1968 Mint sets 1 1

[Halbrook Family]

What was the deal with 1968 Mint sets.

A friend gave me these two sets. I guess they are just put in these holders and not by the mint?

They have coins D, P, D, S, S and D,D,D,D,D in them.   

Then you have this set which is all S

 Then these which are P & D 

I think the last one is P

The first two I have are they how the 1966 and 1967 one's come? But with a blue box though? 

There are silver sets and Proof sets and uncirculated sets. They all have the same silver however.  

[ldhair]

The first two are just something that someone put together. Not a mint holder.

The half dollars are the only silver coins. They are 40% silver. 

[JT2]

like @ldhair said the first 2 are just something someone puit together the third is a U.S. Proof Set from '68 and the last are the Mint set

[J P M]

Now if you see a 1965 it is in a envelope and the 1966 and 67 set would look similar to the Whitman, but more like this. 

Edited August 8, 2023 by J P M

[Mr.Bill347]

Just a slight correction if I may, the two cellophane wrapped separately sets are Philadelphia and Denver MINT sets, not proof sets. They are not proof coins, but uncirculated coins. The last thing appears to be a Silver mint set but I am not aware of these sets in silver. If in fact they are silver proofs they would include silver half, quarter, dime and nickel plus a copper penny. Is there a photo of the coins in the last box? In 1967 and 1966 there were no proof sets made. Only special mint sets as stated above. In 1968 production of proof sets began again with the exhibited 1968 PROOF set.

[Halbrook Family]

1969 has a proof set but not a uncirculated mint set then? Proof are special struck and uncirculated is just that. You can get uncirculated coins from bank but once it gets out of roll and bank it's au. Unless a person who gets the roll treats it good. 

[Halbrook Family]

It's only the half. Is this thing a kind of one off or something? It says first commemorative mint and not the us mint on paper

[Halbrook Family]

from Philly

[Halbrook Family]

int marks look like s to me. It's for sale

[Halbrook Family]

This might be a set where they took the coins from us mint and put it in their own packaging. Like those dopes that put a layer of gold on a silver coin and make it like it's worth a fortune now.

[Sandon]

   The replies so far seem to be generating an increasing level of confusion, which I'll hopefully manage to clear up. After over 52 years of collecting, I still don't and never will know everything, but I'm pretty familiar with the types of packaging used for proof and uncirculated ("mint") sets issued by the U.S. Mint over the years. The standard "Redbook" describes these sets (pp.363-372 of the 2023 edition) but doesn't have photos of the packaging.

   Regarding the photos on your initial post--

   1. The two flat, hard plastic holders in the first photo with the word "WHITMAN" stamped on them are of privately manufactured, "Snap-Tite" holders sold by Whitman (whitman.com), which publishes the "Redbook" and other coin books, as well as selling coin supplies. The coins they contain were likely taken by a coin dealer or collector from rolls or bags of regularly distributed uncirculated 1968 coins, but there is generally no difference in quality between such coins and coins issued in U.S. mint packaged uncirculated coin ("mint") sets. (Coins in 2005-2011 dated "mint" sets, which were struck with a special "matte" finish, are an exception.) These sets don't appear to contain an example of one of each coin struck by each mint that year, as would an official "mint" set.

   2. The second and third photos are of a U.S. mint packaged 1968 proof set and the blue envelope bearing the words "United States Proof Set" in which the mint issued it. Proof coins were first minted for public sale in San Francisco instead of Philadelphia in 1968. Each coin has the "S" mint mark. "S" mint cents and nickels were also made for circulation in 1968, while the dimes, quarters, and half dollars were only made as proofs and issued in these proof sets. The term "proof" refers to a method of manufacture, not to the coin's condition. Typically, as in this set, the proof coins have a very strong strike and mirrored surfaces instead of the flat, frosty luster and sometimes weaker strike of coins made for circulation. Some of the coins in your set also have frosted devices, which at that time only appeared on coins struck from newer dies. Nearly all U.S. proof coins issued since the mid-1970s have such contrast and are referred to as "cameo" or "deep (or ultra) cameo" proofs.

  3. The third photo (the white envelope with the words "Treasury Department" and San Francisco address at the top left and "1968--U.C." at the bottom left and the two soft plastic panels of coins it contains) is of a U.S. mint packaged 1968 uncirculated coin or "mint" set. It contains the coins issued for circulation by all three mints that struck them that year, Philadelphia (cent, dime, and quarter), Denver (cent, nickel, dime, quarter, and half dollar), and San Francisco (cent and nickel), each with the appropriate mint mark.  These are regular quality uncirculated coins, not proofs.

  4. The fourth package bearing the words "1968 United States Mint Silver Proof Set" is privately issued and misleading. (Did it contain the officially issued 1968 proof set and original envelope referred to in paragraph 2?)  The only coin in a 1968 proof set that contains any silver is the half dollar, and it is only "silver clad" with a net 40% silver content. The last proof set to contain 90% silver coins before 1992 was the 1964 set.  ("Silver proof sets" offered by the U.S. Mint since 1992 in addition to proof sets containing coins of regular composition contain 90% or finer silver dimes, quarters, and half dollars.) Based on the "Certificate of Authenticity" that you show in a subsequent post, it was sold by "First Commemorative Mint" one of a number of private companies that mass markets coins to people with little knowledge of coins or their values, usually for outrageous prices. A 1968 proof set in its original mint packaging has a current retail value of $8 or so.
 

Edited August 8, 2023 by Sandon
correct typo

[Halbrook Family]

There was a 1968 dollar coin. Right? Why does or did the mint skip that one in their uncirculated set? 

[Sandon]

On 8/13/2023 at 12:15 AM, edhalbrook said:

There was a 1968 dollar coin. Right?

   No. There were no U.S. dollar coins issued after 1935 (Peace dollar) and before 1971 (Eisenhower dollar). Check your "Redbook." Mint sets didn't include the Eisenhower dollars until 1973.
 

[Conder101]

On 8/8/2023 at 5:26 PM, Mr.Bill347 said:

The last thing appears to be a Silver mint set but I am not aware of these sets in silver

That last item is an aftermarket holder not government packaging so it doesn't mean anything.

 

On 8/8/2023 at 5:35 PM, edhalbrook said:

It says first commemorative mint and not the us mint on paper

First Commemorative Mint is a private company and has nothing to do with the US Mint.  They sell eith put together items and "sets" and us the First Commemorative Mint name to try and fool novice buyer into believeling the offering are some kind of official thing.