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<p>[QUOTE="cladking, post: 834438, member: 68"]I've looked through hundreds of thousands of BU circulation strike and mint set coinage since 1965. The differences are simply striking. It's really impossible to positively identify any given coin as mint set because circulation strikes do come as nice but given a large mixed pile I can separate them with about 99% accuracy for the mint set coins and 95% for circulation issues. </p><p><br /></p><p>I think it's the mint description of these coins as being the same as the circulation strikes that has caused so many collectors to miss the boat on moderns. They looked at the astounding mintages of the regular issues and the high mintages of the mint sets and just added them together which meant that there must be a near infinite number of all the newer coins in unc and they'd be with us almost forever. Because of this belief spurred by mint press releases they never even looked. What they would have seen is that many moderns weren't saved at all in unc because they were so dreadful; bad strikes, worn dies, and marked up. The mint set coins were tens times better but they were sure no prize. Most of these coins are badly marked up as well. If their only problems were strike or worn dies these could be overlooked since strikes and dies tend to be OK for mint set coins but there are so many problems that when one of these is nice it just pops out at you. </p><p><br /></p><p>Now over the years the mint sets have been mostly just trashed; lost to time and tide as well as damp basements and airy attics. The sets have gone unappreciated because people believed they only contained very common coins and the prices haven't been condusive to proper storage. These take up a lot of room so they don't get into temperature controled safety deposit boxes. </p><p><br /></p><p>Sure, the highest grades finally get some notice as a handfull of collectors compete for them but the perception that gems or coins in slightly lower grade are common is pervasive. If you think they are then you should try to find a nice clean near-Gem 1969 quarter. You can pull your hair out trying to find this "common" coin yet it lists for far less than the cost of slabbing and if you find one it might cost only a dollar or two. The whole mint set is obnly about $6. </p><p><br /></p><p>Lincolns are a little different for two reasons. Copper is a little softer so takes a strike better and large numbers of these exist in BU rolls. But softer also means they take marking easier and being a penny means they don't try as hard. </p><p><br /></p><p>I've found the gem cents to be much easier in mint sets as well but I've not checked rolls for decades since they were so bad. </p><p><br /></p><p>One of these days people are going to wake up and realize there's nearly half a century of coins that have been ignored out there and they mostly are all awful. Mostly they're in circulation and the uncs can be tough and all the gems are. As soon as they turn to mint sets, the very day thaty mint sets get any demand, they'll be all gone. The only reason these are around is that no one wants them. Most have already been destroyed because of their low price or because someone wanted a certain nice half dollar or something out of one. They've been flooded and burned. </p><p><br /></p><p>Their day is coming.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="cladking, post: 834438, member: 68"]I've looked through hundreds of thousands of BU circulation strike and mint set coinage since 1965. The differences are simply striking. It's really impossible to positively identify any given coin as mint set because circulation strikes do come as nice but given a large mixed pile I can separate them with about 99% accuracy for the mint set coins and 95% for circulation issues. I think it's the mint description of these coins as being the same as the circulation strikes that has caused so many collectors to miss the boat on moderns. They looked at the astounding mintages of the regular issues and the high mintages of the mint sets and just added them together which meant that there must be a near infinite number of all the newer coins in unc and they'd be with us almost forever. Because of this belief spurred by mint press releases they never even looked. What they would have seen is that many moderns weren't saved at all in unc because they were so dreadful; bad strikes, worn dies, and marked up. The mint set coins were tens times better but they were sure no prize. Most of these coins are badly marked up as well. If their only problems were strike or worn dies these could be overlooked since strikes and dies tend to be OK for mint set coins but there are so many problems that when one of these is nice it just pops out at you. Now over the years the mint sets have been mostly just trashed; lost to time and tide as well as damp basements and airy attics. The sets have gone unappreciated because people believed they only contained very common coins and the prices haven't been condusive to proper storage. These take up a lot of room so they don't get into temperature controled safety deposit boxes. Sure, the highest grades finally get some notice as a handfull of collectors compete for them but the perception that gems or coins in slightly lower grade are common is pervasive. If you think they are then you should try to find a nice clean near-Gem 1969 quarter. You can pull your hair out trying to find this "common" coin yet it lists for far less than the cost of slabbing and if you find one it might cost only a dollar or two. The whole mint set is obnly about $6. Lincolns are a little different for two reasons. Copper is a little softer so takes a strike better and large numbers of these exist in BU rolls. But softer also means they take marking easier and being a penny means they don't try as hard. I've found the gem cents to be much easier in mint sets as well but I've not checked rolls for decades since they were so bad. One of these days people are going to wake up and realize there's nearly half a century of coins that have been ignored out there and they mostly are all awful. Mostly they're in circulation and the uncs can be tough and all the gems are. As soon as they turn to mint sets, the very day thaty mint sets get any demand, they'll be all gone. The only reason these are around is that no one wants them. Most have already been destroyed because of their low price or because someone wanted a certain nice half dollar or something out of one. They've been flooded and burned. Their day is coming.[/QUOTE]
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