US Mint Silver Proof Sets

[dracer-migration]

Im pretty new at this so excuse me if the question seems a little dumb. I just started collecting the silver proof sets and was wondering if i should leave them in the case that they are sent in from the mint or i should send them in to be graded and encapsulated by NGC. What difference does it make?

[Jay Turner]

While coins sent in for grading must be removed from the original packaging in order for grading and encapsulation by NGC, it is not viewed by most in the hobby as a denigration of the coin originality but a way to preserve that coin’s originality. In numismatics and other hobbies people strive not only to obtain something in the highest possible condition but to maintain it in the highest possible condition for enjoyment and preservation. The NGC holder does just that. Proof sets now being issued by the United States government starting in 1999 and continuing today are packaged using holders that are not air tight, and inserts that are not acid free, and as a result as quickly as one year the coins inside the original package have begun to turn by developing haze, spots and other conditional problems, some of which cannot be reversed with conservation. The NGC holder is air tight and coins encapsulated in 1999 still look the same as they did when encapsulated, however we cannot say the same for proof sets from 1999.

 

In addition to preserving a coin by certifying it is the grade assigned during the certification process. It is well worth someone attempting to get that Proof 70 grade due to the value placed on it by the market place. Even when someone doesn’t make a coin in Proof 70, the coins do maintain a value in Proof 69 or even lower because they are in an NGC holder. Many take the option of buying coins already encapsulated and graded by NGC so that they don’t have to risk the coins coming back different grades; however some find the thrill and profit of making it themselves is worth it. What ever the case may be it is up to the individual to decide if certification is worth it to them.

 

 

Jay Turner

NGC Grader and Attributor