My Continued Dilemma Breaking Open Proof/Mint Sets For Album

Dealers break mint and uncirculated sets all the time so they can sell the coins individually for a greater amount. Very often, a customer will want a year that was not released for circulation, but was produced in a mint set. The customer is happy; he gets an uncirculated example of a scarce coin.

This is a fairly common occurrence with Australian coins

I also have three intact Prestige Proof Sets that I did not crack open (gifts from my mother). Everything else lives in a Dansco album now.

I usually don't collect proofs. I get the Danscos with P/D only that way I only have to occasionally break a mint set and don't have to worry about breaking proof sets. I do have some proof sets (and I like the way proof sets look as a set) and get some proof coins but I don't have any Danscos with proofs.

Well, I just about cried opening that proof set the other night. I guess there is no convincing me otherwise. I would sooner sell my dansco p/d/s and get p/d, which is probably what I will do anyway. Was just hoping that I could get over it. Even when my kids are looking through the collection, they never comment when looking at an album full of Lincolns but show them a proof set from any year and they will grab it and check it out, flip it over and look at the back. Know what I mean?

At a coin show here there is an elderly couple that sells primarily individual proof and Uncirculated coins in 2x2's. Got to talking to them as to where they get them. They order many, many sets each year and break them all open, replace each in a 2x2 and sell at coin shows. Both retired and this is their primary income now. They do have a few other coins and even some jewlery but their primary item is those proof and uncirs. Their table is one of the buisiest onese at the show too.

I don't know if I'm the only one, but I collect mint and proof sets from 1968 to present. From 1959 to 1964 I just collect the P&D uncirculated sets since there is no "S" mint mark on the proof sets before '68. To make things as complete as possible, I also include the Special Mint Sets from '65 to '67 and the Souvenir Sets from P&D in '82 and '83. That is the only way I collect moderns.

Prior to 1959 I collect small cents only in Dansco albums. That provides me with an interesting and challenging area to collect that only has a few big dollar items, and 1958 is a good ending date for pennies since that was the last Wheat penny. I also like the fact that the small cents go back to 1857, which is close to the beginning of my stamp collection which is my primary hobby.

I want to keep the mint sets intact, so I looked for a way to display the intact sets. I found some albums made by Eagle that hold uncirculated mint sets and proof sets. So far, so good, but I still don't know how I'm supposed to display the Special Mint Sets from '66 and '67. I sent the manufacturer an email asking about it, but haven't heard back yet.

I see that Dansco now has a mint set album, but I didn't see a proof set album.

If I collect mint and proof sets from 1959 forward, there are still some things missing.

I know there are no mint OR proof sets in 1965, 66, or 67. It appears that nothing was made with a mint mark, so I need just one set. The Special Mint Sets issued in those years work, but the shape of the 66 and 67 sets is a problem for my proof set albums. The 65 set will fit in a mint set slot. Are there any other options for uncirculated 66-67 sets?

I also know that I can get the 82 and 83 Souvenir Sets from the Philadelphia and Denver Mints to fill in for the missing uncirculated sets.

The 1996W dime is supposed to come with the 96 mint set. I see there is a separate 1776-1976 3 piece mint set and proof set. There are notations that the dollars are missing from the 71, 72, and 99 mint sets. I saw a set of 99 SBA dollars to cover the P & D coins and the Red Book doesn't list a 1999S SBA dollar so that takes care of 99, I think.

For the 71 and 72 Ikes, I've seen something called "Blue Ikes", but they appear to be the 40% silver versions with an S mint mark that should be in the proof sets? Any suggestions?

Am I missing anything else that isn't an error, type variety, commemorative of bullion?

Someday the government holder sets will probably be worth money intact!

I remember one time at the shop I worked at when we broke up 1000 sets from the 80's I've heard lots of stories of the same thing from other dealers, makes you wonder just how many sets are left in original holders today? half or even less I'd guess.