U.S. Coin Library

Uncirculated Mint Sets & Special Mint Sets

Information

Official Mint, or sometimes referred to as Uncirculated sets, were first offered for sale by the United States Mint in 1947.

Uncirculated mint sets are coins specially packaged by the United States government for sale to collectors. These sets contain uncirculated specimens of each year's coins for every denomination issued from each mint. Unlike proof sets, the coins contained in uncirculated sets are not minted with any special quality considerations. They are the normal coins intended for circulation. Coins that are struck only as proofs are not included.

Privately assembled mint sets and other souvenir sets produced for sale at the Philadelphia or Denver mints, or for special occasions, are valued according to the individual pieces they contain. The official government sealed sets are those most desirable to collectors.

Uncirculated Mint Sets (1947 - Present)

Uncirculated mint sets sold by the U.S. Treasury from 1947 through 1958 contained two examples of each regular issue coin for that year. These sets were packaged in cardboard holders that did not protect the coins from tarnish. Nicely preserved early sets usually command a premium of 10 to 20 percent above market prices. No official mint sets were produced by the United States in 1950, 1982, or 1983.

Sets from 1959 to current date, excluding 1965, 1966 and 1967, have been packaged in transparent sealed packets and include only one specimen of each coin struck for that year.

Occasionally, some issues have been omitted from mint sets. The dollar was not included in mint sets in 1971 and 1972. In 1979, the San Francisco mint dollar was not included.

In some cases, coins of a particular year were issued only in mint sets and not otherwise released for general circulation. In 1970 and in 1987 the half dollar was sold only in mint sets. Dollar coins were sold only in mint sets in 1973 and 1981.

The 1970 large-date and small-date (SD) varieties are distinguished by the size of the date on the cent. The 1976 three-piece set contains the quarter, half dollar and dollar with the Bicentennial design and they are 40% silver. The 1975 set as well as the regular issue set for 1976 also contain the quarter, half dollar and dollar dated 1976 with the Bicentennial design. But these coins are made of a copper-nickel composition.

Memo

Special Mint Sets (1965 - 1967)

In 1965, 1966 and 1967 the Mint issued Special Mint Sets (SMS) as a substitute for proof sets. The coins in these sets are of a higher quality than regular mint sets. These coins are proof-like in appearance and they are packaged in plastic cases.

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