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Each year, the US Mint produces a variety of coin products for sale to the public. These usually include "Proof Sets", "Mint Sets" and various other products that many people enjoy collecting. These products have been produced by the US Mint for several decades, so products can be purchased that date from quite a few years ago right up to the present. Following is a brief explanation of some of the more popular items produced by the US Mint, either presently or in years past.
First, it would be helpful to define the terms "Uncirculated" and "Proof":
"Uncirculated" (or "BU", which stands for "Brilliant Uncirculated") refers to coins that have never been placed in general circulation. Many people use the phrase "Never been touched by a human hand", but that's not necessarily true -- in fact it's almost impossible for that to be the case. Rather, the term simply means that the coin shows absolutely NO sign of wear or friction, and no trace of any alteration from it's original "Mint State" condition. Generally, this term refers to coins that were manufactured by the normal coin minting process, intended for general circulation but saved before they saw the first trace of wear. One exception to this is the case of Modern Commemorative coins -- these coins were not released into general circulation, so they should all be "Mint State" (Uncirculated) unless they've simply been mishandled.
"Proof" refers to coins that were NOT intended for general circulation, but were instead made especially for collectors. The US Mint uses specially prepared, highly polished dies to manufacture Proof coins, and because of the special dies used, the coins come out with beautiful, highly reflective mirrored surfaces. However, just because a Proof coin might be more attractive than its Uncirculated counterpart, that doesn't mean it's more valuable or will be a better investment! Some Proof coins are more valuable than the Uncirculated version and turn out to be a better investment, but for some coins it's the other way around. There's simply no way to predict the future.
For illustration purposes, below is an Uncirculated coin (left) and a Proof version of the same coin (right)
Click here to skip down to Modern Commemoratives
"Blue Ike" Dollars:
"Ike" was the nickname for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, so the term "Ike" refers to one of these dollars. The coins were produced from 1971 thru 1978, but the term "Blue Ike" refers specifically to coins dated 1971 through 1974 and packaged by the mint in a cellophane enclosure with an outer dark blue envelope. These coins are Uncirculated and were minted at the San Francisco mint, so they bear the "S" mint mark. Return to Home page
"Brown Ike" Dollars:
"Ike" was the nickname for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, so the term "Ike" refers to one of these dollars. The coins were produced from 1971 thru 1978, but the term "Brown Ike" refers specifically to coins dated 1971 through 1974 and packaged by the mint in a hard plastic case inside of a brown cardboard box that resembles wood paneling. These are the Proof version and they were produced at the San Francisco mint so they bear the "S" mint mark. Return to Home page
"GSA" Dollars:
"GSA" stands for Government Services Administration. During a Treasury audit in 1964, a large number of bags of Uncirculated silver dollars was discovered, so President Nixon authorized the sale of these coins to the public. The coins were individually sealed in a hard plastic case that fit snugly inside a dark cardboard box. The dates on the GSA Dollars for sale on this web site were 1878 thru 1885, 1890 and 1891, and they were minted at the Carson City, Nevada mint so they bear the "CC" mint mark. Return to Home page
"Mint" Sets:
The term "Mint Set" refers to a US Mint-packaged set of coins of each denomination for a particular year. These will be regular, Uncirculated coins that were packaged into sets by the US Mint for sale to collectors rather than being released into circulation. These sets were sold by the US Mint beginning in 1947 and continuing to the present, with no sets being produced in 1950, 1982 or 1983. Sets made from 1947 through 1958 were double sets, containing two of each coin issued. From 1959 to the present they are single sets. In 1965 through 1967 they had a "Proof-like" or mirror-like finish and were called "Special Mint Sets" ~ and there were no "Proof Sets" made during those years. The US Mint has changed the packaging styles for "Mint Sets" over the years, and the photo below shows some of the evolution of that packaging. Return to Home page
"Proof" Sets: The term "Proof Set" refers to a US Mint-packaged set of coins of each denomination for a particular year. These will be Proof coins that were packaged into sets by the US Mint for sale to collectors. These sets were sold by the US Mint beginning in 1936 and continuing to the present, with no sets being produced in 1965 through 1967 (read about the "Special Mint Sets" produced during these years under "Mint Sets" above). Through 1964 these Proof coins have no mint mark, indicative of the Philadelphia mint; from1968 to the present, they bear the "S" mint mark which is indicative of the San Francisco mint. There have been several varieties of "Proof Sets" produced by the US Mint over the years, such as "Prestige Proof Sets" (1983 through 1997 with the exception of 1985, and which contain an additional commemorative silver dollar and/or half dollar minted the same year as the other coins in the set), "Silver Proof Sets" (1992 through the present) which contain specially minted coins with a silver content, "Premiere Silver Proof Sets" (1992 through 1998) which are similar to the silver proof sets of the same years but were issued with much nicer packaging for display, and beginning in 1999, the US Mint produced both "Full Sets" and "Quarters Only" Proof Sets due to the State Quarter program. Both the "Full" and the "Quarters Only" Proof Sets are offered in a silver version and a "clad" (copper) version. The US Mint has changed the packaging styles for "Proof Sets" over the years, and the photo below shows some of the evolution of that packaging. Clockwise, from top right corner: 2004 Silver Quarters Proof Set (contains quarters only, and the set shown below is the silver version), 1999 "Full Set" Proof Set (9 piece, which includes the 1c, 5c, 10c, 50c and five different state quarters), 1972 Proof Set, 1960 Proof Set, 1992 Silver Proof Set, 1993 Prestige Proof Set, 1994 Premiere Silver Proof Set. Return to Home page
"SBA" Dollars:
"SBA" stands for Susan B. Anthony, who was honored on the One Dollar coins minted for general circulation from 1979 through 1981. In 1999, the SBA dollar was re-released in both a Proof and an Uncirculated version, and the 1999 Proof SBA dollars are the ones for sale on this web site. Return to Home page
US "Silver Eagles":
The term "Silver Eagle" refers to the one ounce, .999 fine silver bullion coins produced by the US Mint from 1986 to the present, and they are available in both Uncirculated and Proof condition. The Proof coins come in a velvet box inside a cardboard box with a certificate of authenticity -- see photos below. First photo is an Uncirculated Silver Eagle; second photo is a Proof Silver Eagle. Return to Home page
Modern Commemoratives
NOTE: "C&C" stands for "Coin & Currency" -- there's paper money included in the set.
(For an explanation of "Uncirculated" v.s. "Proof" coins, and a photo example of each, scroll to the top of this page)
Since 1982, the US Mint has been producing and offering for sale to the public each year a wide variety of Modern Commemorative coins and sets, often (but not always) in both Uncirculated and Proof versions -- and in some cases the sets will contain both Uncirculated and Proof coins. These coins and sets are handsomely packaged by the Mint and come with a certificate of authenticity. "Single coin" commemoratives have been in the Half Dollar, Silver Dollar, $5 Gold and $10 Gold denominations, while multiple coin sets range anywhere from two coins to thirty two coins! Some sets include a piece of paper money, and these sets will have "C&C" in the description, which stands for "Coin & Currency". See photo below for a few samples of Modern Commemorative coins and US Mint packaging. Return to Home page
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