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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;cladking, post: 87924, member: 68&quot;]The old SMS&#039;s were different.&nbsp; They have many similarities to all the mint sets struck since 1965 but the dies were usually basined and polished which is not typical of the other clad mint sets.&nbsp; Some of these planchets were polished which is also atypical though some later ones are burnished which is a similar process.&nbsp; The new process for the mint set coins is very little changed.&nbsp; The dies have been chromed and given a slightly different finish but otherwise mint set coin production is essentially unchanged since 1965.&nbsp; For all these years the best coins are generally found in the mint sets though there are many exceptions.&nbsp; If you prefer clean surfaces to full strikes then there are even more exceptions.</p><p><br /></p><p>The old SMS&#039;s were ignored until only five years ago.&nbsp; There were virtually no collectors of moderns and proof collectors considered these mint sets while mint set collectors considered them proof sets.&nbsp; Attrition on all the clad mint sets is very high for many reasons and they vary from date to date.&nbsp; The old SMS&#039;s while greatly dimiinished in number are still sufficiently available to meet most demand.&nbsp; In 1997 a &#039;67 set would have cost about $4 but today wholesales at $15.50</p><p><br /></p><p>As demand continues to grow for these coins it&#039;s a safe bet that supply will be further stressed.&nbsp; This is not to say they should be purchased for this reason just that if you intend to buy you may be better off to do it sooner than later.&nbsp; There is variability in these sets so selecting a nice one is always advisable.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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