Franklin Mint Material

[JIM F.]

They did a nice job of marketing (hyping) their sterling silver "coins" back in the 1970's, and actually produced some very nice looking products. Is there any market for this stuff, or is it all just junk silver melt value?

 

 

[World Colonial]

Though presumably some people still collect this stuff, I would expect the pricing in the current environment to be really weak as a collectible.

 

I would not be interested in buying this material at all except at a relatively big discount to other silver which in today's market would presumably be at a reduced premium over melt value. I would rather own 90% US coinage or ASE because they are more recognizable and therefore, more liquid. And if I owned them, I would get rid of them to buy this other silver.

[jtryka]

I've bought a few sets of the Bahamas proofs from the late 1960s and early 1970s, but I only will pay melt for them, as there are so few collectors of these coins. I won't even consider buying their other "coins" like sterling silver ingots or medals, etc. as those are even harder to find a market for.

[MAULEMALL]

I've bought a few sets of the Bahamas proofs from the late 1960s and early 1970s, but I only will pay melt for them, as there are so few collectors of these coins. I won't even consider buying their other "coins" like sterling silver ingots or medals, etc. as those are even harder to find a market for.

But they are beautiful...

[James_OldeTowne]

I have handled quite a bit of Franklin Mint stuff (as well as Danbury mint) over the years, and never get more than melt for any of it. There's just no secondary market for their products.

[BillJones]

The Franklin Mint made a lot of Proof sets for small countries in the 1970s. Unfortunately very few if any of those sets ever touched the shores of the countries that "issued" them. For that reason they were a "one way" market. The initial buyers acquired them from the Franklin Mint, and then could only get the melt value for them if they had a melt value.

 

The same market forces were true for the many commemorative medals the Franklin Mint struck over the years. The best market for their stuff was created by their ads which resulted in initial sales, and for then on the prices were all down hill, UNLESS the price of silver went up to the point were the pieces had a significant melt value.

 

A friend of mine collected a set a 200 Bicentennial Franklin Mint medals. The company issued one of each year in U.S. history from 1776 to 1976. Unfortunately he bought the bronze not the silver set. When he went to try to sell them he got next to nothing for them.

 

One of the few Franklin Mint items that he had was a mini coin that contained silver that flew around the moon on one of the Apollo flights. The catalog value for this item was something like $50. It was like pulling teeth, but I finally found a guy at work whose son was really into space exploration. He paid me $12 for that piece. That was best that I could do for him.

[Conder101]

It is truly a shame because the quality of the Franklin Mints art medals was exceptional.