solomon islands coins

I think this is the type of problem that I have noted. Obviously we can not prove it, but I am still waiting for a post-1977 matte coin or set to show up, particularly in the era 1978-1984 from any of their "client" nations. Also, I too have been very suspicious of some of the bookwork - if we can call it that - which was or was NOT going on at that time.
T, have you seen any mattes from Solomon after 1977?
The earlier 1975-77 matte coins were to the best of my knowledge shipped to the central banks. As far as sets, I have not seen any officially packaged matte sets either; I have a 1975 Barbados matte set that was put in a Capitol Plastics holder that appears from the era but not governmental.
As something of an olde dogge, I remember at the time there being NO matte sets for sale of any nation even though the 1974 sets were universally struck in matte. I would be very suspicious of their listed mintages of mattes.
As an example, supposedly 5,000 matte Jamaica dollar coins were struck individually but are seemingly much scarcer on the ground.

 

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I haven't specifically looked but I don't think so - I've seen packaged uncirculated and proof sets (I don't recall seeing a packaged matte set), and I think all of the non-circulation finish coins I see are cameo-looking proofs.

I'll keep my eyes open now as I've never taken an interest in the matte coins.

 

Actually has anyone ever seen an unbroken cardboard Franklin Mint set labelled as Matte? I thought I had but maybe my memory was playing tricks on me.

 

Nope, not AFTER 1974. Up through that date, yes, they all were.

 

Hm, so did you say matte coins after that were supplied directly to central banks?

 

Yes, that is what we have been lead to believe.

 

Okay I'll have to recheck my coins - I don't think I have any Solomon Islands matte coins - from memory the ones I have are all brilliant.
I may have some Cook Islands matte coins (some of which I got in a bulk lot of Cook Islands coins).

 

Do keep me posted as I am interested in trying to figure out more about the FM. True matte coins after 1977 from the FM ought to be a challenge.

 

Okay so I had a look - all of my Solomon Islands Franklin Mint coins look brilliant but a few of my Cook Islands Franklin Mint coins look matte, including a few 1977 examples.
How do you think the central banks distributed the matte coins if they weren't in sets?

 

My belief but I can not prove is the FM coins were sent to Central Banks and then these coins were paid out randomly, possibly in the mix with RAM or RM coins. They possibly were set aside on occasion as well, and probably many different circumstances depending on the country.
These coins appear to have been put in bags and have accordingly "bag marks". In some countries the inflation rate was so high that they really weren't and never had a chance to be spent (eg. Guyana or Jamaica). The larger coins generally languished but occasionally become available - some of them are VERY scarce.

It should be that you might find some matte 1977 FM coins like the Cook Islands you mentioned. BTW, do you have any doubles of those? The question I had was if you had seen any 1978 or later mattes, because other than the "satinish" 1984 Liberia coins I have not.

 

You may be right (as odd as it seems to have them produced then used as normal change). I don't have doubles - the ones I got were strays in a massive bulk lot of Cook Islands coins from an ebay seller that specialised in bulk international junk. I didn't have the foresight to ask where they got them as the time.
I'll double check but I don't think I had any post 1977 matte-appearance coins.

 

I did a freedom of information request:

 

So the 20c information is basically lacking??? Hard to believe all that is totally missing....