Thought I would share...a NEW Franklin Mint Medallic Collection...Founding Fathers

Franklin Mint has returned to its roots in developing this (IMO) very attractive medallic collection. Yes they call them coins ... but I am just glad they are offering this as they have not developed any product for more than a year now. I have always been a big fan of the coins and medals privately minted by the Franklin Mint in addition to some of their great old collectibles. Franklin no longer operates a mint...but they developed this from the ground up including using several sculptors who had worked for Franklin Mint in the good days. I am very pleased by this offering. Also available in pure silver. These medals are designed, sculpted, and struck in the USA.

 

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they look like the same image/style as the prez. dollars to me.... Franklin mint produces coinage for nations worldwide, so I'd like to see some more original artwork personally before I would even consider desiring such a thing. Then again I only buy non-legal-tender items as good prices present themselves.... rarely retail. JMHO.

 

These have more body and design than the Presidential $1 Coins. Franklin Mint stopped producing coinage in 2002. When the Resnicks bought the company in 1985 the downsized the minting operation. They were not interested in making coins...only selling lower end stuff to the masses. Franklin Mint's newest owners have tried a variety of things. This I like.

The Presidential Dollars are practically copies of the Presidential Medals Franklin Mint made in the late 60's early 70's.

Here is a pic of the Franklin Mint's minting operation in 1999...right near the end of the operation.

 

Neat! thanks for the info. were you involved at all with the Franklin Mint?

 

Nah....just always a collector of their product. loved it ever since my neighbor showed me their Bicentennial ingots from Franklin Mint. Since then I have toured and met some great people who were involved with FM.

 

My collection arrived and these medals are stunning. Sculpted by former FM sculptors...struck by a private mint in the USA for Franklin Mint. Franklin Mint closed its mint in 2002. This is a well executed program and a worthy showpiece of the home. I am an avid exonumist for Franklin Mint and others. This is the only product FM has developed in 1.5 years.

http://www.franklinmint.com/foundingfathers/

 

More Pics...

 

While interesting, you will never be able to recoup your initial investment. They have very high premiums attached to them when you buy them and you'll find the "collector's" interest is nil when you go to sell.

I would put the Franklin Mint in the same category as the HSN and other marketing companies.

http://www.cointalk.com/t208491/

 

Franklin mint stuff typically shows up at my local dealers for melt.

 

Franklin Mint, in is previous iteration, is nothing like HSN. Franklin Mint produced 90% of its products in house and they were extremely well developed. The employed over 1000 artists and sculptors and ran their own factories in the USA and far east. HSN and other just take existing US coins and grade them or put them in a box. They do not develop and produce coins or medals. Franklin Mint's design and themes were outstanding. Some of those old medal sets sell well if complete and in good shape. The trick is to sell to collectors globally, not drop them off at the local coin shop. Even melt is far more than the issue price. The 1975 Bicentennial Ingots contained 750 grains of silver and sold for $19 by FM orginally. A steal for the quality. These founding fathers average out to $27 per medal. The margin is no different than what US Mint charges for boring special sets of presidential dollars etc. But even more important you buy these items because they are a nice product and fun to own...not for investment. The adveritising makes no mention of it being limited, or anyting other than a way to honor history. Plus the sculpting and design are much better than on most modern US commem coins.

Now that most of the old FM products are long gone. Some do sell for a premium. Try to find a mint in box diecast model of the 1982 Corvette Collector's Edition in Beign for anywhere close to the $90 issue price. They sell in the $500 range. Certain products from FM have a cult following. There are groups devoted to them. Doll groups on Yahoo...diecast groups like www.diecast.org. So the generic statement about bad investent does not apply. Also with todays precious metal prices any old FM set with silver or gold in it is definitly selling way above issue price. In the 1970's FM charged about $19 for the average medal with 1.5 ounces of silver. Find any mint today that will charge that for a fully sculpted newly struck piece???

 

They should have changed their name when they revamped. It leaves a bad taste because of their history. Not many dealers in my area pay anykind of premium for FM products. However, if I get it for melt or thereabouts, I'll buy it.

Considering the issue prices at the time were outrageous, the only saving grace was the fact that they were silver. Even then you would have been far better off buying silver coins without the premium in the 1970's.

 

I'm guessing you may be associated with the Franklin Mint?

 

Not at all. Just an avid collector. But these medals are very well-developed considering FM no longer mints. These products should not be bough for investment...you are just paying for a nice product...no different than going in the jewelry store. Perth Mint and Royal Mint charge as much as $150 for new 1 ounce silver commemorative coins. Franklin Mint prices were never that high on the pieces the created and sold. With the level of design and quality of FM product the prices were a bargain. They even minted sterling silver plates with beauriful etched designs. This is quality that we will never see again...all made in the USA. The present day mass public does not appreciate owning quality items. They like Wal Mart and electronics that are out of date in a couple of years.

Here are four pics of Franklin Mint's Masterpieces of Rodin. Honoring the works of Auguste Rodin. I bet there are even few people in HSN's customer list that even know who Rodin is. These pieces are elegant as compared to a set of presidential dollars in a cheap Chinese wood case. FM first offered these in 1985 and then in the 1990's. They were struck in their mint and required up to 5 strikings each. The US mint can't come close to this quality and most world mints can't either. I would prefer these anyday over just some old US coins I purchased at near melt. My decisions are based on quality, design, eye appeal. Not what will be something that sells for a profit. Probably less than 100 sets of these silver Rodin medals were made...making them very rare. The Franklin Mint over time has produced some of the finest products in the world. They would spend $500,000 just developing one product. They did make some cheap stuff too. But even their $37 pocket knives from the 1990's push to make the company mass market were still developed with lots of engineering and cash.

 

The bottomline, unless you're a collector of FM products they are worth melt. I've seen hundreds of pieces come into my local shop that I could have bought at melt. I've seen them refuse to buy FM stuff that was non-silver or plated.

 

Just my opinion, I think those are a rip off at $995.

Their description is quite vague about how much silver, by weight, is in each medal.

 

No doubts. But that doesn't mean the original issue price was out of line for the quality received when compared to the prices charged by other mints and primary suppliers of product. You should buy collectibles for enjoyment. The public always gets involved in speculation for the wrong reason. Its hurt the coin market in the past and gives a bad name to legitimate operations. Private companies don't exist to sell stuff at the cost of the raw materials involved. In many cases the US Mint charged more for their single silver Commems and in some cases those have dropped in value as well. If selling people should never take this stuff to a coin shop. Sell straight to the collector who wants it. Often people say they have a mint set when its really in bad shape. Of thats the case its not even worth melt to me.

 

They are 1 ounce. And yes its expensive. But I am willing to support it to see them try that product theme again.

 

So you don't have a problem paying $142.14 per medal from FM?

ASEs are way much cheaper from the U.S. Mint.

 

Not at all. Its a nice looking American made product. I couldn't be more than pleased with it. I like silver eagles too but you are comparing apples and oranges. ASE's are boring to me as compared to this. I have the 25th Ann ASE set. I get them graded by NGC. But I like to support classic icons like FM as well. FM pioneered the cameo proof finish. The US Mint even bough equipment from them as they downsized. The best american sculptors all were employees of Franklin Mint before going to US Mint etc...with the exception of Gilroy Roberts who helped found Franklin Mint. At $142.14 per medal...the Royal Mint charges similar for some of their London 2012 products. Thats a profit margin thats no different than what you pay for an iphone or ipad...or toothpaste at Wal-Mart. As long as they don't lie and guarantee investment or anything...I am okay with it. Its not like National Collectors mint where they sell a gold plated item and discuss the market price of gold. In this case the plating is for aesthetics. I am not in search of the cheapest silver...I just collect what I like. If I die and someone sells it for a fraction of the price I still got my enjoyment.