US Mint releasing impaired proof coins?

Hello everyone,

Earlier this month I received a free 2019 proof set compliments of the ANA at the Nat money show in Atlanta. While I do enjoy having it I could not help but notice that many of the proofs have problems/are impaired.

The cent has a rust spot on Abe's head as well as severe milk clouds on the obverse. The half has a milk spot under JFK's chin, and both the dime, nickel, and some of the quarters have some kind of milky clouding.


Then again I received these for free and therefore I can't really complain; but you'd at least think the mint would release a proof coin that doesn't look like I ate breakfast on it, right? If you have had a similar situation, please share. I haven't seen anyone else with the same problem on proof sets.

Thanks,

Chris

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I really do fear for the lives of all zinc cents, no matter how well they end up being stored.

 

...and how many years now has this been happening?................don't answer that!

 

I have a 1982 proof set where the Lincoln cent is literally corroded on the edges. Unless they sealed up the slab with acid inside, I don't know how that happened, but it did.

 

38 years. I told you not to answer that.

 

So, that is where all the returns go. Freebies at ANA events. That's not really helping promote the Mint.

 

Look at the zinc pfennigs the third Reich produced in the 1930's/40's. I am yet to see one in MS and the vast majority are corroded.

 

Facts

 

Just looked at the set my brother recieved, it was much nicer except that the cent was just as foggy and the nickel had a nasty scratch beside Jefferson's face.

 

My understanding of impaired proof only meant that the coin appeared in circulation. Your coins don't appear to be circulated........

 

That's not a fair statement. Out of the millions of proofs that the US mint sends out, they do a great job.
The coins posted are not the normal and the problems may not have shown when they were sent out.

 

Or promoting the ANA either!

 

I won't look a gift coin in the mouth, but if it's this bad then I won't think twice about spending it for a piece of bazooka bubble gum or something.

 

Coins are a manufactured product. Like any other product, one in a million will inevitably escape detection before being sold. So no, I do not fault the mint nor their outstanding quality as a whole. As for the term impaired, that's a vague definition which to me leans towards that of Green18's reply.

 

Hello. I just received my very first purchase of about $650 I spent at the US mint. WOW....nicer than I expected EXCEPT....not complaining...just adding AND adding a sime question to this as when I asked, this popped up.....The UN irculated silver standing liberty has 2 (what I can only describe as RUST spots/holes. VERY small but still there. Is this normal or should I return that onr coin for a replacement. Besides those 2 "dots" the coin looks pretty perfect. Thank you and if this is not the correct place to commebt with a question then I apologize. Thank you.

 

This is why I almost always go to my local dealer and pay him a minor premium to get the annual Proof set for my collection. The mint does put less than perfect coins in Proof sets. At the same time, a reasonable collector should not expect every coin to grade PR-70, Deep Cameo.

Some of them might have a small mark, like the toning spot on the cent. My local dealer lets me mix and match the cases to get the best coins I can find. This year I bought my set from the mint because of the pandemic, and won the lottery. I got a good set.

If you want a scenario, my guess is the ANA bought these coins cheap from some dealer or group of dealers. The organization got what they paid for. The dealer(s) sold them the clunkers that’s they could not get the full book price for elsewhere.

 

HE WHO KNOWS LITTLE, it is your right as a consumer to return it for replacement or refund if you are unhappy with what they sent you.

totally up to you. the next one you get might have a different issue or a similar nature. you never know, they do not guarantee perfection. it can have flaws.

if you aren't happy with it, return it.

 

It costs money to return stuff to the mint. When I was a dealer, I came to the conclusion that it was throwing money after bad.

 

Hate to say this but even getting coins after market does not solve all the problems. All of my Lincoln cents from 2010 to last year all are toning in my Dansco's. I fear I will never have all "red" cents in a few more years. Some things you cannot get around. And I do have them all stored properly.