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 Replies: 22 / Views: 10,209 |
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Valued Member
United States
290 Posts |
1965, 1966 and 1967 produced Special Mint Series for Kennedy halves. My Red Book only lists plain old 1965, 1966 and 1967 with no mint marks. There is no mention of SMS in the book. How can I tell the difference between a 1965 and a 1965 SMS? |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
The SMS sets were sort of Mint Set/Proof Set hybrids issued in 1965-67 since no mint or Proof sets were issued in those years. SMS coins tend to have a bit of range in their appearance, some have polished fields and cameo devices similar to a proof and others look like they were merely plucked from a bank roll. However, the cameo SMS strikes tend to be prized and are valued accordingly but the majority of the SMS issues will appear to be high quality business strikes with mild proof-like tendencies. Once circulated, it would be almost impossible to determine an SMS strike from a business strike. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5604 Posts |
Bio, I have collected many of these sets for all years and would have to Respectfully dis-agree, where I believe that the finish on all these sets are Quite different( judging from the ones I have), even once circulated the finish can be told apart from a standard business strike by even the newest of collectors, again, Respectfully, I will dis-agree. I feel the beautiful mirror like finish is not even close to a full strike business coin, just my opinion.....  PS: I have seen some that are not as "mirror-like" as others. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
I have some light to medium cameo coins in Special mint sets myself.
PS: Morgan ........ YOU HAVE MAIL!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1121 Posts |
wheezydog,
I would be interested in seeing a light to med cameo if possible. You got me interested. I have only seen specimens that resemble prooflike qualitys in regards to cameo..thanks!
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Valued Member
United States
164 Posts |
SMS's are listed in RedBook. Look in the sections with mint sets and/or proof sets. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5604 Posts |
Wheezydog, Thanks for your expertise and time, I will find that nickel, today I will have it in my hand to see for myself( MS70)? I took your advice and asked that seller to re-list the 2 nickels, he wrote back this morning" sorry I sold them already" OH WELL...They were in the original packages to! Also looking into the 1997-BGC&CSET, we will see how that goes, thanks for all, Mike.... |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
Quote:
neversuited1 wrote ... I would be interested in seeing a light to med cameo if possible. You got me interested. I have only seen specimens that resemble prooflike qualitys in regards to cameo..thanks! I'll attempt to dig up one of these today and post an image here. Also you're welcome MD, I am flattered, but must promptly admit I am not an expert in anything, just maybe an advanced Jefferson nickel fan. Just excited about others that also collect them, fascinated with the coin and any topics I can read about them. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10284 Posts |
 Rush Job! Here are a couple coins in a 1965 SMS that are at least heavily frosted or light cameo.  Here is a reverse light cameo 1967 SMS Half  Here is a reverse of a 1965 SMS nickel, it is actually more frosted than image shows. and another 65 nickel reverse but blurry.   Here is a quarter in 1965 SMS light to medium cameo.  I kinda hurried to get these up. I have more but wanted to catch up on the topic. I should be taking a nap. LOL! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1882 Posts |
Quote:
where I believe that the finish on all these sets are Quite different( judging from the ones I have) If Biokemist has seen only ONE uncirculated SMS half that looks like it was plucked from a bank roll, then his opinion is true. For your opinion to hold true, you would have to have seen ALL of the SMS half dollars. Just my 50 cents. (inflation)  |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
The ones struck from completely fresh dies do appear different. Once you are out of the early die states, they lose the mirrors and the cameo appearance and just look like normal business strikes(albeit with slightly better strike quality)- that applies to greater than half the mintage. You can "respectfully disagree" all you want, that does not change the FACT that not all of the sets have cameos and/or mirrored fields.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5604 Posts |
BIO, I would like to clear up or clarify a point I was trying to make, This is that I do not think it is almost impossible to determine a SMS coin from a business strike, once circulated. You have made a very broad statement, and I was just giving my opinion as to the same. If you really think a SMS- 1965-67 coin looks the same as a business strike,AFTER CIRCULATING this is your opinion however I think this is like saying a proof coin, once circulated looks like a business strike coin and this simply is not true.The finish is a proof like mirrored look and is far from any business strike. Now if you drag said coin behind a car or do some extraordinary damage to the coin, then IMO, you would be right, but just ordinary handling, IMO, even a newbie could see there is a difference between the two. Maybe I was not clear and this happens alot, to me, if so please excuse me for not stating so, if I was clear and you feel you can not tell the difference, well lets take the photos from above for an example, are you really suggesting that you could not tell them apart from a business strike once circulated?. That is my only point and look forward to more input on this subject, ps: This is all from the statement you made "Once circulated, it would be almost impossible to determine an SMS strike from a business strike." |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:
Bio, I have collected many of these sets for all years and would have to Respectfully dis-agree, where I believe that the finish on all these sets are Quite different( judging from the ones I have), even once circulated the finish can be told apart from a standard business strike by even the newest of collectors, Yet they are sometimes confused by the TPG's, and I am talking about the top four. (High end business strikes removed from original rolls will often come back as SMS coins. Low end SMS coins were the dies are getting worn often can't be told from business strikes either, but they seldom get sent in.) Hardly the newest of collectors. Maybe the TPG's should high some newbies totell the SMS coins from the business strikes for them. (They had the same problem in 2005 with the satin finish mint set coins. High end busines strikes were being slabbed as satin finish, and and mint set coins where the finish was poor were being slabbed as very high grade, and very valuable, business strikes. Smart dealers and collectors were searching through the mint sets that year looking for those coins that DIDN'T have the satin finish to try and get them into business strike holders.) |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5604 Posts |
conder101, I think the situation you have explained is a unique and interesting one and do not think this is the norm. I would ask you( and do not know you other than reading your posts, I believe you are an experienced coin numismatist) from the clearer pictures above that wd has posted, do you think you could tell them apart from a business strike, after they were circulated?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
716 Posts |
I just found one today in a teller's drawer. Here is the pictures. Looking closely it is much more reflective than a regular strike but not quite as the 69s I have. The coin on the left is the sms. I would say Morgan is right. But I am just very happy to have found this baby in the wild Image:  65smsob.jpg54.5 KB Image: 65smsre.jpg56.85 KB. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5604 Posts |
Yinzi50, very nice find, I too would be very happy had I found that coin in the wild, be well, Mike PS; Would anyone care to comment on the question I had put out there above, Do you think you could tell a SMS coin from a business strike once it has been circulated? an example or two are in the posts above... |
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Replies: 22 / Views: 10,209 |
Posted 01/21/2009 9:28 pm
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