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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Hobo, post: 929082, member: 11521&quot;]In 1965 things were pretty crazy at the Mint. The Mint and Congress blamed the current coin shortage on coin collectors and speculators. To meet demand the Mint was still cranking out billions and billions of coins dated 1964 all through 1965 and well into 1966. Silver coinage was ending and clad coinage was beginning. Mintmarks were removed from coins. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>About the last concern of the Mint was making coins for collectors. No Proof Sets or Mint Sets would be made during the years 1965 -1967 but, to placate collectors, Special Mint Sets (SMS) were issued. Special Mint Set coins fall somewhere between Proof coins and Business Strike coins. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Proof coins are typically struck multiple times at higher than normal pressure (to bring up the details of the coin). The dies are highly polished and are polished again after every few strikes (perhaps 15 to 20 strikes). The planchets are also polished. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Business Strike coins are struck once at normal pressure by dies that are not highly polished like the dies used to strike Proof Coins. The planchets also receive no special attention.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Special Mint Set coins were struck on unpolished planchets (like business strike coins) using polished dies (like Proof Coins). Like business strike coins the SMS coins were received only one strike but, like Proof Coins, they were struck at a higher pressure (but not as high as Proof Coins). The result was a proof-like coin with shiny fields and better details than a business strike coin but less than a Proof Coin.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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