maybe I'm thinking of my 1981 set, but I believe it was 1982 - and I don't have them in front of me... It's a question I've been meaning to ask for a long time. The Red Book states two varieties of this particular set, and the clear S is worth significantly more than the filled S... so anyone know what the difference is? I'm not sure which one I have.
the '81 type II's are difficult to differentiate from the Type I's especially on the SBA and the cent. The "S's" on both are pretty "clear" when compared to previous years but the T2's have more bulbous serifs. I recommend taking the set to a show and then find a dealer selling the T2 sets (unslabbed) and ask him to take a look at it and give you his opinion. Basically, find someone who knows what to look for and let them tell you which it is, then if you want to sell it get it slabbed so the buyer knows that it really is a T2 and they will be more willing to pay the proper price.
that's pretty sound advice. I was reading through the Red Book, and it said something to the effect that 'All mint marks must be clear'. I figured, if clear means clarity, they all seemed fairly apparent to me - as much as any other, under a 10x loupe. Maybe I'll see if I can get a zoom scan and post up some pictures, and see what people think. I don't know how clearly I'll be able to get in there, but I'll give it a shot.
It's hard work with a normal camera (non-microscoped) to get good pics of that tiny "S". I had a bear of a time selling an 81 proof set that I was certain had a T2 SBA because even with close-up pics most people on eBay couldn't tell the difference and it ended up selling for less than it probably should have. Thus the advice about slabbing, since it is valuable enough to warrant the fees in my experience.
