1964 sms Kennedy video 0

[Ratzie33]

You tube

 

[Ratzie33]

The reverse. This is not a proof coin.

 

[Ratzie33]

 

[MarkFeld]

Nothing in the videos gives any indication that you have an SMS example.

[Ratzie33]

Okay thanks, are there any other features I can demonstrate?

[Ratzie33]

I guess I noticed the texture and surface of the coin were satiny and semi reflective, unlike I had seen before on either business or proof strikes.

[Ratzie33]

Help me out I’m trying to be better.

[MarkFeld]

Look at closeup images of graded examples. And keep in mind that your chances of locating one that hasn’t been graded are close to zero. To my knowledge, all of the known pieces came from a series of auctions of sets from the same estate, many years ago.

[RWB]

My opinion: The entire "1964 SMS" story is nonsense, backed by nothing more than ignorance and greed.

Compare with the legitimate "first strikes" coins donated to SI by the Mint in the 1960s. So-called "1964 SMS" are simply early strikes from new dies - nice, but not "Special" in any production way.

[Ratzie33]

I’m starting to feel the same way honestly, especially because there is no evidence they came from official mint packaging.

[VKurtB]

On 11/24/2019 at 10:33 AM, RWB said:

My opinion: The entire "1964 SMS" story is nonsense, backed by nothing more than ignorance and greed.

Compare with the legitimate "first strikes" coins donated to SI by the Mint in the 1960s. So-called "1964 SMS" are simply early strikes from new dies - nice, but not "Special" in any production way.

Were Jackie Onassis' JFK half dollar coins from her estate when she died special in any way except provenance?

[RWB]

This excerpt from my research on Kennedy half dollars should help. This has never been presented before and I hold the copyright. (Formatting on this message board is very inconvenient.)

First Strike Ceremony – February 11, 1964

According to detailed instructions provided by the mint director, Philadelphia and Denver Mints were to strike the first official coins at 11:00am EST (9:00am in Denver) on February 11, 1964.

     The first strike will be handed by the pressman to you [Sura], as Superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint. You will in turn hand it to the Director of the Mint, as the first strike, from both mints has been requested by the White House to be presented by them to the Kennedy family.[1]

          In Denver, the first coin was to be handed to Fern Miller, the superintendent, then to Fred Tate, Assistant Director of the Mint. The first coin from each mint was reserved for presentation to the Kennedy children, Caroline and John, Jr.; each child receiving one coin. The second coin made at each mint was reserved for Jacqueline Kennedy (thus, she received two coins).[2]

Proof “First Strike” Coins

The previous material has omitted discussion of proof Kennedy half dollars because they do not relate directly to the circulation coins in question. However, among the archives is a curious memorandum to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy from Treasury Secretary C. Douglas Dillon. The memorandum is reproduced in full:

March 13, 1964

     I am enclosing the second, third and fourth proof Kennedy half dollars struck at the Philadelphia Mint on February 11, 1964 with certifications. I have the first proof half dollar at the Treasury. For your information, proof coins are specially made and polished coins, primarily valued by collectors and not used in general circulation. After the first four coins not further distinction has been made among Kennedy half dollar proof coins. So these and the one I have are the only special coins in existence.

     I have asked my office to make special arrangements with Angelo Novello for whatever ordinary Kennedy half dollars you may want on March 24, the first day of issue to the public.

Douglas Dillon[3]

         Letters dated March 2, 1964 state that Robert Carswell, special assistant to the Treasury Secretary, paid the mint six dollars for coins struck on February 11. Two dollars were for four half dollars from the Denver Mint and four dollars were for four coins from the Philadelphia Mint plus four proof halves.[4] A letter from director Adams states that the four coins were “…delivered to the White House for presentation to the Kennedy family.”[5] This is in conflict with instructions for the February 11 “first strike” ceremony which would have accounted for only four production half dollars. Whereabouts of the “extra” four half dollars is unknown.

The four proof halves were evidently obtained and certified on instructions from Treasury Secretary Dillon, and three of them were later given to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy on March 13, 1964, as quoted above.

 

---

[1] US Mint. NARA-CP, RG 104, entry 328H, box 3, “Philadelphia.” Letter dated February 4, 1964 to Sura from Adams. p.2.

[2] US Mint. NARA-CP, RG 104, entry 328I, box 3.  Letter dated February 4, 1964 to Miller from Adams. p. 2.

[3] US Mint. NARA-CP, RG 104, entry 328I, box 3. Memorandum dated March 13, 1964 to Attorney General from Dillon.

[4] US Mint. NARA-CP, RG 104, entry UD “Central Files,” box 22, folder “Kennedy Half.” Letter dated March 2, 1964 to Adams from Carswell.

[5] US Mint. NARA-CP, RG 104, entry UD “Central Files,” box 22, folder “Kennedy Half.” Letter dated March 2, 1964 to Miller from Adams; similar letter to Sura at Philadelphia.

Edited November 25, 2019 by RWB
Formatting

[RWB]

To summarize: Nope, not special except being the first coins off new dies, and preserved as such.

Hope this is helpful.

[VKurtB]

3 hours ago, RWB said:

To summarize: Nope, not special except being the first coins off new dies, and preserved as such.

Hope this is helpful.

I remember when Jackie's 8 or so JFK halves were sold along with her NYC apartment stuff and the cataloguer said they seemed to be ordinary 1964's. Who knows how much they were handled in the interim? They became ordinary over time, is my guess.

[RWB]

Unless the coins were accompanied by certificates from the Superintendents/Director, and possibly in proactive packaging, they would have lost any distinctive detail & surface very quickly.