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 Replies: 10 / Views: 6,143 |
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Valued Member
United States
327 Posts |
I recently found a 1979 P Lincoln in my dansco that was kind of dirty. Years ago, I use to search rolls for dates I needed and so I found that coins that may have looked good originally, now have fingerprints, etc. All part of the hobby.
Anyways, I have been buying unc mint sets in the cello. On this particular day, I pulled out a 1979 mint set and cut out the penny I needed. Upon closer inspection, I found 2 gouges on the obverse. They weren't large or anything but they were there! I was actually shocked. I formerly had pictured a guy standing at the machine who took out the coin after die pressing and put it in the cello. I thought uncirculated meant it did not come in contact with other coins. I guess I was mistaken. I haven't looked closely at any of the newer sets. Has the mint gotten better at this or can coins still come dinged, etc? Edited by johnstac
07/19/2010 03:46 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Absolutely can still be damaged directly from the Mint. Many many Sets are returned immediately with these and other similar problems or issues. This has been going on for a long looooonnnng time....and it's an "infinite highway" sadly. When buying older Sets you definitely have to closely inspect them as well.... been there done that ! 
Edited by eaglefoot
07/17/2010 12:24 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1208 Posts |
I have an 08 set with gouges on some of the coins, including one of the halves.
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Rest in Peace
United States
1943 Posts |
I just did an inside floor tour of the Denver mint last week. We looked into the room where they were packaging the 2010 uncirculated sets. They have large automated machines placing and packaging the coins with people loading and unloading the machines. The coins are struck as normal falling into bins as they come out of the press and then are put into bags and taken to the packaging room. The coins are then dumped into this machine which packages the sets. One feature of the machine is there are cameras that look at the coins and rotate the them to all be in a vertical postion in the package. It's very sophisticated and impressive. So as you can see the coins are normally struck coins and get bagged and dinged. Uncirculated just means the coins were never released into direct channels for circulation. It doesn't mean they get special handling.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Quote:
It doesn't mean they get special handling.
Not a special handling.......but at least they're a special "Satin" finish ! .......  I assume they've always handled Mint Sets the same way, even when they were once "business strikes", (pre-2005).....that's why bag marks or strike marks are and will always be so common I'm sure. Hence the nice values to high grade quality MS grades with no marks or issues. But the good thing about the Mints policy on returns.....if you're not happy, all you have to do is keep returning it until you get one you like ! ....  |
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Valued Member
 United States
327 Posts |
So I bought 4 of the 2010 unc sets. Are you saying that if any of the coins are damaged, that I can contact them and they will send another set? Do I have to pay the shipping for the returned set or the replacement set? Just wondering.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6326 Posts |
Yes, your U.S. Mint package should have come with return address labels, all you have to do is stick that on and mail it back if you're not happy, they will then send you a "replacement" Set. Here's the link to their "returns & exchange" policy. Should tell you everything you need to know about this. I believe postage is not refundable however. http://catalog.usmint.gov/webapp/wc...0001#ReturnsEdited by eaglefoot
07/19/2010 11:39 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
920 Posts |
You pay the $4.95 shipping initially plus you have to pay the postage/insurance to return the item. They don't charge you postage again to send a replacement. If you send something back it's going to cost you more than $4.95 with delivery conformation and insurance. I've kept a number of mint and proof sets with less than perfect coins.
Plus there is no guarantee the replacement set won't have a problem. The mint sets are in a sealed box.
Edited by RPT
07/19/2010 12:09 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1208 Posts |
I'd have returned the set I had, but I didn't open it right away.
I order 2 sets of everything, each year, and this was the 2nd set.
I probably opened it 18 months later... Way too late to complain.
I have always kept some of my sets unopened over the years, but
after that issue, I checked them all, and won't do it again.
There is something neat about a set that has been sealed up since
it came from the mint, the older the better. However, now I would
think twice about buying that 1958 Proof set still sealed...
As neat as it is to think of getting something never laid eyes on
in 50 years, who do you complain to if you open it and find junk?
I suppose a little bit of mystery in life has been ruined for me now.
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Pillar of the Community
555 Posts |
Quote:
If you send something back it's going to cost you more than $4.95 with delivery conformation and insurance. If it's just one or two sets I don't get DC, nor insurance. Never had a problem with quite a few returns. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
It used to be that you paid to send them back but if you then asked them to reimburse you for the shipping they would do so but you had to ASK for it. Then they changed their policy and said they would not reimburse*.....but I know of cases where once asked they DID reimburse. So my advice would be to go ahead and ask for your shipping cost back. Worst thing that can happen is they say no.
*It's understandable why they changed the policy. Say someone orders ten proof sets pays $5 for Shipping. He cherrypicks out the top quality coins creating two "70" sets and sends the rest back. He pays shipping $5 shipping and gets it reimbursed. The mint pays $5 to send him 8 new sets. He cherries them again and sends six sets back, pays $5 and gets it reimbursed. Mint pays $5 to send him 6 sets etc. Run this a couple more cycles and the end result is he has bought ten sets put together from the thirty+ sets the mint has had to send him. He has spent a total of $5 for shipping and the Mint has spent $40+ in shipping and reimbursements.
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Replies: 10 / Views: 6,143 |
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Posted 07/18/2010 08:25 am
