Hi. I'm new here, and joined, because I have a question, I thought someone could help me with. I've asked a friend in the coin collecting business if he had any 1958 uncirculated coins to give a friend who's turning 50. He gave me (to look over) a few coins that are in excellent (very shiny, looks new) shape, and are in plastic folders. it says 1958 "proof" on them. a washington quarter, and a franklin 1/2 dollar. And he also gave me a sealed brown envelope that looks old, and says 1958-P.C. in the lower left corner on the front of the envelope, and is stamped with Treasry Department, United States Mint, Philadelphia 30, PA. He says it's a set of uncirculated mint coins from 1958, but says I can't open the sealed envelope! Well, I'm trying to decide whether I want to buy this, but is it weird that the envelope itself is sealed? If I do buy it, shouldn't I at least open it to see what I'm giving to someone? I completely trust and know the family of the man selling me the coins. That's not the issue. He said it was sealed when he bought it, and asked me to keep it sealed. Is this common? It's a brown envelope, so I have no idea what's in it! Can any of you help? thanks. duma
In my opinion you should not by the envelope. Since you are giving this as a gift it is like saying here is a present but you can't open it. If I was doing this for a friend I would want them to be able to look at the coins and appreciate them. The reason it is sealed is to keep the condition legitmate a therefore give it its value. I think you should go for the ones you can see. This is just my opinion.
duma welcome to CT .What the dealer showedyou were proof sets ,from around 1956 the government issued them like you described , they are worth more if you leave them in the origanal packing . Good luck . rzage It does'nt matter if the brown envelope is opened , as I would want to see what I was buying. Definately open the brown envelope ,
Welcome. If you're buying a gift for a friend, especially something like that, which can be found elsewhere, buy something you can see. Please! While the seller might be honest, for all we know he might have bought the item from someone else who wasn't. And it's possible that the envelope does not contain what it should - occasionally, individuals open and re-seal such envelopes after switching coins, etc. and it's not easily detectable.
Clad, I guess that's you! I didn't know you posted here. I can't wait to get into some modern vs. classic debates with you.
Wow, thanks for the welcome, and the responses! ok, so IF I bought the brown envelope (which, the curiousity of it is killing me now!!) then I could open it to see what's in there. BUT, does it immediately lose it's value once opened? Would I be able to sell them to someone else, if I decided that they weren't suitable to give as a 50th b'day gift? After joining here and posting this thread, I saw on ebay that there are several of these sealed brown envelopes for sale. It seems so absolutely silly to me to keep them sealed in the envelope for all these years. I DO understand the need to leave coins in their sealed plastic wrappers, but why would the envelope need to be? Also, do you know if the coins within the envelope are ALSO sealed in plastic?? Thanks for all of your help! Duma
A lot of these haven't really been sealed all these years. They've been steamed open and resealed or counterfeit envelopes have been bought for them. There are sets out there in unopened envelopes and they are worth a premium but you need more than just someone's word that they are unopened. They don't really lose value when they are opened. People are looking for nice gemmy coins, varieties, and most especially, cameos. Cameos are proof coins struck with acid etched dies that leave the devices and lettering white. These coins can be worth thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars and once you open it the buyer can see there is no cameo (and there probably won't be). Opened ones sell for PROOF SET bid and they get a couple dollar to five dollar premium sealed. It's a nice premium for a 10c envelope. I, personally, almost always open sets and rolls. Ya' never know what you're gonna find till ya look.
What year did the Mint start using the cellophane(?) packaging for the proof and mint sets? I have a 1954 set that was just the coins in a holed carboard holder.
1958 was the last year for MINT SETS in the cardboard. PROOF SETS in the plastic sleeves in envelopes started in 1956.
To my knowledge they were never sold that way by the Mint and must have been placed in that holder afterwards.
Mark, the 1948-1958 Mint Sets (or Double Mint Sets as some call them) were issued in a cardboard holder with 2 examples of each coin in the set. In 1959, the mint started sealing the coin in the same plyo-film plastic-style sleeves as they did until just earlier this decade. Ther issue price for these double Mint Sets was $4.43 in 1958 and when the mint went to the silng;e set in 1959, the price dropped to $2.40 where it stayed until the Special Mint Sets of 1965-67.
