So, I'm going through a huge batch of US Mint Sets, and stumbled across this lovely proof like 1976 D Kennedy Half. Sure, I was excited...at first. Then I took a closer look, and saw the condition of the coin. Yikes. Huge scratches on both sides, milk spot on the obverse...such a shame. Without all that damage, this is definitely a keeper - a prooflike 1976 D Kennedy Half with an almost cameo like obverse? Yep, I'd keep that. I'd even send that coin in for grading. But this coin...as is...maybe I'll just slide it into a flip for a rainy day. Photos:
It is a shame indeed. Was the coin in the original cellophane packaging when you received it? Quality control during the 1970's is said to have been poor when it came to mint sets.
Yep, was in the original mint cello. Stuck out like a sore thumb (the proof like quality of the strike) - but you could still really see all the damage, even through the cello. And yes, apart from a few Jefferson Nickels the overall quality of the sealed sets has been less than ideal. So many coins with huge scratches, gouges, etc.
I had a gorgeous 1970 D a couple weeks back that was just on the cusp of PL...with what looked like a long staple scratch right down the center of the bust. I've had coins still sealed that look like they were tossed around the parking lot, run over a few times, then put back in the hopper for an "uncirculated" set. Yeah, what the heck were they doing back then?
Yeah, I was thinking MS62PL at best. Might still be fun to see what it gets. I have some NGC credit I need to use at some point before it expires.
Hang onto the PL's. I used to just spend them when they were ugly but then I realized there were very and they were disappearing because people are collecting them. By the way the '76-D comes extremely nice and is often a little PL. But this one is very PL and very special.
I've been buying the Silver Proof Set since 2009 and the Proof Set since only 2019. I have a couple of questions on the sets. First of all, do the coins in each have the same finish, only the Proof Set doesn't have silver in it? Is the Kennedy half dollar PL, or is that finish from something special. I've only collected 4 Limited Silver set, the last being 2020. I've noticed that the Mint doesn't say that any of their coins are PL. Where or who would determine if a coin is PL or not. Any idea of a source that could teach me what a PL coin would be? Thanks for all your info.
Jim, this is my best attempt to answer your questions: Mint Sets will contain business strike (used for circulation) coins - for most years that will mean these coins will look just like your pocket change. For a few years, though, the US Mint produced different finishes (for example, Satin Finish) that was different. Proof Sets will contain coins with a specially prepared mirror finish and will have a lot better quality control (special handling for the most part) compared to mint sets. SMS sets (1965-1967) are generally somewhere in between the two - more mirrored than Mint Sets, but not as mirrored as Proof Sets - but these can vary in quality (some will look a lot closer to Proof Sets than others with a Cameo or Deep Cameo appearance, but this is not common.) The differences are not in the metal of the coins inside the sets, but in the preparation of the planchets, dies, the details of the strike, and the handling of the coins. Some sets of each type will have silver in them (1965-67 SMS sets have a 40% silver Kennedy Half in them; 1964 Proof sets will have a 90% silver Dime, Quarter, and Half in them, same as 1964 Mint Sets; 1975 Mint Sets will contain all Cu-Ni clad coins) depending on year. My Kennedy Half Dollar is called Prooflike because the appearance of the coin (a business strike coin) more closely resembles the mirror finish of a proof strike coin, even though it is not supposed to. This can happen when either the US Mint over polishes the dies used to strike the coin, or they reuse old proof planchets for business strike coins. The US Mint does not intentionally produce Prooflike coins - it's just a combination of factors that creates a few lucky coins (and lucky collectors.) There are certain characteristics to determine if a coin is PL or not, I believe it's clear reflection 3" away from the surface of the coin. Here is PCGS's page about PL standards and here is NGC's page about PL standards. Anyone who knows better than I do is welcome to correct what I've said, if I said something incorrect.
You have the right idea stldanceartist. Seal it, admire it, keep it. Thanks for the look see. Good luck
