Speaking of is it a proof or is it a mint coin makes me wonder. They say that Proofs are the untimate coin for your collection. Yet, I see that regular MS business strikes sometimes out do proofs in value. I wonder why this is ? I have every proof set from 1956 up, but the total estimated value of all the sets combined are sometimes lower than some MS business coin strikes. I wonder why this is ? Why do I purchase proof sets from the US mint every year, only to find the value drop by a third after a short time. I wonder why this is ? Why do I see a business strike coin on E-Bay and want to pay more for one coin than a whole mint set would cost. I wonder why this is ?
Because people take care of proof. Most coins minted for circulation have a lower population in the higher mint states.
I think that business strikes are sometimes worth more than proofs because modern proofs are made to be collected; most of them stay in good shape and are cared for. Business strikes in MS condition are harder to find sometimes because they were made for circulation, and someone had to "save" them and preserve them for them to stay in that condition for x number of years. That's what I'd think anyways.
Circulation strikes are much harder to find in the higher grades. For example, I have a 2001-D Kennedy in NGC MS68. There are only 5 in this grade and none higher. However, if you look at the Census for the 2001-S clad proof, you will find 16 in PF68UC, 1076 in PF69UC and 216 in PF70UC. Chris
If there were fewer, then there would be one listed at 69 unless they cracked it out first which would be foolish. Chris
Because many times the business strike is produced in lesser numbers than the proof strike. Again the same.....the 'numbers game'. The collector in us is a 'sucker' Dave. Get a hold of that finger Dave and resist the temptation to press 'buy'......
The key word in your comment is "sometimes". Yes, sometimes the business strike example will have greater value. But sometimes it won't. The determining factor can be due to a few different things. It can be mintage numbers, it can be extant numbers (how many still survive), or it can be conditional rarity. But there is no absolute, for neither the Proof nor the business strike is always the most valuable of the two. Same reasons as given above. But ask yourself a question, ever seen a '56 PF70 DCAM in any denomination ? Ever seen a '56 PF69 DCAM in any denomination ? Or for that matter, how many '56 MS69's have you seen ? Again, neither one is an absolute. Because you are a collector. And once you have started a set you fell compelled to keep on collecting it. And maybe because you like the Proof sets. Very simple, the sets exist in fairly large numbers as compared to the number of collectors who want to own them. Money is the usual answer, you think you stand to make some at some point in time. If the coin on ebay is an MS63 which sells for $5 and you want or need all examples of that date/mint, do you buy it or the mint set ? But in the same situation, if the coin on ebay is an MS67 and it costs $150, do you buy it or the mint set ? The answer depends on your motivation, your reason for buying the coin in the first place. Are you buying the coin because you think it is worth or will be worth a lot of money down the road, or are you buying the coin because you want to own an example of that date/mint ? Or, are you buying the coin because you want to brag and show off to all the other collectors out there what a nice collection of coins you have and in such high grades ? Your personal motivation answers the question.
Hello Mojavedave, When comparing modern mint set prices to modern proof set prices remember that the mint sets contain coins from both the Denver and Philadelphia mints. The proof sets only contain the coins from the one mint that made the proof issues.
