My mom sent me these pictures (sorry for the quality, they are low light cell phone pics) of some coin sets she purchased about 15 years ago to commemorate the years of my birth and graduation from high school. What is the story behind these coins? Are they made of the same metals that normal coins that year were made of or were some of them silver alloys? My collection is almost entirely made up of coins that were found in circulation and I know next to nothing about these proof sets.
Proof sets are interesting, Google them and you will find out a lot. Made special at the mint, mirror surfaces, etc.
Uncirculated and Proof are different animals. Uncirculated sets are put together from business strikes at the mint. Proof coins are made especially for collectors.
Not always. They were up until the early '90s which is when the mint started making annual Mint sets from special runs and stopped assembling them from coins struck for use in circulation. Then they switched over again and only offered annual Mint sets with the satin finish. Then they stopped the satin finish and went back to special runs. But if I remember correctly they now offer annual Mint sets from special runs and from coins struck for circulation. So it's a mix and match, sometimes the annual sets came from circ coins and sometimes they didn't. It all depends on the date.
In 1992 to the present there are two types of proof set a clad set as shown and also a Silver proof set with silver 50¢,25¢, and dime.
