Is this a mint set or a proof set. They are in unopened white envelopes from the mint, the only special markings is 1965 - s.s. and the note inside.
the answer is: neither of the above. This is a Special Mint Set which was issued between 1965-67 as a hybrid version of both a Mint and a Proof Set. Mint and proof Set production would resume in 1968
Sorry, but that is not a Special Mint Set. The '65 Special Mint Set was only sold in the hard plastic holders - not in the pliofilm flat packs. What that is is a 1965 Souvenir Set. They were sold at the mint, at the Mint's gift shop. As such they are somewhat scarce, much more so than the '65 Special Mint Sets. In regard to value, only somebody like me, who used to specialize in collecting such things, would pay much of a premium for them. Or, you could get lucky and find somebody who didn't know any better that might over-pay. If it were me and I was buying it, I'd never pay over $20 for it and probably less. edited to add - The coins in these sets were assembled from the coins minted for use in circulation for that year. This is true of all Souvenir Sets.
Doug: The 1965s were sold in white envelopes and pliofilm packs. The 1966 and 67s were in the hard cases. The OPs set IS a 1965 SMS and NOT a souvenir set
I believe this is incorrect. I think the 1966 and 1967 sets were sold in the hard blue plastic but the 1965 sets were sold like this.
hey... at least you own it when you're wrong oh, and I believe that the first correct answer in the thread should get a like as pennance.
Most mint set collectors consider these proof sets and proof set collectors consider them mint sets. The only reason they have much premium is that the mintages were smaller than proof sets and the attrition has been high.
Yup, always have. If only everyone would do that - can you imagine what a different place this would be ? A wise man once said - if you don't make mistakes once in a while it's because you're not doing anything !
Thanks for the honesty, not common these days. I am going through some additional Proof sets and have noticed a 1979 set that appears to have the S mint mark on a mound. I tried to take a pic but it is much too small for my camera to pick up. Does this sound of interest or not? Should note that this is on the $1.00 SBA
Without pics, just from the description, it sounds like you have a type-1 79 proof. In 1979, the S-mintmark had devolved into basically a blob. Late in the year, the dies were replaced with new, crisp, sharply defined mintmarks. The original "blobs" are called Type-1 while the new clear "S" is called a Type 2. Of the two, the type one carries no premium but the Type 2 does have some value. This scenario was repeated again in 1981. Because the mint-mark change was not done to all denominations at the same time, it is possible to have a 1979 proof set with a mixture of both type1 and 2. If you are fortunate to have all six coins as type 2, then you are in luck!
Admitting my mistakes is due to me being me. But making the mistake that's due to my not thinking before typing - which is how most of them occur. Just keep in mind, for future use, that what I said about the Souvenir Sets - that part was accurate. I was going to answer your question about the $ coin but appears that was done while I was typing this.
Here's a comparison of the various type1 and 2 mintmarks. Is the 79s-T1 the one you were referring to?
And I just got a graded 1981-S Type 2 for Christmas. It is great to see the pictures to remember the differences between the types.