The best cherry picking?

[Joe S.-migration]

I recently came accross a shop that has quite a few "unopened" mint and proof sets. Does anyone have a list of the best sets to get for potential goodies in them? I would like to buy some but I don't know which ones are the best!

 

Thanks,

Joe S.

[Coindude]

They've most likely been opened and resealed. If you want to give it a shot, don't pay a premium for them. Usually you can get sets at bid because most dealers will purchase 20% back of bid.

 

If you buy the whole lot they'll give you a better price. But again, the chances of these not being opened, unless they are in sealed boxes is pretty darn low.

 

But, as for proof sets that have goodies in them:

 

51, if any go gem cam will do good

52, pretty much everyone of those in cameo is a key coin, especially the penny

56, the half in T1 cameo is absolutely rare

57, the nickel in cameo is rare and key

59, the half in cameo is pretty rare

64, accented hair halves in cameo / deep cam are rare

65 - 67, if not in sealed boxes are not considered to be sealed, mainly the 65's here. The mint did not seal the 65's when leaving the mint, and the occasions that I have opened a mint sealed box they were not sealed in the envelopes. So, the ones you find that are sealed are searched that people want to sell for a premium.

[Just Bob]

For Modern proofs, there were "No S" (missing mintmark) coins minted in '68, '70, '71, '75, '83, and '90. Look for small date cents in the '60 and '70 sets, and type two mintmark coins in the '79 and '81 sets.

 

1960 small date explained

 

1970 small date explained

 

Type two explained

 

Here is a list of Lincoln proof varieties, and each coin series has quite a few doubled die examples. I would pick up a Cherry Picker’s Guide to Die Varieties for a start.

 

 

[jackson64]

Bob said it first..I believe your odds are best for searching for the No S coins and the type 2's...

 

there are also 2 varieties of Ike bicentennials to look for ( the thick letter reverse and thin letter reverse)

 

like coindude said, anything from 1965-67 with some cameo contrast and the accented hair 1964 half..

[JIM F.]

I concur with the No S possibilities.