OK, don't bust me on this, but no pictures just yet as I am at work. What is the news? Well, just yesterday I got one of the "White Whales" that I have been looking for these last 25 plus years..... OK, it is the 1984 FM 8 Coin Specimen Uncirculated Set. Mintage? Unknown, not in Krause or Schon. Here is the story: I was lucky enough in the course of my Google (and other miscellaneous searches) quests to find a Facebook entry for a gentleman in St. Augustine, Trinidad. He lists occasionally T&T coins which he sells either directly or on consignment. Over time, and about 6 months ago I noted that what should show up was the "magical mystical" 1984FM T&T specimen set! As stated this is unlisted in most sources.... Unfortunately even though I tentatively "purchased" the set, the seller got passive and slowly seemed to back out of it. But the story does not end: a friend of a friend of mine came by last Wednesday, and lo and behold, was leaving for Trinidad the next day. I then contacted the seller who said the set was no longer available; my friend then was leaving just Monday so my thought was that I was SOL. Nope, not quite: Monday morning I got a message from seller saying he had located the set for sale! So, I called through What's App and got my friend that was AT THE AIRPORT. She said the only way she could pick it up was if he were to bring it to the airport by 1 PM (it was 1000 AM Trinidad time). The seller then told me to send me a bank wire, but after I told him I was at work he agreed to take PayPal, but then asked how he knew that I would not rescind payment! Yikes, I then told him that he needed to trust me as we had no other choice, and he finally relented and brought the set to the airport. Long story short, my friend brought the set to my office yesterday and now I have it! Yay team! Pictures I should post tonight if able....
So a minor point but what is interesting is on the informational sheet under the COA, it looks like they went to a bush league printer as opposed to the very professionally done card from previous years. Also the case was the same as from 1980.... This IMO is important because it to some degree reflects the increasing disorganization leading to the de facto dissolution of the FM.
