1964 Special Mint Set SMS

That MS-67 coins with a special sheen dated 1964 exist was never an issue nor did I deny them. However, what I objected to is the contention that there were 1964 "Special Mint Sets."

1964 Unc and Proof sets were issued. This is a well known fact and thus there was no need to have any "special" sets issued.

You have to remember that the SMS's were issued as kind of an apology to collectors for the government's having bashed the hobby over the previous year. Unc sets were never just ordinary business strikes anyway, and that goes back to when they first started making them in the 1950s.

The fact is that 1965-67 coins in MS 65 and higher are very rare, as they didn't start making the '65s until the middle of the year and they kept making them until the middle of 1966. Same with 1966-dated coins. In fact they were probably making 1966 and '67 coins at the same time. 1965-67 nickels are in fact rather rare compared to 1964s and 1968->s.

The fact that someone decided to put in an extra hole for the "sms" coins in some half dollar albums doesn't mean that the coins are any different from the coins in the Unc sets from other dates. It's a matter of grade not type.

As someone said in another thread:

That's what the SMS designation is all about.

 

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double post.

 

Sure they exist, but does anyone on this forum know anyone personally who has come across one and how it happened. Out of a mint set or how?

 

Why didn't I see this before? We've been duped by the TPG's!

 

Let me remind everyone here that the SMS designation is not only for coins from the 1965-67 Special Mint Sets. the designation has also been used for other coins that have received a "special" finish.

Case in point would be the 1994-P and 1997-P Jefferson Matte Proof Nickels. These coins were graded MS-XX SMS because they are considered to be special finish coins, not because they came in a Special Mint Set.

I think that some of you are getting caught up in the symantical argument rather than realizing that the 1964 SMS coins are ones that received a special finish (as trial for the new SMS or some other reason, it doesn't matter) and are distinguishable from other coins and therefore graded MS-XX SMS.

This is not some ruse to dupe the collecting public and take their money. The whole TPG idea does that already.

 

Interchangable words...phrases. Semantics. Kinda like cleaning and conservation? Cleaning bad...conservation good. Conservationists never clean coins. I love it! Cleaning exists..but only in the hands of non professionals. Professionals never clean. You are indeed a ****er Doug.


Made...not issued. Semantics. Cents...not pennies. BU's or MS's? You decide. Hey..straighten me out here if you would. Would 50 cent piece be proper or half dollar? Note or bill? Is quarter still acceptable? Or should we consider it a twenty five cent piece? Or maybe one forth of a dollar?
Legal tender or currency? The buffalo nickel or the bison 1/20th dollar Indian obverse?

You gotta love this hobby. Important phrases meant to indicate importance to important people.

Ok..now I'll turn the volume back up on my TV and climb back into my hole..
Err...I mean....Reposition the attenuator that is responsible for limiting or otherwise compensating for the loss of, or excessive sound levels of my digitally reproduced broadcast device.

Pass the Grey Poupon please. LOL.

 

I doubt that anyone else will ever happen across any of these coins as they were never released to the public so anyone who ever had them, received them from someone really high up (like a director) at the US mint.

I'd like to hear a story otherwise but it looks like only a few handfuls of these were ever made. :crying:

 

Despite the talk of there not being any complete sets, I have one. My father ordered a 1964 proof set from the mint in 1964 and what he received was a special mint set. He was deeply disappointed with what the mint sent because it looked nothing like the finish of the '63 and earlier proof sets. Deciding it was too much hassle to return the set for a refund or replacement, he decided to keep it anyway. Several years ago he decided to give me the remaining coins from his collection which included the '64 SMS. I was intrigued by it and began searching for more information about it. For a long time, the best info I could find was they were "rumored to exist".

 

So......how 'bout some pics?

 

I think it stated in the linked article that 1964 d peace dollars were minted. Did any of them survive?

 

I'll make scans of the set as soon as I can.

 

The 1964 D peace dollars were supposed to have been destroyed. They story behind this also says that some mint employees were initially allowed to purchase some but when congress passed the coinage act, everyone was to return the peace dollars. Rumors, for what they're worth, say that some were never returned. These coins never having been monetized would be illegal to own and subject to the same problems as the 1933 double eagles that were confiscated by the treasury dept and are now the subject of a long drawn out federal court case. If there are any in private hands only the owner gets to enjoy them.

 

No, but there is notorius domestic guy who is minting them ....

 

I have also seen a 1964 SMS set as well so I do know they exist but to my knowledge only something like around 100-250 sets were ever made. I think I read they were in fact dry runs for the coming SMS sets in the following years, but some of them got out in error. I also believe perhaps some were specially made for the Kennedy Family as momento's. The one I have seen is owned by a local gentleman who bought one by accident about 30 years ago... he was buying some coins at an estate sale and they were marked in a proof envelope but definitely had a much different finish than the proof coins from that year. They are rare and they are valuable.

 

4

How about a SET of 1964 Special Mint Coins?

 

I suspect there are some which will come out from the same estate sale at the point it is no longer politically acceptable to seize them.

Have you noticed how frequently the Mint Directors and Politicians are the initial sources of the extraordinarily rare coins which are supposed to be destroyed? They steal for themselves and others. Presentation coins are essentially bribes.

 

True, and I believe the source for most (if not all) of the 1964 SMS finish coins was the Eva Adams estate.

 

Coinhead, we are still waiting to see the scans of the 1964 SMS set. I for one would really like to see what you have. Thanks a lot. George