Last week an old friend that retired liquidated some of his collection and I was the beneficiary. One of the items is a 1941 proof set. I’m not necessarily a proof set collector and am thinking I may pass this on. Here’s my dilemma.... I rather feel it would be a sin to piece the set out. However, I know the mint issued proof sets in that era in stapled cellophane envelopes. So the holder is not original to the set. The other side of me knows that I could invest $150.00 having them individually graded. If I am fortunate to receive a PF68 grade or better on one or more pieces I could potentially receive a small windfall..... Downside is that I do not have the skill set to determine if any may achieve that high of a grade. My dealer feels the half and dime could grade very well and I trust his judgment. Long and short is while I enjoy these coins, I am not emotionally attached to them and they should be with someone that deeply enjoys them. Should I market them as a set or take them apart and chance a strong grade?
Sorry, but I see hits on the WLH, spots on the Jefferson and hairlines on the Lincoln cent. Is this a fingerprint on the Mercury dime? There are no reverse pics, but I doubt any of those would receive a high grade...
Yes.... There are spots on several of the coins. The prints, swirls and scratches are on the plastic holder though.
That is a much better idea. Being the klutz that I am and having two you demanding youngsters running free... I am a bit hesitant to do so.
I much appreciate and trust you guys judgment. And I say that most sincerely. It’s exactly the feedback I need. Sounding like my best bet may be to market this is an average grade set.
What are the white spots on the WLH? It almost looks like they were coated with something and there are voids in the coating. They all have some white spots. For being proofs they don't have much detail.
Hmm. I saw one come up earlier today on eBay at $769 BIN, and figured it would go quickly, as I think that's lower than any of the sets that have sold recently. Then I took a closer look at the coins. Yours look very nice indeed by comparison. If I were you, I'd keep an eye on that listing, and see what it eventually sells for (if it does).
I see a lot of 65s. The quarter could be 66-7 I’d think. The carbon spots don’t help and there’s no stunning toning either. I’d sell them for a fair price as a set raw. I’d look at past listings and see what they look like and sold for
I agree, sell them as a set. To determine a fair price, I think you need them professionally graded, like this: But my quick search couldn't find an example of a PCGS slabbed set like yours. NGC offers a multi-coin holder for the 1941 proof set.
I don’t think that any for these coins will get high grades, and certainly nothing close to PR-68. The silver coins have been dipped, and originally is a huge factor in getting a high grade on Proofs from this era. The nickel has spots, and would probably grade less than PR-63. I would keep this as a raw set. There is nothing outstanding about the coins. There nothing really wrong with them; there is just nothing that makes them stand out.
I wouldn't break up the collection if I had inherited it. I think I would leave the assemblage intact. I think it's well known that I am not one for reselling any coins I've collected, though.
That set contains coins that have original surfaces. It makes a big difference. The question is, are they choice original surfaces? You usually can’t make that determination from photos. It’s why buying high grade Proof coins without a personal examination is really impossible.
A couple similar sets have sold in the $800 range on Ebay. If it was mine, I would sell it there and buy a nice Eagle instead!
Here is a 1936 Proof half dollar that is graded PR-66. These coins came in cellulose sleeves. Over time the cellulose imparted a haze on the silver coins. The trick is to find pieces with a little bit of haze, perhaps a little toning color and the mirrored surfaces shining through with no marks or hairlines. This coin looks much better in person. The mirrors are quite strong. PR-66 is an outstanding grade for Proof coins of this era. PR-67 is super, and PR-68 is almost impossible to get.
It has to do with the overall look of the pieces. The half dollar has some spots that appear to be what was left after the coin was dipped. Usually you don't see toning spots like that which are isolated in one place on the surface without some lesser toning around them.