1976 Silver Mint Set Variant Packaging

MrEureka · May 6, 2020 4:27PM

I don’t remember seeing one like this. What’s the story?

Eagleguy · May 6, 2020 4:30PM

I had a couple of them at one time but that's all I know about them

segoja · May 6, 2020 4:39PM

There are 3 types of packaging for these.

the first is the most common Its the normal red flat finish

second was this "holiday" package. I believe (though I'm not 100% sure) this was sold around the holidays

the third, which was more of a clean up of left over coins was the normal red, however, the envelop has a shiny finish, very different from the first flat finish.

There are two inner cellos as well. The first and most common has a white strip running long the edge. This was the cello that was included in the first two outer packages.

The second inner cello did not have the white strip. It was used with the final shiny red outer envelop. ALL the coins in this cello are banged up like no tomorrow. They must have sent the coins on a dune buggy ride down a hundred mile dirt road. I have never seen any coin in this cello that would grade much above a 61 or 62.

Hope that helps

Kove · May 6, 2020 11:48PM

Seems like something the mint would have used to try to get people to give these sets as Christmas gifts.

JBK · May 7, 2020 1:34AM

As I recall, they sold these sets (40%) for a few years or more after the Bicentennial. I think the law required - not simply authorized - a certain mintage, so they all had to be sold off.

I have never seen this packaging, but there was plenty of time to introduce it.

Jimnight · May 7, 2020 2:46AM

It is eye catching.

ricko · May 7, 2020 5:06AM

Nice package...I did not get one of these...Living in Europe at the time...Cheers, RickO

BillJones · May 7, 2020 5:39AM

I vaguely remember the set in the OP as offering that was made in December 1976. The year might be wrong, but I know that it was something from Christmas.

Here is a set I bought at the 1976 ANA show. I was around long enough for Mary Brooks, who was Director of the Mint to autograph it. A collector who knew William E. Simon, who was the Treasury Secretary, offered to get him to sign it. I wish I had taken him up on that offer.

cladking · May 7, 2020 5:48AM

@segoja said:
There are 3 types of packaging for these.

the first is the most common Its the normal red flat finish

second was this "holiday" package. I believe (though I'm not 100% sure) this was sold around the holidays

the third, which was more of a clean up of left over coins was the normal red, however, the envelop has a shiny finish, very different from the first flat finish.

There are two inner cellos as well. The first and most common has a white strip running long the edge. This was the cello that was included in the first two outer packages.

The second inner cello did not have the white strip. It was used with the final shiny red outer envelop. ALL the coins in this cello are banged up like no tomorrow. They must have sent the coins on a dune buggy ride down a hundred mile dirt road. I have never seen any coin in this cello that would grade much above a 61 or 62.

Hope that helps

Yes.

The coins in the packets with no white strip were made on regular coin presses instead of numismatic presses and then dumped into barrels. They do look a great deal inferior to the regular BU's. In mid-'76 the mint reinterpreted the authorizing law to mean they had to make millions more of these coins and with only a few weeks for the job they had to run them off pretty fast leading to this third type of packaging (2nd type of coins).

Despite the huge mintages of the high speed press coins they are actually not seen often today because the bulk were melted ~1981.

The sets with the "holiday packaging" are not unusual.

1976 Silver Mint Set Variant Packaging

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