Let us take you all the way back to 1936. What is specific about this year? It was the first year that the United States Mint produced an annual set that we now know as the Uncirculated (Mint) Set. Fast forward to 1965 and you will find that the Mint would forgo the Mint and Proof set during a transition metal period and create instead the Special Mint Sets. This happened from 1965 until 1967. However, as you will find out, our next entry in this series will highlight a blunder in the mix and bring forth a set that was not supposed to exist.
Continuing in our journey through Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Modern United States Coins blog series, we take a closer look at a top ten pick that happens to be one of the most coveted sets the United States Mint has ever produced. With help from authors Scott Schechter and Jeff Garrett in addition to some of the most influential coin dealers across the country, these special coins are mysterious and their story can only be told with speculation.
#7 - 1964 Special Mint Set
Popping up in a 1993 Stack’s Rare Coins auction was a very rare set. Comprised of five total coins featuring the cent, nickel, dime, quarter, and half dollar, the coins were somewhere between a Satin finish and a Proof finish. Resembling that of a Special Mint Set, it was quite the head scratcher as all the coins featured a year that “technically” did not put out a set like that. While 1965-1967 was the date range for the sets, these coins featured the year date 1964. Speculation took over from there.
Some believe that the coins were a “trial version” of the sets to come as the Mint was working on transitioning silver coinage to copper-nickel. The Special Mint Sets were a product of that transition. To help aid in that endeavor, coins were struck without a mintmark and Proof coins were also not produced so that the demand for circulation coins could take precedence. The sets were sold featuring just five coins and the finishes featured that Satin/Proof appearance. 1965 coins featured a heavier Satin finish while the following years were more Prooflike. However, with that being said, nothing about the 1964 Special Mint Set was able to truly be explained.
Theories about the set are the only answers to the production of the set and even those are speculation. One was that the Mint needed to test the production process and a trial run of 1964 sets were struck. Another theory was that the sets were produced for presentation purposes only. Initial set numbers reported that there were around 15 total sets. However, more sets have been revealed and upwards of 50 have been accounted for.
Since the first edition of this publication, the set has moved up five spots from #12.