A really fun idea is to assemble a Birth Year Coin Set or a Conception Year Coin Set. It’s a collection of coins that were struck during the year of one’s birth or the year of one’s conception. The idea is to pick out of pocket change an example of each coin you find that was struck the year you (or someone you love) was born — or conceived. This is a simple DIY project for all skill levels — whether you officially collect coins or not! Here are some clever ideas for making coin sets by year — including Birth Year Coin Sets and Conception Year Coin Sets.
Mint Sets
Mint Sets (or Uncirculated Sets) are complete sets of coins produced by each mint facility for circulation in a particular year. They are packaged and sold as coin collecting sets by the US Mint. A Mint Set contains one uncirculated coin of each denomination struck that year, from the pool of coins intended for general circulation. Unlike Proof Sets (which contain coins with the best finish, the finest quality of a coin), the coins in Mint Sets are not made with any special considerations regarding quality. (On rare occasion, we also talk about individual uncirculated coins here.)
Tips For Assembling A Complete Set Of 50 State Quarters + A List Of All The Coins In This Popular Series And Their Dates
The U.S. Mint’s state quarter program began in 1999 and continued through 2008. In all, 50 statehood quarters were made — one for each state in the United States. They were released into circulation in the order that the statehoods came into existence. Here’s the official list of all 50 state quarters and their release dates. Plus, everything you need to know about collecting the 50 state quarters, and fun ways to save state quarters that you probably haven’t thought of!
See Why Uncirculated Mint Sets Are Worth Collecting + Fun Ways To Collect Them
Collecting uncirculated mint sets from the United States Mint is a perfect way to get most, if not all, of the examples of coins found in pocket change from each year! Uncirculated coin sets have been issued by the United States Mint since 1947, and they’ve been offered almost every year since then. See what U.S. mint sets are worth, plus my personal tips and strategies for building a really cool mint set collection.
Have A 1964 Penny Worth $5,000? (It’s The 1964 SMS Penny) See The Current Value For Rare And Common 1964 Pennies
Most worn 1964 pennies that you’ll find in circulation are worth the value of their copper content — or about 2 cents. But some 1964 penny values are MUCH higher — like the 1964 SMS penny. Here’s how to tell if you have a rare 1964 SMS penny why these 1964 pennies are worth so much.
Valuable Quarters In Your Pocket Change: Here Are 8 Circulated Clad Washington Quarters Worth More Than Face Value (Yes, Really!)
Clad quarters have a copper band around the edge, between 2 nickel colored layers. Look for these 8 valuable quarters in your everyday pocket change!
The 2011 Mint Set: Great For Collecting Uncirculated Coins
There are 28 uncirculated coins in the 2011 United States Mint coin set.
The U.S. Mint’s Souvenir Set Is The Only Way To Collect Official 1982 & 1983 Uncirculated Coin Sets
Buying a souvenir set from the Philadelphia and Denver mints in 1982 and 1983 was the only way to obtain official coin sets from those years.
Want A 1965 Mint Set? Go For The 1965 Special Mint Set
If you’re looking for a 1965 mint set, you’ll need to turn to the 1965 special mint set — the only official coin set made by the U.S. Mint that year.
Sold Out! The Boy Scouts Silver Dollar Is A Hit In Uncirculated Grades
The Boy Scouts commemorative dollar is very popular. So popular, in fact, that the U.S. Mint has already sold all of the uncirculated versions of the coin!
The Important Differences Between Mint Sets & Proof Sets
Mint sets and proof sets may seem to have some similarities, but these two types of mint coin sets are actually quite different from each other. Find out more about the differences between mint sets and proof sets.
Here’s A Great Way To Collect Old Silver Coins: Buy Silver Mint Sets
Silver mint sets are great collectibles that contain old silver coins in uncirculated grades.
Rare Uncirculated Coins – 1982 & 1983 Uncirculated Coins Are Modern Rarities
So, what’s the story behind those scarce uncirculated 1982 and 1983 coins?
2009 Uncirculated U.S. Coin Set
The 2009 uncirculated coin set is big! 36 come in the 2009 uncirculated set. But along with a bigger set also comes a bigger price. Here’s complete info about the 2009 Uncirculated U.S. Coin Set from the U.S. Mint.
2009 Lincoln Professional Life Penny: History & Facts About The 3rd Lincoln Bicentennial Penny Which Honors His Professional Life
The U.S. Mint produced the 2009 Lincoln penny with 4 new designs on the reverse side of the coin. These Bicentennial Lincoln pennies honor the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. Here is the history and facts about the third one released — 2009 Lincoln professional years penny.
2009 U.S. Mint Coins: Old Favorites And Stunning New Designs
In 2009, the U.S. Mint is issuing a fascinating variety and quantity of coins. Ranging from Lincoln bicentennial pennies to the 24 karat gold double eagle there is something for everyone in the 2009 United State Mint issue.
Souvenir Sets Versus Mint Sets: What’s the Difference?
At first glance, mint sets and souvenir sets look very similar to each other. But, in fact, there are some very important differences between mint sets and souvenir sets.
1990s Mint Sets: Little-Known Facts About The Coins And Their Values
1990s mint sets are easily found, but the 1999 Mint set does not include the 1999 Susan B. Anthony dollar coin.
1960s Mint Sets: Little-Known Facts About The Coins And Their Values
In the 1960s, United States coins underwent several changes. You can see the course of these changes when assembling a complete collection of mint sets from the 1960s.
Louis Braille Dollar Coin – A First For The U.S. Mint
The new Louis Braille Silver Dollar honors the inventor of the Braille reading system for the blind. The surcharges from this coin will go to the National Federation of the Blind.
2009 Lincoln Log Cabin Penny: History & Facts About The 1st Lincoln Bicentennial Penny Which Honors His Early Childhood
The U.S. Mint produced the 2009 Lincoln penny with 4 new designs on the reverse side of the coin. These Bicentennial Lincoln pennies honor the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. See history and facts about the first one released — the 2009 Lincoln log cabin penny, honoring Lincoln’s birth and early childhood in Kentucky from the years 1809 to 1816.
1965 Coin Act Changes The Face Of U.S. Coins
The 1965 coins went through a number of changes, some of which are still in use today. Reduction of silver in the coins and leaving off mint marks were to discourage coin hoarding. Proof sets and mint sets were not produced for 3 years.
1970s Mint Sets: Little-Known Facts About The Coins And Their Values
The 1970s were a colorful time for U.S. mint sets. The first mint set of the 1970s still included regular-issue silver coins. The last 1970s mint set offered the first of the very unpopular Susan B. Anthony dollars. In between, Bicentennial coins, S-mint coins, and the large Eisenhower dollars all had their day in the in 1970s mint sets.
No Mintmark? See Why There Are No Mint Marks On Coins Dated 1965, 1966 And 1967
In fact, the United States Mint did not officially produce any coins with a mintmark during the years 1965, 1966, 1967. Here’s why.
Many were trying to build complete date sets. Others were pulling silver coins out of circulation to benefit from the rising silver bullion values of the time.
Proof Sets And Mint Sets: What’s The Difference?
Following is a summary of the differences between mint coin sets and proof coin sets, including how to determine the value of a proof set or a mint set of coins.
Washington Quarters: See How U.S. Quarter Values Have Changed Over 15 Years
Washington quarters are a fairly easy series of coins to collect, especially in the lower grades (for the older dates). Yet, there are several scarce dates in the Washington quarters series that have posed challenges for collectors. Let’s look at how some Washington quarters have performed over 15 years.
