SMS Cherry Picking

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

I wanted to share some luck I just had with my latest NGC submission that was heavy on SMS coins. While I managed to find several nice cameo SMS half dollars the ones I'm the happiest with are an MS67 Cameo 1967 SMS Nickel and an MS68 Cameo 1966 SMS Nickel. If there's any interest I'll try to post pictures when I get a chance to take 'em, but I can't guarantee how well the contrast is going to come out.

[SilverDollarMan]

Kewl

[Hoot]

Those are some great finds Roger! I've found very few cameo pieces in the SMS sets and they've always been around MS64-65. I did find a nicely toned MS66 Kennedy once, but nothing to get too excited about.

 

Congrats! Hoot

 

Hee's one of my nicer SMS Jeffs that I won at auction....

 

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Nice Jeff Mark!

 

Here's the '66 Jefferson I just got back from NGC. It is a MS 68 Cameo. It looks MUCH nicer in hand!

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Here is the reverse of the '66 Jeff.

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

Here is the '67 SMS Jefferson from the same submission that was graded as a MS 67 Cameo.

[Weidel Legacy Collection]

...and here is the reverse of the '67 Jeffereson. These are just quick pictures that I snapped...I need to mess with these to make them look closer to reality!

[Hoot]

Oh! I like those VERY much Roger! Sweet looking coins. They appear to have better cameo contrast than many I've seen with the designation.

 

 

Mark.

[AlixTCat]

SMS... Silver Mint Sets? Special Mint Sets?

If Special Mint Sets, what is special about them?

 

Thanks!

[cladking]

SMS... Silver Mint Sets? Special Mint Sets?

If Special Mint Sets, what is special about them?

 

Thanks!

 

There were really quite a few things special about these sets. Previous coins for mint sets were apparently struck under normal conditions. Better specimens were used for the sets but production was normal. Proof set coins had been struck multiple times on polished planchets by specially prepared and basined dies. The Special Mint Sets were a sort of hybrid of these processes. Coins were struck only once on standard planchets for the main part but the dies had most of the preparation of proof dies. These were struck by new dies at lower speeds and under higher pressure. Many of the coins appear very PL. Both mint and proof set production (and mint mark usage) had ceased during the SMS years. The nation was in a coin shortage and the mint was busy trying to grind out enough coins to overcome it. THey caught up near the end of 1967 so mint marks, proof sets, mint sets and normal dating were all restored in 1968. The mint also retained most of the special touches for mint set production but dropped the term SMS for later issues.

[AlixTCat]

SMS... Silver Mint Sets? Special Mint Sets?

If Special Mint Sets, what is special about them?

 

Thanks!

 

There were really quite a few things special about these sets. Previous coins for mint sets were apparently struck under normal conditions. Better specimens were used for the sets but production was normal. Proof set coins had been struck multiple times on polished planchets by specially prepared and basined dies. The Special Mint Sets were a sort of hybrid of these processes. Coins were struck only once on standard planchets for the main part but the dies had most of the preparation of proof dies. These were struck by new dies at lower speeds and under higher pressure. Many of the coins appear very PL. Both mint and proof set production (and mint mark usage) had ceased during the SMS years. The nation was in a coin shortage and the mint was busy trying to grind out enough coins to overcome it. THey caught up near the end of 1967 so mint marks, proof sets, mint sets and normal dating were all restored in 1968. The mint also retained most of the special touches for mint set production but dropped the term SMS for later issues.

 

Thanks CladKing, for your explanation. As I say in my signature, I come here to learn and learn I have.