I was at the coin shop this weekend after not being able to go to the show in Nevada greatly disappointed at the turn of events that kept me from getting to my first show this year and my dealer was going through a "big" buy of mostly scrap silver, wheat pennies, proof sets, modern commems, and the like. While sorting through the proof sets he came across this 1961 with these beautifully toned coins. I begged, I pleaded, because he has an affinity for blue nickels, but I have an affinity for anything that is toned magnificently. We came to a deal and this beautiful proof set came home with me for a mere $20. To be honest I'd have payed that just for the half, I don't even care about the grade, I just never see naturally toned coins that look like that for anything approaching a reasonable price. I mean, WOW, just look at the color in that bad boy, and still in the packaging from the mint. Now here's the big question. Do I break it up, put the toned one in my set of franklins and the others, etc. Or do I leave it all as one set?
Tough call BQ as I'd love to see that half liberated but as Frank said there may still be some "magic" going on in there.
That's a nice looking coin. I say break up the set. If you like it and need it for your collection, break it out, and sell the rest individually. They're worth more separately than together.
Looks like all the coins are toning. I'd keep the coins in the mint packaging. If you really need a frankie for your set buy another proof set.
Great find! I say bust 'em open. Sometimes toning progressing too far can turn ugly, I think the timer on the oven just went off.
Thad is correct, it can sometimes turn ugly. But seeing as how I was always a collector of the original sets, I kind of have a bias towrds leaving them alone. If stored properly, the toning should stop just as it is. No question that the set has already been removed from whatever conditions created that toning, so even if it does continue it is definitely going to change and be different than it is now. The "magic" will NOT be the same any more. Key is proper storage if you want to maintain what you have. That can be done by leaving the set alone - or that can be done by removing the coins from the mint holder.
I say bust out the Frankie and have it encapsulated, and let the other coins "cook" for awhile longer.
Don't ya get it ? They aren't gonna "cook" any longer. They have been removed from the oven ! The oven was where ever it was that that particular set had been stored for the last few decades. Since it is no longer there - it is no longer cooking. It's not the mint holder that is the oven, the oven is the house or building that the set was stored in. That house had its very own and unique peculiarities in regard to temperature, air quality and contaminants in the air, humidity and changes of the same, the type of heat used - whether it was gas, electric or radiant. All of these things and several more are what made that coin tone the way it did. Now that all of those things are different - the toning will change or stop altogether.
I agree with Doug...leave it be. There are a million toned Franklins out there that can be had for minimal cost. It's a lot nicer to see one with toning still in it's original holder. Guy~
