1950's & 60's CAMEO and DEEP CAMEO PROOF & SMS SET PRICES??

Does anyone have up-to-date price info for cameo and/or deep cameo proof sets dated in the '50's and 60's? These seem pretty rare to me, and although there are "put together" sets for sale in various places, I'm somewhat unsure of their value when compared with "original mint-packaged" full deep cameo sets, which I rarely see, (except for '68 and '69 every now and then) .

Also, the SMS cameo and deep cameo sets seem REALLY scarce. Occasionally, I do see some cameo proof singles for both the SMS and other above mentioned dates, but few full sets. I am looking to upgrade my proof set collection, so if there is anyone here on the forum who could help, it would be deeply appreciated. Thanks!!

 

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Wow!

Good luck, you're going to need it.

Even the '68 and '69 are very tough and the others are virtualkly impossible. When such a set shows up there is a huge tendency for it to get busted up and a few of the coins sent in for grading. I've seen a really nice '64 and a close '58 but the other dates have eluded me. I'd guess you'd have to look at close to 400 original sets of a given date to find all cameo. Finding this number of original sets now days would be a huge project in itself.

They might not be quite as tough as I'm suggesting since mint personell did play around with things like this and there might be a little difference in our grading standards. My experience with all proof sets is not extremely deep. SMS's are impossible though. Here my experience is much deeper. Even excluding the penny which is scarce to rare in cameo I've never seen an all gem set that I wasn't sure was put together (the '66 and '67 cases can be opened). Ironically the '65 set would probably be available this way but there is some perverse thing where if the dime is nice then the nickel isn't. The dime and nickel are toughest and make or break the most close sets. There are more almost there cents with this date as well.

I've always thought a nice collection of mint and proof sets like this would not only make a fantastic collection but would be excessively rare someday. They make astounding collections and are a lot of fun to assemble. I've been doing this with the mint sets for years now and some of these are just amazing. After you look at a lot of these you start to understand why so many letters to the editors would talk about fabulous quality while others spoke of coins that had kicked around on the floor for weeks before being shoveled up and put in mint sets.

I applaud you but imagine you have your work cut out for you.

 

I don't think there enough sets out there changing hands to get an accurate price evaluation.
Best guess: Look up the individual coins, add their values up and add some percentage (10%? 20%?)

I sent my '52 and '53 proof sets into NGC and got one coin labeled Cameo.
Fortunately it was the '53 half.
Only place I can find a price listed is in Coin Values, and they tend to be a bit high.

 

I don't think I've ever seen an original pre-70's proof set where all of the coins were cameo, let alone deep cameo. Iguess in theory the first 50 to 100 sets could be, but then as the cameo faded and dies started being replaced at random individual cameos would come and go but it is hgihly unlikely all of the coins, both sides, would happen to come from new dies again at a later date. After 70 and especially after 72 the mint made a more conscienious effort to produce cameo coins in the proof sets. But before that it was just the luck of the draw on the dies.

 

Thanks!!

Thanks to all for your kind responses and useful info!! Looks like if I can find any cameo/deep cameo sets for those dates, they'll all be from different proof sets. I wonder if the price for the "put together" sets not in mint packaging will be a good investment. I know they'll be a great collectible and much fun to look at once I find some. Thanks again to all responders!!

 

Rick Tomaska will charge you a fortune and give you the best of whats out there...most the time. He charges a fortune and then some, but his stuff is out of this world....

R&I coins

Or you could watch the bay for slabbers and the buy sell trade threads on this site

 

I don't know how deep your pockets are, but I suspect they'll have to be VERY deep to get the earlier proofs in cameo (deep cameo is almost scary.)

Just a thought on a less expensive alternative.
At least for the older sets consider "matched" sets.
All coins in a set MS-65 or -66 or ?
Still have to be "put together" sets but nice.