Advice/information on Kennedy first Franklin last half's

Lith · September 29, 2023 12:44AM

Would love some advice on these Uncirculated, some staining is apparent, I have no idea what has caused it, wondering how valuable these could be with such damage if unreversible. Could these be cleaned, or is it better to leave them in packaging and get an expert to solve the issues?

lcutler · September 29, 2023 1:11AM

The coins have toned where there are holes in the mylar allowing the air to get to them. Probably were stored in a damp environment judging by the rust on the staples. There isn't a lot of value there, but I'd get them out of the holders and put them in new ones.

OAKSTAR · September 29, 2023 2:29PM

Lith · September 29, 2023 1:21AM

Thanks, I was obviously hoping for them to be valuable! so the packaging holds (no value) providence or evidence of being UNC?

World67 · September 29, 2023 4:38AM

The coins are what's called "junk silver", which means they're only worth silver value, about $8 each.

291fifth · September 29, 2023 5:03AM

The coins were packaged like that in the 1960's and look to have been very poorly stored. I would consider both coins to be nothing more than melt value. Both coins are very common.

OAKSTAR · September 29, 2023 6:11AM

@Lith - Can you give us a little history on them, like where you got them?

Lith · September 29, 2023 7:58AM

@OAKSTAR said:
@Lith - Can you give us a little history on them, like where you got them?

No they are not mine, but I will probably buy them now given these valuations, scrap value is the best price to buy them other than face value, its a win win.

Unknown · September 29, 2023 10:11AM

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OAKSTAR · September 29, 2023 11:04AM

@Lith said:

@OAKSTAR said:
@Lith - Can you give us a little history on them, like where you got them?

No they are not mine, but I will probably buy them now given these valuations, scrap value is the best price to buy them other than face value, its a win win.

The reason I was asking... I wanted closer pictures. I wanted to check for varieties and DDO's.

Lith · September 29, 2023 12:09PM

@OAKSTAR said:

@Lith said:

@OAKSTAR said:
@Lith - Can you give us a little history on them, like where you got them?

No they are not mine, but I will probably buy them now given these valuations, scrap value is the best price to buy them other than face value, its a win win.

The reason I was asking... I wanted closer pictures. I wanted to check for varieties and DDO's.

The Kennedy is a G or a D I cant see anything on the Franklin, apart from an E above some Latin.

Lith · September 29, 2023 12:12PM

@jmlanzaf said:

@Lith said:
Thanks, I was obviously hoping for them to be valuable! so the packaging holds (no value) providence or evidence of being UNC?

The packaging simply means the last YEAR and first YEAR. All 1964 Kennedys and 1963 Franklins would qualify.

It is also a homemade holder. Nothing official or certified.

Edited to add: uncirculated or circulated there is very little price difference unless 66 or above. Those are harder to find circulated than uncirculated.

The packaging is most obviously from a seller, shop or fair, I was hoping someone would recognise who and where just for curiosity sake.

Unknown · September 29, 2023 12:21PM

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Lith · September 29, 2023 12:35PM

@jmlanzaf said:

@Lith said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@Lith said:
Thanks, I was obviously hoping for them to be valuable! so the packaging holds (no value) providence or evidence of being UNC?

The packaging simply means the last YEAR and first YEAR. All 1964 Kennedys and 1963 Franklins would qualify.

It is also a homemade holder. Nothing official or certified.

Edited to add: uncirculated or circulated there is very little price difference unless 66 or above. Those are harder to find circulated than uncirculated.

The packaging is most obviously from a seller, shop or fair, I was hoping someone would recognise who and where just for curiosity sake.

There are hundreds of versions of those holders from hundreds or more sellers. And in some cases, you could buy the holders, in which case you could have dozens of sellers using the same holders.

I've personally owned 10 or 20 versions of them.

That low end presentation is definitely not from any major seller.

Well yeah, but they bothered to have stamps made, and there is some pencil writing on the card that might help.

Unknown · September 29, 2023 12:43PM

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OAKSTAR · September 29, 2023 1:27PM

@Lith said:

@OAKSTAR said:

@Lith said:

@OAKSTAR said:
@Lith - Can you give us a little history on them, like where you got them?

No they are not mine, but I will probably buy them now given these valuations, scrap value is the best price to buy them other than face value, its a win win.

The reason I was asking... I wanted closer pictures. I wanted to check for varieties and DDO's.

The Kennedy is a G or a D I cant see anything on the Franklin, apart from an E above some Latin.

What's a G or a D?

World67 · September 29, 2023 1:36PM

@OAKSTAR said:

@Lith said:

@OAKSTAR said:

@Lith said:

@OAKSTAR said:
@Lith - Can you give us a little history on them, like where you got them?

No they are not mine, but I will probably buy them now given these valuations, scrap value is the best price to buy them other than face value, its a win win.

The reason I was asking... I wanted closer pictures. I wanted to check for varieties and DDO's.

The Kennedy is a G or a D I cant see anything on the Franklin, apart from an E above some Latin.

What's a G or a D?

I'm guessing the mintmark or FG initials.

joeykoins · September 30, 2023 8:27AM

Anyone care for a "Dip?"

Lith · September 30, 2023 9:08AM

Yes, and I'm not American, and not even a coin buff, but I do have a few American coins.

@Manifest_Destiny said:

@OAKSTAR said:

@Lith said:

@OAKSTAR said:

@Lith said:

@OAKSTAR said:
@Lith - Can you give us a little history on them, like where you got them?

No they are not mine, but I will probably buy them now given these valuations, scrap value is the best price to buy them other than face value, its a win win.

The reason I was asking... I wanted closer pictures. I wanted to check for varieties and DDO's.

The Kennedy is a G or a D I cant see anything on the Franklin, apart from an E above some Latin.

What's a G or a D?

I'm guessing the mintmark or FG initials.

Yes, I looked for anything like a mint mark, and all I found were those initials on further inspection, and I'm guessing now that those are not even the mint marks.

Yipee today I got more American coins I know next to nothing about.

IkesT · September 30, 2023 11:04AM

Very common coins; easy to find other examples without the ugly staining and tarnish. The grubby cardboard holders with rusty staples are an ugly way to present the ugly coins. Not a great purchase, in my opinion.

Unknown · September 30, 2023 4:20PM

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IkesT · September 30, 2023 5:33PM

@jmlanzaf said:

@IkesT said:
Very common coins; easy to find other examples without the ugly staining and tarnish. The grubby cardboard holders with rusty staples are an ugly way to present the ugly coins. Not a great purchase, in my opinion.

That really depends on price, doesn't it? Those coins are basically bullion purchases anyway.

The OP seems to have a budding interest in coins, so this is as good an opportunity as any to start learning the principles of collecting and developing good collecting habits. There's no reason to rush to purchase coins that are this common; take a little time and look around for nicer examples. Even buying at melt, why buy horrible pieces when you can buy nicer ones for the same price? This approach will continue to serve the OP well as they progress in their collecting.

And by the way, bullion buyers have visual biases just like collectors of numismatic coins ; when it comes time to sell, the stuff that's not horrible-looking will sell easier than the stuff that is.

Unknown · September 30, 2023 7:19PM

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IkesT · September 30, 2023 7:38PM

@jmlanzaf said:

@IkesT said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@IkesT said:
Very common coins; easy to find other examples without the ugly staining and tarnish. The grubby cardboard holders with rusty staples are an ugly way to present the ugly coins. Not a great purchase, in my opinion.

That really depends on price, doesn't it? Those coins are basically bullion purchases anyway.

The OP seems to have a budding interest in coins, so this is as good an opportunity as any to start learning the principles of collecting and developing good collecting habits. There's no reason to rush to purchase coins that are this common; take a little time and look around for nicer examples. Even buying at melt, why buy horrible pieces when you can buy nicer ones for the same price? This approach will continue to serve the OP well as they progress in their collecting.

And by the way, bullion buyers have visual biases just like collectors of numismatic coins ; when it comes time to sell, the stuff that's not horrible-looking will sell easier than the stuff that is.

As a dealer, I pay the same for ugly bullion as pretty bullion.

Supposing the OP doesn't sell to you?

Unknown · October 1, 2023 5:44AM

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World67 · October 1, 2023 7:10AM

@jmlanzaf said:
And while it is OT, I know plenty of stackers that don't care how pretty the silver is. People buy fistfuls of heavily worn "ugly" 90% all the time. In fact there is a whole new generation of stackers that would rather buy a pile of beat up 90% than the prettiest art bar or Canadian maple leaf. [The "constitutional" stackers.]

I've always thought "constitutional silver" was kind of a weird phrase, but

Unknown · October 1, 2023 4:15PM

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jedm · October 2, 2023 8:51AM

@Lith said:

The Kennedy is a G or a D I cant see anything on the Franklin, apart from an E above some Latin.

They both appear to be Minted in Philadelphia (no mint marks that I can see).
What you may see as a G on the Kennedy is probably the R for Gilroy Roberts the designer of the obverse. According to the Newman numismatic portal: "Roberts designed the obverse of the Kennedy half dollar. His initials appeared on the truncation of the bust. Rumor spread that his stylized initials were a hammer and sickle."

The E above some Latin, IS LATIN: E pluribus unum – Latin for "Out of many, one" – is a traditional motto of the United States appearing on the Great Seal. Its inclusion on the seal was approved in an act of the U.S. Congress in 1782.

Just thought you might want to know.

Lith · October 3, 2023 1:21AM

Thanks, very interesting.

BLUEJAYWAY · October 3, 2023 8:38AM

@jedm said:

@Lith said:

The Kennedy is a G or a D I cant see anything on the Franklin, apart from an E above some Latin.

They both appear to be Minted in Philadelphia (no mint marks that I can see).
What you may see as a G on the Kennedy is probably the R for Gilroy Roberts the designer of the obverse. According to the Newman numismatic portal: "Roberts designed the obverse of the Kennedy half dollar. His initials appeared on the truncation of the bust. Rumor spread that his stylized initials were a hammer and sickle."

The E above some Latin, IS LATIN: E pluribus unum – Latin for "Out of many, one" – is a traditional motto of the United States appearing on the Great Seal. Its inclusion on the seal was approved in an act of the U.S. Congress in 1782.

Just thought you might want to know.

I had forgotten about the "hammer and sickle" rumor. Thanks for the info.

BLUEJAYWAY · October 3, 2023 8:41AM

@jmlanzaf said:

@IkesT said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@IkesT said:

@jmlanzaf said:

@IkesT said:
Very common coins; easy to find other examples without the ugly staining and tarnish. The grubby cardboard holders with rusty staples are an ugly way to present the ugly coins. Not a great purchase, in my opinion.

That really depends on price, doesn't it? Those coins are basically bullion purchases anyway.

The OP seems to have a budding interest in coins, so this is as good an opportunity as any to start learning the principles of collecting and developing good collecting habits. There's no reason to rush to purchase coins that are this common; take a little time and look around for nicer examples. Even buying at melt, why buy horrible pieces when you can buy nicer ones for the same price? This approach will continue to serve the OP well as they progress in their collecting.

And by the way, bullion buyers have visual biases just like collectors of numismatic coins ; when it comes time to sell, the stuff that's not horrible-looking will sell easier than the stuff that is.

As a dealer, I pay the same for ugly bullion as pretty bullion.

Supposing the OP doesn't sell to you?

He may have to. But while you're points are valid, your original comment lacked context. Ugly or not, that is a "good buy" at $16 and "not a good buy" at $25.

And while it is OT, I know plenty of stackers that don't care how pretty the silver is. People buy fistfuls of heavily worn "ugly" 90% all the time. In fact there is a whole new generation of stackers that would rather buy a pile of beat up 90% than the prettiest art bar or Canadian maple leaf. [The "constitutional" stackers.]

If you stack enough worn silver by weight won't you wind up with less silver? I understand large amounts of bulk silver is weighed to determine an actual silver weight.

World67 · October 3, 2023 8:42AM

@BLUEJAYWAY said:

@jedm said:

@Lith said:

The Kennedy is a G or a D I cant see anything on the Franklin, apart from an E above some Latin.

They both appear to be Minted in Philadelphia (no mint marks that I can see).
What you may see as a G on the Kennedy is probably the R for Gilroy Roberts the designer of the obverse. According to the Newman numismatic portal: "Roberts designed the obverse of the Kennedy half dollar. His initials appeared on the truncation of the bust. Rumor spread that his stylized initials were a hammer and sickle."

The E above some Latin, IS LATIN: E pluribus unum – Latin for "Out of many, one" – is a traditional motto of the United States appearing on the Great Seal. Its inclusion on the seal was approved in an act of the U.S. Congress in 1782.

Just thought you might want to know.

I had forgotten about the "hammer and sickle" rumor. Thanks for the info.

There was also a rumor that JS on the Roosevelt dime stood for Joseph Stalin.

Unknown · October 3, 2023 11:10AM

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Advice/information on Kennedy first Franklin last half's

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