It appears to my novice eye that 1954 is about as far back as you can go and get a good Proof Set for a price that doesn't price me out of the market.

I've had horrible luck trying to locate an acceptable 1953 Proof Set at a price that my budget will allow. And that's the cheapest of the ones that I need. It's really disheartening for a low-budget collector like myself, as I'd really like to fill out my 1950s Proof Sets, but am reaching the point where I can't afford to do it. As much as I'd like to, I can't lay down the $500 or so that 1951 sets are fetching on eBay right now.

So, what I'm going to do is just get those decent individual coins that I can afford and build my sets piece by piece. It will take a lot longer, but I'm hoping that when I do finally complete a series that it'll be that much more satisfying.

Happy Collecting to all...