Take Apart A Mint Set?

I've noticed some fairly scratched up coins in mint sets as well. Not like covered in scratches, but maybe one big ugly one here or there. Some actually look worse than the same coin I already had in my album from being found in circulation.

With Mint Sets the 1947-1958 are worth the most. Most of time they are better left intact provided that all the coins have that original mint set tone to them. These original sets have a big demand out there especially the ones before 1955 when the San Francisco Mint closed. From 1959-1964 it is about a push. To cut these up it's best to find a set with one or two problem coins in so that you can buy the set for discount. Most sets from 1965 to date are worth more as individual coins than sets. A couple of notable exceptions are 2008 and 2012. If you have any of the Mint Souvenir Sets (the ones that you could only obtain by visiting the Denver or Philadelphia Mint's gift shop in that year) do not cut those especially 1982 and 1983. Those two years are subs for the Mint Sets which were not made that year and command a nice premium to what the coins would sell individually. Now 1971-1981 sets have the problem of the packaging breaking down leaving that green to white film on the coins that often appears spotted or splotchy. Two products will take that off: Coin Care and MS-70. I prefer MS-70 if I think there's a reasonable chance that the coin will be an MS-64 or MS-65 after I dunk it. Be sure and have a glove on your hand when you use this product. I've gotten great results on the 40% silver halves, quarters in the 70s and some of the nickels. The Clad Ikes, dimes, and cents I have less success with though usually that's because the coin really looks like MS-63 or less and with dimes you don't always have a nice enough strike on the coin. Another point on MS-70 - it is mainly for clad, silver and gold coins that are at least an AU-55 and preferably MS-63. DO NOT use it on a coin that is less than AU as you will have an unnatural look on the coin. On UNC copper keep in mind that it will not remove carbon spots. It will not make a Red/BROWN coin RED either. A final point on coins from 1965 and fowards Mint Sets. Unless it is some error or rare variety if any of the clad coins or cents have one of those scuff marks the ones that look like a bad filing job (especially on the eagle's breast on the quarters and halves and in Jefferson's hair on the nickels) put those in you change jar. As a dealer I give that stuff out as change and my customers don't have to waste their time looking through pocket change in my red boxes when they are after nice examples of modern dates.

Interesting atchisonbj, thanks for sharing!

I wonder if the larger 3rd party graders can, or do they, detect coin care, ms 70 or other product ? Do they use a sniffer or what?

Got it, thanks basebal21

For safety I'd keep it away from everything, ingesting it would not be good at all. Clean all the surfaces thoroughly afterwards to be safe. I don't believe it is as flammable as acetone but definitely have good ventilation.

As far as use I wouldn't ever recycle it but maybe you can I'm not sure. For haze roll a qtip soaked in it over it or something like that, I've never used it as a purely soaking method. Maybe you can I'm not sure and by no means an expert with it but I do know that done right it's perfectly acceptable and have never seen it actually destroy a coin like dip can, but you may not always like what it reveals.

Here is a link to PCGS article on destruction of mint sets which is an interesting read. From my personal experience, 80% of what I'm finding inside these mint sets that I recently cut up are horrible and wouldn't grade much much better than MS64. I keep reminding myself that the mint bagged and shipped these coins to a location where packaging was done. Before these coins actually made it into a mint set, they had a rough life in shipping.

https://www.PCGS.com/news/Destructi...f-Mint-Sets/

Thanks mikem007 & basebal21!

So for someone starting out like me, how would you guys recommend me buying something along the lines of a 1959 Cent. Is it better to find a shop selling it BU or find someone selling them in a cut up Mint set still?

Thanks for the advice mikem007!