No proof sets or uncirculated mint sets were produced by the mint in those years, and instead " Special Mint Sets" containing circulation coins featuring a satin finish were sold to collectors. The starting the next year through 1967, the all mints produced coins without mint marks as a shortage of coins was blamed on coin collectors. Because of this, mintages for all proof coins in a year were the same.ġ964 was the final year that the Philadelphia Mint produced proof sets. Proof coinage production continued in 1950, although the mint no longer sold proof coins individually. Later that year proof coinage was discontinued as the Mint was busy striking millions of medals for military awards. Only the cupronickel version was included in the 1942 proof set, but a proof silver nickel (identified by the P mint mark on the reverse) was sold separately later that year.
Halfway through 1942, following the outbreak of World War II, the composition of the nickel temporarily changed from cupronickel to 35% silver. Therefore, later 1936 pennies and nickels featured the mirror-like "brilliant" finish used on the other coins of the set.
Proof cents and nickels produced in early 1936 had a satin finish, which was unpopular with collectors as it closely resembled the standard circulation strike finish. Like previous proof coinage, the new coins could be bought individually, but unlike previous coins, they were also offered as a set. In 1936, the US Mint produced proof coinage for collectors for the first time since 1916, when the mint had shut down proof production due to lack of interest from collectors. Standard proof sets (1936–present) Pre-war proof sets (1936–1942) 4.8 American Innovation Dollar Proof Set and Reverse Proof Set.4.7 50th Anniversary San Francisco Silver Reverse Proof Set.4.5 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set.4.4 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set.2.1 Limited Edition silver proof sets (2012–present).2 Silver proof sets (1976 1992–present).1.3 San Francisco proof sets (1968–present).In next month’s column we’ll explore some of those changes. The grading revolution was front and center in the headlines, but less evident were the revolutionary changes underway in coin production at the U.S. In order to remain competitive, in less than six months, ANACS followed suit.
Professional Coin Grading Service entered the marketplace in early February, raising the bar by expanding the six Uncirculated grades commonly in use to 11 one-point grade increments in the Mint Stage range. Then came 1986, the pivotal year in coin grading. But the market wanted more precision, namely formal recognition of a 64 grade. In 1981 the ANA recognized the use of two additional Mint State grades, 63 and 67. By the late 1970s rising prices, particularly for silver dollars, moved the market to seek more precision. Soon dealers began applying Sheldon’s scale to other denominations and it became the norm during the 1960s. At the top of the range (Mint State) Sheldon identified three numbers: 60, 65 and 70. In 1949 William Sheldon devised a “quantitative grading” scale to denote the condition of 1793 to 1814 cents, using adjectival descriptions and numbers (1 to 70) to benchmark. Yet, both a perfect coin and a perfect grade were predictable and inevitable, when we look through the clear lens of history. coins by that time had been graded even MS-67 or Proof 67. While 70 always had been theoretically possible, few U.S. To say that the perfect grade raised some eyebrows is an understatement.