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Message:: [QUOTE="johnmilton, post: 4558123, member: 101855"][ATTACH=full]1128388[/ATTACH] 1957 – 1,247,952 sets issued       In prior years the number of Proof sets that the mint sold had been limited “to capacity.” This led the mint to reject some orders, and those who received their sets were assured of making a profit. In 1957 the mint filled all orders, and the mintage blossomed to more than 1 million sets for the first time. The added supply depressed prices, and when the Prudential Insurance Company dumped 100,000 sets on the market, the price fell to $1.80. The buy prices did recover to levels higher than the issue price, but today the 1957 Proof set is still the least expensive set from the 1950s. [ATTACH=full]1128389[/ATTACH] 1958 – 875,662 sets issued       After the 1957 fiasco investors and collectors ordered fewer sets in 1958. The result was higher prices, both at the time the mint issued the sets and in subsequent years. A mild economic recession that occurred in 1958 may also have dampened Proof set sales. [ATTACH=full]1128390[/ATTACH] 1959 – 1,149,291 sets issued       Nineteen fifty-nine marked the introduction of the Lincoln Memorial reverse cent. The new cent reverse marked the first design change in U.S. coinage since introduction of the Franklin half dollar in 1948. This new coin captured my attention. As a fifth grader in the spring of 1959, I hoarded every one of the new cents that I found in change. That Christmas, one of my uncles gave me the 13th Edition of the Red Book and the two Whitman Lincoln cent folders. My adventures as a coin collector began. [ATTACH=full]1128395[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1128396[/ATTACH] 1960 Small Date Proof Set 1960 – 1,691,602 sets issued       In 1960 the biggest numismatic headline concerned the size of the date on the Lincoln cent. The cents that were issued in January had a date that was markedly smaller than the later issues. Sharp eyed numismatists latched on to this difference. Soon they discovered that the Philadelphia mint small date cent was scarcer than the Denver version. They also discovered the Proof small date cent was much scarcer than the large date Proof cent. It has been estimated that 100 to 125 thousand of the almost 1.7 million 1960 Proof sets contain the small date coin.       The small date Proof set quickly became an “investment” sensation. By 1965, which was a boom year for numismatics, the retail price for the 1960 small date cent had reached $50. After that the price went into a permanent decline. The 1960 Small Date cent in Proof is listed at $22.00 in the 2020 Red Book. [ATTACH=full]1128399[/ATTACH] 1961 Proof Set [ATTACH=full]1128400[/ATTACH] 1962 Proof Set [ATTACH=full]1128401[/ATTACH] 1963 Proof Set 1961 – 3,028,244 sets, 1962 – 3,218,019 sets, 1963 – 3,075,645 sets       I have lumped these three Proof set together because there is really nothing special about them except that they provide a numismatic keepsake for each of those years. Prices for these sets have generally languished and have been affected by the price of silver bullion from time to time. The sets are always available, and for most dealers are generally slow sellers. The 1963 set has commanded a small price premium because it contained the last Franklin half dollar and was the year before the introduction of the Kennedy half dollar.       John F. Kennedy was President of the United States during this period, and many Americans who were alive at this time still have fond memories of “Camelot.” Many of those memories have been polished to a brighter luster over time. John Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline, brought a sense of style and elegance to the Whitehouse which had seemed to be missing for many years. The bad things, like the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Wall and the initial commitments to the Vietnam War have receded into the background for many Americans of baby boom generation. [ATTACH=full]1128407[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1128408[/ATTACH] Image courtesy PCGS "Coin Facts" 1964 – 3,950,762 sets issued        The tragic assassination of John F. Kennedy prompted Congress and the President to cut short the run of the Franklin half dollar to just 16 years. The new Kennedy coin was immensely popular, and it seemed that nearly every citizen had to have at least one.       Proof set sales hit an all time high with almost 4 million sets sold. Non-collectors bought many of these sets, and some of them went so far as to remove the half dollar from the flat pack and spend the remaining coins. The head of the coin department at the Gimbels Department store in Philadelphia told me that he was finding 1964 Proof coins in his cash register. Retail prices for the 1964 Proof set reached $35, and dealers had to scramble to find sets to fill their orders. Like many such heated markets for modern coins, the prices fell considerably after the initial rush ended.       There were two notable varieties in the 1964 Proof set. The first to receive attention was the 1964 pointed tail dime. This variety was caused by the die preparation procedures, and interest in it has since declined.       Today collectors are far more interested the JFK half dollar “accented hair” variety. A second variety of the JFK half dollar resulted when Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy commented that treatment of her late husband’s hair did not seem quite right. Chief Mint Engraver, Frank Gasparro, made the adjustments, but perhaps 100,000 Proof Kennedy half dollars had the original artwork. This variety has been gaining popularity in recent years, and an “Ultra Cameo” high grade Proof example of this coin can now sell for over $16,000 in the major auctions. Continued, next message  [/QUOTE]

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