A Terrific and Original 1953 South African Mint Proof Set
I'm a big fan of original proof and mint sets when they contain great looking coins and I like these sets even more when they come with the original packaging, as well. I spend a bit of time looking through these sets, but rarely come up with anything that simply has to be purchased. A while back I shared an original and intact 1937 Canadian Specimen set where all the coins were fantastic and in consecutive PCGS OGHs. That thread is here.
In this thread, however, I will share a terrific 1953 South African Mint proof set that I was able to obtain complete with the blue leather box with embossed gilt. The coins must have laid undisturbed for quite a while as even the interior tissue paper, which can sometimes be found with these sets, was not only pristine, but the impressions of the coins were neatly embedded into the layers of paper. I was delighted at the price quoted and decided to have the coins certified by PCGS and even had them go through the TrueView process as well. Below are the TrueView images for the complete 11-piece set, which is the first set to feature Queen Elizabeth II.
Comments
Wow, you've got a beauty there!
Love that set
is that you end up being governed by inferiors. – Plato
Stunning
Latin American Collection
Lovely indeed.
Nice to see stuff like this TrueViewed.
I wish I had done that with the 1937 15-pc British proof set I owned, once upon a time. The coins were beautifully toned, but this was years before I did the Internet, or had a camera, etc.
(A Liteside dealer later swapped me two 1877 US Indian Head cents for that set, if that gives you any idea of how nice it was.)
PS- while those are all stunners, I think I like the little 3d the best. The reverse toning on that one is phenomenal.
I miss all our little emoticons...need the drooling guy and the beating heartbeat thingy. Gorgeous!
What do yo do with the original packing after the grading? There is the part of me that loves that stuff, but considering the environmental issues it seems that though you catch the coins when they look awesome, deterioration is possible--which is why I tend to gravitate to airtites or slabbing. Shoot, I have a few silver Britannia sets which have nice boxes, but some were toning ugly so the coins were removed. I have a box full of original mint boxes...
Dude.........you knock me out.....Absolutely Stunning...........Trueviews are awesome, by chance do you have a pic in there original box ?
Steve
Thank you for all the very kind comments. I was hoping that this forum would be a receptive audience for such a nice group of coins.
To answer the question regarding the original packaging; I keep it. The original SAM box with tissue paper is sealed in a Ziplock bag and sitting in a closet. I keep all the original boxes and ephemera to these sets and, when sold, include the accessory items in the purchase. It is my hope that subsequent owners do the same when they sell the sets, as well, but one never knows what will happen.
My goal for submitting these coins was to make certain that they did not turn while in the original holders and to preserve them in their current state longer.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Most are top dogs! All have been included in the COINFACTS photos. Thanks for sharing something very special.
Glad you like the photos!
All of these coins have a nice luster to them as well, so I have alternate shots of these to show that on file (although they don't show the colors as much).
Radiant Collection: Numismatics and Exonumia of the Atomic Age.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase/3232
Oh what the heck. Here's every photo taken of this set. 120 in total (marker images omitted).
Normally I don't take this many images, but it gives you a look into the thought process I go through, and how I can struggle with one coin more than another.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9huysat4tutzmpb/AAB-bky-H6SuG-XKRjxnz64Ra?dl=0
Radiant Collection: Numismatics and Exonumia of the Atomic Age.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/showcase/3232
Thank you, PCGSPhoto. That is very cool!
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
I'd like to mention a few things about these coins and the process. The first is that I have changed the links for the images so that smaller images show up on the monitor and these should load faster. The second is that I have never used the TrueView service for raw coins in the past and did so this time because of the luster-color combination on these pieces that has already been stated. I found that working with PCGS on these images was very smooth in that they asked for my opinion as to how best to interpret the surfaces of the coins and they also gave me suggestions or options. I believe my thought process mirrored that of PCGS and so everything went quite well.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
What a wonderful set Tom! I follow South Africa coins and I have to say your set is quite beautiful!
Beautiful proof set!
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Super set TomB! The shilling design with "Hope" on the reverse (with anchor) has always been my favorite design of the bunch. I'm a fan of the Kruger-Gray designs, and these are certainly original and stunning. I have a shilling in PCGS PF67CAM that is also a 1953 like yours. Cool set!
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My sets: [280+ horse coins] :: [France Sowers] :: [Colorful world copper] :: [Beautiful world coins]
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Amazing set!
Well balanced toning that has a subtle softness. No love/hate decision... gorgeous TomB
Feel I'm watching a sunset. You got boats, a pretty lady and the only thing missing is me and a margarita.
Thanks for the look behind the curtain PCGSPhoto!
As a former photog, I would love to see more of this.
I was on the fence with submitting some Roosevelt toners because of the expense. Now I might have to send in a few.
Sorry for bringing a thread from the dead...
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Nice to know I'm not the only one resurrecting 3-yr-old threads
They are awesome @TomB Definitely more tone than my SA sets. Congrats
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