My US Mint order arrived yesterday - 2003 Proof Set and the First Day set for the Jefferson Peace nickels. I noticed that the obverse of one of the nickels has what looks to be a nick on it. It's noticeable with the naked eye. Also, the obverse of my Kennedy half dollar has some kind of dark spot, like a piece of dirt. Are things like this normal with mint products? What kind of condition should I expect with the things I purchase from them?
Bag marks are common on the circulating coins, such as the peace nickels. They are minted on a high speed press, and fly out of the press into a hopper. That is only one of the violent gyrations that a coin goes through during minting. Most of the coins are marked up during minting of the circulating (business strike) coins. The proofs are another story... Can you post a picture of the spot on your half? BTW - The mint has a satisfaction guarantee.
I will be away for the weekend, but I will put a scan up as soon as a get back. So are the nickels nothing to worry about then? Is the value lessened or are these things accepted by collectors as par for the course? I guess that's why MS-70 is such a rare grade.
A bunch of the coins that I receive from the mint have had deep marks, especially those on the ends of rolls. I have a peace nickel that I can put my fingernail in one of the marks. That part is normal... You betcha on the grade. Mint sets are the best choice because of the way they are handled for the high grades.
Well circulation strikes are a far different process than mint strikes and proof strikes. The Mint will be issuing a couple of new sets this year with one of each of these types of strikes packaged together with a nice letter explaining the differences. If you order a mint set and compare the Jeffersons, you will notice a dramatic difference in strike and quality. When a coin hits the high grades, they are 95% of the time pulled from mint sets, not uncirculated business strikes. Quality is an issue that the mint has struggled with for some time now. Many sets get returned each year for spotting, cracked cases, and general lack of quality. But take into consideration that sometimes if you return a product, the mint may not have a new set to replace it. You may only get your money back.
I work in the quality improvement field (mostly in IT), and a buddy of mine said he worked with a gent who did quality consulting for the mint. They were asking how they could statistically reduce the defects in the coinage products they produce. They pointed to one area of production where planchets were carried from the washer to the upsetting mill. They climb a conveyor up 3 stories and then fall into the upsetting hopper. There were a few areas of improvement they found. But honestly, the mint flat out doesn't care about the ultra high grade quality of the coins. They care about resistance to wear, longevity and other factors that make the coins more durable. At least that is what they publically say....
Well the Mint sets and proof sets are handled nicely for the most part. A computer controlled arm picks up the freshly minted coin and places it in the appropriate holder. For circulation strikes, as mentioned by CohibaCris, the process is pretty fast and ugly. After being bounced around on conveyer belts, they are run through a series of riddler machines, before being dropped a couple of stories into a large metal bin. Tons are done at a time. There is very little chance of finding high quality business strikes. That is why they charge so much for mint and proof sets.
