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Breaking Apart Uncirculated And Proof Coin Sets?

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Pillar of the Community
United States
2271 Posts
 Posted 02/06/2019  09:25 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add cladking to your friends list

Quote:
My question is what if you break apart the mint sets to have a rare coin certified by one of the grading companies!? For instance I know the 1970 D Kennedy is worth a lot and I only paid 5 bucks for the mint set!? It seems as though the mint sets aren't worth very much


The mint sets actually sell at a steep discount to the coins. This is in part because so many coins in mint sets are damaged and because there are lots of culls. Chiefly it's because most buyers of BU rolls want to assemble date/ denomination sets easily and quickly.

Someday sets might have a steep premium but by then almost all will be corroded and the market will discount corroded sets.
Time don't fly, it bounds and leaps.
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United States
188770 Posts
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts
 Posted 02/06/2019  11:42 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add just carl to your friends list
I'd do as dealers do and break out all proof and Uncirc sets and put each coin in a 2x2 or smaller flip if for sales.
Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts
 Posted 02/06/2019  7:01 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add T-BOP to your friends list
I never condoned breaking up proof sets . To break a proof coin out and put it in a 2x2 or flip just doesn't seem kosher to me . In the process the coin can get damaged or even a finger print . What I hate most are the dealers who advertise proof rolls in plastic tubes . Come on ! their not proof coins anymore getting hit and bounced around like that .
The uncirculated mint set coins are a different story . Most of those coins already have hits and spots in their cellophane holders . No problem cracking them out and holder these coins . Ok, I yes I know you can occasionally find a very high grade coin in a Mint set that you can send in to TPG .
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 Posted 02/07/2019  10:08 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list

Quote:
What I hate most are the dealers who advertise proof rolls in plastic tubes . Come on ! their not proof coins anymore getting hit and bounced around like that .
If the tube is full then the coins are only making contact on the rims.
Valued Member
United States
318 Posts
 Posted 02/07/2019  10:51 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add mikem007 to your friends list
Last year I cut open approx 200 mint sets from 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Once you look at each coin under 5x magnification, you'll see most will not grade well as they are dinged up with bag marks and other misc junk. The larger the coin (50c or $1), the more banged up they tend to be. I got lucky on a 1988D LMC that came back MS68. Otherwise most of the other 19 coins I sent in for grading didn't get better than MS65 so I got schooled and technically lost money. However, I consider it as I paid for an education and now have a better sense my ability to grade a coin so I got that going for me, which is nice.

Use the search feature of this website. I found many threads on here about cutting open mint and proof sets. Some really nice suggestions. I probably could have spent less than half of what I paid for grading if I went to ebay and bought somebody eles's low graded coins and used them under 5x mag to learn more about what goes into grading. From that, you can make a determination on what you cut out of a mint set is worthy of sending in for grading.

When you see MS67 or MS68 coins under 5x, it truly is spectacular GEM quality.
New Member
United States
2 Posts
 Posted 02/08/2019  9:17 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Paul J Booth to your friends list
What do you use for your 5x magnification? I have a magnifying glass but I don't think it is 5X!
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 Posted 02/10/2019  12:06 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list
The magnifying glass I have is 2x with a 5x "closeup" lens in the bottom corner. It is not really good for full coin viewing though, works more like a weak loupe.
Valued Member
United States
467 Posts
 Posted 02/10/2019  05:18 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add oober to your friends list
I have very few mint/proof sets in original packaging. Except for some of the overpriced sets all others were taken out of the holders, dipped in clean acetone, placed in direct fit airtites and then placed in air tight tubes.
Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
17953 Posts
 Posted 02/10/2019  05:32 am  Show Profile   Check NumisRob's eBay Listings Bookmark this reply Add NumisRob to your friends list
With UK decimal coins I sometimes break up Royal Mint proof or uncirculated sets if certain denominations weren't struck for circulation, as I like to have a full date run in my album. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy up sets from the 1970s and 1980s and break them open rather than pay a dealer several pounds for individual coins that they have removed themselves!
Pillar of the Community
United States
2271 Posts
 Posted 02/10/2019  11:33 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add cladking to your friends list

Quote:
I have very few mint/proof sets in original packaging. Except for some of the overpriced sets all others were taken out of the holders, dipped in clean acetone, placed in direct fit airtites and then placed in air tight tubes.


I sure wish I had done this. It's a crying shame some of the scarce, desirable, and important coins I've lost because I did not. A lot of these sets are extremely unstable.

I used to think the most valuable moderns will be ones that didn't appear in mint sets but the fact is lots of these sets will be ruined nearly in their entirety yet their existence stopped many people from setting aside coins in the first place. The early '70's Japanese mint sets, for example, are ruined but few people set aside any coins just because they were available in the sets.

US mint sets are often the only source for Gems or even BU's. Where are collectors going to get coins like nice attractive '68 cents now that coins still in the packaging are tarnished and spotted? They'll have to come from the sets of "Complete Memorial cent sets" sold in the back of Coin World for the last 50 years. Twenty years ago they were as cheap as $9.99. The problem is that many of these were assembled from rolls or tarnished mint sets. Only one in a hundred will be nice chBU and most of these sets were poorly preserved. How many collections that cost $10 will be well cared for? How many will survive at all?
Time don't fly, it bounds and leaps.
Pillar of the Community
United States
2271 Posts
 Posted 02/10/2019  11:38 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add cladking to your friends list

Quote:
With UK decimal coins I sometimes break up Royal Mint proof or uncirculated sets if certain denominations weren't struck for circulation, as I like to have a full date run in my album. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy up sets from the 1970s and 1980s and break them open rather than pay a dealer several pounds for individual coins that they have removed themselves!


My experience is that very few of these can be found in rolls anyway. I sure don't know where to find rolls of '74 or '84 10P's.

Most of the mint set coins are very attractive and the packaging appears to be stable. Mintage of the mint sets is high but nice Gems are not extremely common.
Time don't fly, it bounds and leaps.
Pillar of the Community
United States
2271 Posts
 Posted 02/10/2019  11:43 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add cladking to your friends list

Quote:
If the tube is full then the coins are only making contact on the rims.


I understand peoples' reluctance to disassemble proof sets but these coins are much harder to damage than most people think. So long as care is taken in removing them and putting them in rolls there will be very little or no damage at all. Perfect specimens should probably go into flips rather than rolls but odds are good they won't be hurt in rolls.
Time don't fly, it bounds and leaps.
Valued Member
United States
59 Posts
 Posted 02/19/2019  08:55 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add nics-r-good to your friends list
I think breaking up sets is a needed part of the hobby, at least in my case. I collect for the history that is in coins and for personal interest in certain subject matters. Most of my collections are from circulated coins found in pocket change and roll hunting. The only reason I even look at values is to try to avoid paying too much for something I want.
I have every proof nickel from '51 to date. Someone had to break proof sets for me to have those, and I'm sure I probably paid more for a few of them than I should have.

I collect anything with a buffalo on it. (I think the buffalo should have been our national symbol) I put together sets of P&D mint, proof, and silver in special display cases.

Breaking-Apart-Uncirculated-And-Proof-Coin-Sets?

And I'm not hijacking the thread with the image, just giving an example.
New Member
United States
21 Posts
 Posted 05/19/2021  4:49 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add ScottRoss to your friends list
I too, like to buy 2 sets. One to piece out.
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