Can somebody explain the difference between these two and tell me if it would affect the value of either to open them up to take better pictures of the coins and then close them back up again?
Mint Set- A set of Circulation Strike Coins, same coins you find in your pocket change Proof Set- A set of Proof coinage, proof coinage being made with exceptional strike and quality. Proof is generally worth more than mint
Those sets were not issued by the US Mint. The Capital holders are an after-market addition, and the coins were removed from the OGP and placed in those cases. It would not affect the value if you removed them for photos. Chris
Your sets didn't come from the mint in those holders, so other than quality, there is no way to tell. The quality of proof coins is far superior than that of coins struck for circulation.
The holders you have are after market and not from the US Mint. I would advise against removing them from these holders. Removing them may cause them to become damaged thereby lowering the overall value.
I really like the pre 65 sets if you are wanting to sell them I would leave them as they are. Since they are after market it is hard to tell from pic but the quarter in bottom row of the top proof set looks like a proof to me, the rest I can't tell from the pic plus my eyes are not what they used to be good luck!
