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Replies: 36 / Views: 3,250 |
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Valued Member
Japan
294 Posts |
I was going through my coins I acquired a few years back and came across this gorgeous 1964 set I rescued from a frame that's seen better days. Even though the frame was badly damaged/rotting, I remember thinking how incredible the coins looked! So I tossed the frame and put the coins with my other Kennedy sets. Here is the front and back:   I usually like to buy old sets like this, store the bullion and sell some of the mint examples/varieties that collectors want so that I can stack at a discount price. But I put these aside because they were much more vibrant than any 1964 mint set I compared them to... and I've been through a lot. When I read up on something called the "1964 SMS sets" and saw how they're described in auction listings, my mind went IMMEDIATELY to what I had found, because you don't have to search for any die-markers to know that it's something "different", as stated. But I pulled them out anyway, and, low-and-behold, there was the "dangling 4" :) All the other die polishing lines were easily identified, extremely fine, and so numerous that they kind of resemble the surface of a stainless steel sink in how its scratches dance under a rotating light. Other easily identifiable marks - DDO, reverse DP line from the F to A between "OF AMERICA" (with a series shooting downward past the arrows), the "Straight G", the interrupted rays - everything is there, of which I'll show below:     The only problem is that they were held in by tape from the back. I remember it crumbling when I touched it, and the heat over the years must have melted some of the adhesive onto the reverse of the coins. I haven't tried cleaning them, so I have no idea how difficult it may be.. but I suppose I should send them in for conservation. I just hope that the process doesn't remove the lovely toning. Here are some comparison photos with mint state examples:    Thank you for the comments!
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Moderator
 United States
34393 Posts |
Quote: I haven't tried cleaning them, so I have no idea how difficult it may be.. but I suppose I should send them in for conservation. I definitely would not recommend cleaning them. As to conservation, you could, although I'm not really seeing any tape residue in these pictures.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push." -----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed." -----King Adz
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Valued Member
 Japan
294 Posts |
Thanks Spence. It's certainly there, just hard to capture images of it. Look at the eagle's left wing and in "pluribus unum" on the closeup reverse where it's most thick, but actually most of the devices have traces of it. I haven't posted on here in a long time! Took me a while to post these pictures (had to drastically reduce the quality), but let me know if you want me to post any more.
Edited by Stephen-P 07/10/2023 1:33 pm
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Moderator
 United States
34393 Posts |
No these pics I think are awesome. I do see what you are talking about. Normally when we see tape residue, it seems like it is a full band across the coin, so this seems pretty mild in comparison. Also, welcome back--glad to have you here and posting!
Added: also I almost forgot--don't forget to flatten those staples on your 2x2s. You don't want them to accidently scratch an adjacent coin.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push." -----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed." -----King Adz
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
I like the dime the best. Do not clean them,if anything a dip in 100% pure acetone. As to sending in to conserve, would it be worth the cost? John1 
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Valued Member
 Japan
294 Posts |
Spence- glad to be back! I remember you very well. Always offer great advice. I'm definitely clamping those staples down! I think it's hard to see, but the 50c has that band in the black toning at the top (the only part not covered by tape). Edit: a small margin at the bottom also wasn't covered. If you look at the 2nd photo, you can see the diagonal band where the tape was on the 50c. The others were completely covered with tape, so there is no blackness, only residue.
John- Thank you! I think so too:D The reverse toning is incredible. As per the cost, I've been informed that only SMS coins should have the die markers which are all here. Considering this point, I would have them conserved. But maybe they're mint state examples with the same die pairing! Even if this were the case I would send them in, as it would be the first recorded. Great to hear from you again:)
Edited by Stephen-P 07/10/2023 2:16 pm
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
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Valued Member
 Japan
294 Posts |
Difficult to take pictures of the characteristics of satin (high quality closeups can not accurately depict it because it doesn't allow the light to bounce around as it should when viewing it in hand), but I believe picture 4 shows the effects of satin quite well, as well as the fineness of some of the die-polishing lines (took me a while to get a proper image). Here's a closeup of the dime! I really do like this the best as well: Good eye, John 
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Moderator
 United States
15381 Posts |
 back. Lovely coins The photos do not load well for me - they are huge in size so I can only see a small portion of them unless I scroll around. What dpi are you using? Try 800x800 as max size and you might well realize that you don't need near as much compression to get to the CCF 300Kb size limit - and the files will show normal size photos in my monitor.
Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.art
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Moderator
 United States
187446 Posts |
Very nice!  Quote: The photos do not load well for me - they are huge in size so I can only see a small portion of them unless I scroll around. The photos should automatically resize to fit in your browser window. These did for me, as all large photos on CCF will do. I can click on them to view the larger images. These photos were uploaded to CCF, so they are already below 300KB.
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Moderator
 United States
94614 Posts |
they also re-sized for me as well. The coins look great, but if you are concerned about tape residue, you can soak them is pure acetone to soften and dissolve to remove it, Just NO Wiping of any kind. And I'm glad you flattened out them staples.. 
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Some beautiful toners indeed!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2280 Posts |
Nice set!
So you think it's the 1964 sms?
You realize when you know how to think, it empowers you far beyond those who know only what to think.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
Edited by NumismaticsFTW 07/10/2023 5:59 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
7174 Posts |
Hate to be the bearer of bad news but, there is no way these are 64SMS coins. All of the ones minted have been accounted for. If you didn't know the director of the mint in 64, you have no chance of having one. She took possession of them and there are no SMS coins in circulation or in any collection that didn't get them from her.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1655 Posts |
I agree with Cujohn, even if struck from the same dies doesn't really mean anything. The same dies may have gone on to strike thousands of regular business strike coins. PCGS graded all of the 1964 coins, if you are feeling like taking a risk you could submit and see what happens.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2280 Posts |
I was trying to be nice about it, but you went and crushed his dreams!
I'm just surprised no one else said anything until I did, which further enabled his beliefs.
You realize when you know how to think, it empowers you far beyond those who know only what to think.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
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Replies: 36 / Views: 3,250 |