated specimen sets of coins in the same non-precious but in PL finish. These are the types discussed although in later years in the OP.

Sapyx

Don't forget, one of the main reasons why these coins are becoming expensive now is because a large proportion of them have been ruined by the self-destructive plastic the packaging was made of. Anyone who actually followed the Franklin Mint's instructions for "caring for your coins" unwittingly ruined their coins.

Most of those ruined coins ended up in the melting pots. So the surviving numbers of coins are far lower than the original mintages might indicate.

Stork

I'm scared to ask, but what were the FM's coin care instructions?

Kkathyl

@stork erasers LOL

7Jaguars

As I recall they suggested REMOVING coins from the sealed plastic and placing them in the holder depressions with gloves that were included at sale time. THe proofs were likely where they made their money, specimen sets also-rans that they didn't care about or bother with.

But my point in the OP is that these sets are NOT silver or g0ld and are just pot metal that was probably largely ignored or maybe even tossed. Most of the 1983, and possibly (if they exist) 1984 specimen sets are VERY RARE evidently , though no mintages are known. This is not a spam, but if anybody can confirm with pictures any other specimen sets of 1984 besides the Belize I posted about a year ago, please let me know.

Sapyx

@Stork said:
I'm scared to ask, but what were the FM's coin care instructions?

Yes, the coins came in a blister pack, not unlike the blister packs used today by many world mints for their uncirculated coins, which would have probably kept the coins safe for another hundred years. But the instructions told you to cut open the blister pack, take the coins out (using the plastic gloves they had supplied) and place the coins into the plush-lined pseudo-velvet case they sent you.

Unfortunately, the pseudo-velvet was made of a plastic which leached out acids when placed in contact with metal, just as bad as PVC. It was even worse than PVC, if the plastic lining was red in colour. That stuff ruined the coins within just a few years, especially in a hot or humid environment. Here in Brisbane, Australia, where it's hot and humid for a good part of the year, I've handled a lot of deceased-estate Franklin Mint proof coins, and probably about 95% of them are ruined.

Franklin Mint mass-marketed their coins to non-collectors; such people would have most likely just blindly followed FM's instructions. The only really good condition FM coins and sets in existence today are those owned by people who ignored those instructions: either people who left them in the blister packs, or actual coin collectors who took the coins out of the FM packaging entirely and put them straight in 2x2s.

amwldcoin

When I collected those sets I always 2X2'd the coins immediately after purchase. As said the packaging for those was horrid. The only ones I didn't 2X2 were the ones that were in a safe blister pack!

7Jaguars

Specimen (non-proof) sets look like this, quite a rarity here that I lucked up on...

7Jaguars

1983 Trinidad FM specimen set just went for 425 on Ebay today.....1983 BVI FM specimen set went for 323.

Again, NO silver in these, just pot metal and excellent die work....

bidask

@7Jaguars said:

Specimen (non-proof) sets look like this, quite a rarity here that I lucked up on...

I have a couple sets like this I think

What are they worth ?

7Jaguars

The key is the date and which type of set. You can PM me if you like or put them on here...

bidask

@7Jaguars said:
The key is the date and which type of set. You can PM me if you like or put them on here...

I own the following silver sets from Belize

1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1982
1983
1984

7Jaguars

The last three are EXCELLENT! See if you can get the copper-nickel sets of these years....

bidask

@7Jaguars said:

Specimen (non-proof) sets look like this, quite a rarity here that I lucked up on...

What’s the date of that set ?

Also I have a few BVI silver sets as well

7Jaguars

That is a 1984 set - I was meaning to put up the picture of the 1984 specimen uncirculated set...

One way to tell is the Ten dollar design was identical in only the years 1984 and 1985, but the 1985 was struck at the Royal Mint - using probably FM dies with the monogram on the opposite (obverse) side removed.

One of the BVI sets, I think the 1983 recently brought nearly 500 dollars by recall (may have been without the all-important COA and packaging). The T&T sets from these years are quite good and have gone for nearly 1k.

bidask

@7Jaguars said:
That is a 1984 set - I was meaning to put up the picture of the 1984 specimen uncirculated set...

One way to tell is the Ten dollar design was identical in only the years 1984 and 1985, but the 1985 was struck at the Royal Mint - using probably FM dies with the monogram on the opposite (obverse) side removed.

One of the BVI sets, I think the 1983 recently brought nearly 500 dollars by recall (may have been without the all-important COA and packaging). The T&T sets from these years are quite good and have gone for nearly 1k.

Thank you ....what is T&T ?

7Jaguars

Trinidad and Tobago.

7Jaguars

Eat your Heart out Tyrant collector:

The above set is the 1984 FM silver proof set of Belize, scarce but not rare. This is the rare one and not to be confused

Only known documented 1984 FM Belize Specimen Uncirculated Set

1984worldcoins

Mega rare, one day I will have this too

7Jaguars

Ah, thanks! If you do, do not EVER sell.

7Jaguars

As some of you may have seen the Stuttgart struck Panama 1986 Proof Balboa trials (unauthorized) sold for 12.6k a piece.
These coins languished as the sub-2k level and even lower for a very long time; sadly I did not get them at the earlier level and they are now too dear.....

Many of the 1983 and 1984 Barbados and Trinidad sets, both proof and specimen have been going wild even reaching the 600-900 range. When I say many, that is a relative term since there are not that many about in any case. These bring relatively big fights between multiple bidders on the Bay of E.

I still uncover the under appreciated bit every now and again, but not often these days as people are beginning to cotton on to these beautiful and rare coins. They are a far cry from the rest of the schlock that was produced by the FM at that time (special edition dollies, cars, Darth Vader and bejeweled Michael Jackson gloves, etc.).

bidask

What about British Virgin Islands sets 1981-1985?

7Jaguars

A 1983 BVI recently went for as I recall above 500 on ebay. I can try to check if you like a bit later, or you may check.

bidask

@bidask said:
What about British Virgin Islands sets 1981-1985?

I forgot to mention they are proof sets !

Does not look like anything special ?

7Jaguars

By recall the proof set of that year actually may be a similar price, surprisingly more than the 84 or '85.

neildrobertson

Do you think a factor in the surges in Franklin Mint pricing over the past several years has been partly because a lot of the negative connotions of FM have faded? There, at some point, was a connotation that Franklin Mint was lesser collector trash (even though they did make bon-a-fide coins too). This seems to be fading.

atom

Franklin Mint also produced a variety of medallic sets of specialized themes in silver. Are these getting attention too?

1984worldcoins

@bidask said:
What about British Virgin Islands sets 1981-1985?

Virgin Islands sets seem less rare, bought mine for around 150$.

1984worldcoins

@neildrobertson said:
Do you think a factor in the surges in Franklin Mint pricing over the past several years has been partly because a lot of the negative connotions of FM have faded? There, at some point, was a connotation that Franklin Mint was lesser collector trash (even though they did make bon-a-fide coins too). This seems to be fading.

Well, I collect the year, no idea about any connotation, I just love the FM sets, very high quality coins, nice designs, some are very rare too ( yes, the majority were not made for circulation, I know).

.> @atom said:

Franklin Mint also produced a variety of medallic sets of specialized themes in silver. Are these getting attention too?

I do not think so.

7Jaguars

I agree with the medals bit, just silver value if applicable.
I do think the coins have been helped by losing some of their perceived relation to the schlock made by the Franklin Mint. I so agree with 1984worldcoins.

amwldcoin

The attrition rate on many of those sets is quite high also. I've seen substantially more ruined sets vrs. nice sets!

7Jaguars

And the seemingly indiscriminate breakup of the proof sets with removal of the silver pieces either for melt or grading - some of these are offered for ridiculous amounts of money. I wonder who buys them?

1984worldcoins

I plan to get 2 sets from each, one will be graded, the other left like it is. It remains to be seen if I will be able to get 2 sets each haha!

7Jaguars

Don't feel bad, I have three of a couple and FOUR of one! LOL