I have a question and would like everyones opinion/advice. I have a few proof coin sets in the older small 2 inch by 6 inch hard plastic set (some from the mint and some not). I am a big fan of airtites and I know that they have some cases to display their capsules in. Would it hurt the value of the set if they were in airtite capsules in a display case? Thanks. Steve
The mint never issued proof sets in a 2X6 inch holder. They did do special mint sets that way in 66 and 67. So all of the sets have already been broken out of the government holders. So now it really doesn't matter what holder you have them in. Many people prefer the OGP, but as long as the set is complete and the coins undamaged it really doesn't hurt the value that much.
Plus, there's a whole string of years where the "value" depends on the price of silver bullion, no other factor.
I personally don't buy proof or mint sets unless they're in ogp. As mentioned some do prefer them that way, so I were you, I wouldn't break them out unless there's a problem with the coins that needs attention.
Maybe so, but I have over 2 rolls of S-mint Kennedy 50c found in rolls and bags. They were either stolen, or somebody bailed out for whatever he could get - fast.
Getting back to Proofs in circulation, CT Member afm1982 has just posted 3 rolls of Proof Kennedy 50c taken from circulation, so there's more anecdotal evidence that a lot of Proof Sets have been broken up for bullion, especially after you factor in shipping costs. It's easier to dump proof sets; they're pretty, and high quality, but an iffy investment.
Well, if you're talking clad proofs, I can see finding some in circulation, as there was a time, some weren't worth much more than face, especially if they had problems. If you found them in circulation, they definitley have problems now.
Yeah, if an old set's packaging has deteriorated, after market packaging is acceptable. Many of the 50's & 60's sets are in Capital holders. But, I do prefer them in no problem ogp.
Given the Kennedy Half's he listed, I seriously doubt that the Proof Sets were busted up for "bullion". Those particular Kennedy's , that he was advertising, have bno silver and since they were tossed into circulation, have no value other than 50c each. Of course, its always a treat for a collectors to come across these but that doesn't mean they have value. Once I bust up a set from 68-2014, I'd just spend the left overs since they are more difficult for me to spend than they are actually worth.
http://www.cointalk.com/threads/clearing-out-kennedy-halves-nifc-proof.247490/ I don't see any silver in the above list.
Whatever. No standard Proof Sets in my holdings, just a few of the silver dollar/clad half dollar combos.
Has anyone ever made any estimates as to how many of the '68-'70 mint sets are still extant? I'd bet that many were broken up for the half dollars. As evidence, I find about 20 '70P sets for every '70D set I find.
I imagine several 1970-D sets were broken up to get at the half dollar, which was, at the time anyway, the rarest business strike JFK half (and would remain so, until 2008 and every year since). A lot of people were expecting this to be a key and thus valuable... the problem is, so many people saved them that they're not at all scarce (and almost all are in high-grade mint state, since they were only ever issued in mint sets). These days the real rarity is 1970-D mint sets that are still intact lol... For quick reference, here are the JFK halves that were not issued for circulation (not counting proofs, silver proofs, silver bicentennials, etc.): 1970D 1987P 1987D any from 2002-present
These would all have to be 3rd party packaging anyway. The Mint never issued proof sets in plastic 2 x 6 holders (they did issue 1966 and 1967 special mint sets in these though). Proof sets pre-1968 were issued in cellophane packaging; collectors often would put them in hard plastic holders (especially by Capitol Plastics). Moving them from one set of 3rd party packaging to another won't do anything to the value (assuming you're careful enough to not damage them). Being in the original packaging doesn't typically add much of a premium (some people prefer it, but not enough to add significant value, usually).
Funny thing is in most cases the sum value of the individual coins in a proof or mint set is greater than the value of the set intact. I've actually been breaking up mint and proof sets recently in order to build UNC/Proof sets of modern issues. Coins go into 2x2's and archival pages in 3 ring binders. The odd outlier right now is the 2012 proof set. It has a value about twice that of the 2011 or 2013, yet the individual coins have about the same sum value as the other years. Doesn't make sense to break one of those up just now...
