We are pleased to offer for sale this CollecTons Keepers Set #11 through #15.
What makes the Collectons Keepers program special?
Here at CollecTons, we work hard researching coins that should be part of every collection. Our goal is to utilize our knowledge in the numismatic industry to select coins worthy of being in everyone's collection! Therefore, the CollecTons Keepers program will only feature those Coins Worth Keeping.
Each coin is hand selected and given to ANACS (America's Oldest Grading Service) for grading and authentication. The coins are then sealed in an ANACS certified proprietary slab holder for long-term storage, with our limited edition label marking it a CollecTons Keeper.
The five CollecTons Keepers included in this starter set are:
Benjamin Franklin was very well respected and admired by Mint director Nellie Tayloe Ross.In 1947 she directed John R. Sinnock, then the Mint's chief engraver, to prepare designs for a Franklin Half Dollar based on his previous work on a medal depicting a bust of Franklin. Interestingly, Franklin was strongly opposed to putting portraits on coins, preferring proverbs that the holder could reflect upon. Ross justified her actions by pointing out that Franklin had only known of living royalty being depicted on coins, and that he would have felt differently about a coin honoring an important person that had deceased.
Sinnock decided to base the reverse of the coin on the Liberty Bell as depicted in the 1926 Sesquicentennial Commemorative Half Dollar to pay homage to Franklin's home of Philadelphia as well as a to represent Liberty. A small eagle was added when Mint officials realized that all coins with a face value greater than 10 cents must depict an eagle according to the Coinage Act of 1873. This most likely would have upset Franklin who despised eagles, considering them to be scavengers.
Bugs Bunny Variety
In 1955, a rare die error caused by a clash between the obverse die and the reverse die created some coins that look like Franklin has buck teeth.This error was a result of the impact of the eagle's wings on the reverse with the obverse die, causing a mark on Franklin's top lip. This error variety is most commonly known as the "Bugs Bunny" variety but is also known as the "Detached Nose," variety. In addition to the buck teeth, the error left an impression of the liberty bell in front of Franklin's nose. Mint employees easily polished away the impression of the liberty bell but missed the teeth.
Although this is not the only year this error can be found on, the 1955 is the most popular because it is the key date of the series. There were only 2,498,181 of these 1955 Franklin Half Dollars produced at the Philadelphia mint, but it is unclear how many were of the Bugs Bunny variety making this a key date of the series.
In 1973 Congress approved a redesign of the reverse of the quarter, half dollar, and dollar coins in honor of the 200th anniversary of U.S. independence. In addition to the circulating commemorative coins, Congress dictated that a small number of the coins were to be minted in a 40% silver clad with a proof finish as well as a regular clad proof issue for collectors. Both the silver clad and the circulating coins would all bear the dates 1776-1976 and the coins would be minted for delivery after the 4th of July, 1975 and prior to the end of the 1976 Bicentennial year. Fearing that a low mintage of the coins bearing the date 1975 would create a hoarding situation the Mint continued producing 1974 dated coins until it began minting the Bicentennial pieces. These Bicentennial pieces are widely considered to be both 1975 and 1976 coins.
The Treasury Department held a competition to select the reverse designs for the three coins. 884 entries were received and the entries were reviewed by a panel of 5. The winner of the quarter competition was Jack L. Ahr. Ahr's design featured a colonial drummer with a torch of victory surrounded by thirteen stars to represent the original colonies. William Smith, who had designed a postage stamp featuring a drummer, accused Ahr of copying his work. Ahr denied the accusation and stated that his son had been the model for the drummer. According to numismatic historian Walter Breen, "both obviously derive from Archibald Willard's 1876 painting Spirit of '76," a painting which both designers undoubtedly saw sometime in their lives. Mint Director Mary Brooks, in a letter to Smith, declared that the design for the quarter was "sufficiently original" to impress the National Sculpture Society and would be used for the reverse of the quarter. Frank Gasparro, the Chief Mint Engraver at the time, made minor changes to the quarter's reverse design, simplifying it a bit and altering the drum and drummer for the sake of authenticity. While Ahr expressed a desire to have more time to complete his design, he did agree that Gasparro's changes had been an improvement to his design.
The 1976 Washington Quarter is one of the most important U.S. modern coinage issues, as it led the way for future commemorative coins, as well as the statehood quarters, and America the Beautiful quarters. With George Washington having such a major role in the American Revolution, the quarter was an obvious choice to be included in the celebration of the 200th anniversary of U.S. independence.
In 1973 Congress approved a redesign of the reverse of the quarter, half dollar, and dollar coins in honor of the 200th anniversary of U.S. independence. In addition to the circulating commemorative coins, Congress dictated that a small number of the coins were to be minted in a 40% silver clad with a proof finish as well as a regular clad proof issue for collectors. Both the silver clad and the circulating coins would all bear the dates 1776-1976 and the coins would be minted for delivery after the 4th of July, 1975 and prior to the end of the 1976 Bicentennial year. Fearing that a low mintage of the coins bearing the date 1975 would create a hoarding situation the Mint continued producing 1974 dated coins until it began minting the Bicentennial pieces. These Bicentennial pieces are widely considered to be both 1975 and 1976 coins.
The Treasury Department held a competition to select the reverse designs for the three coins. 884 entries were received and the entries were reviewed by a panel of 5. The winner of the quarter competition was Jack L. Ahr. Ahr's design featured a colonial drummer with a torch of victory surrounded by thirteen stars to represent the original colonies. William Smith, who had designed a postage stamp featuring a drummer, accused Ahr of copying his work. Ahr denied the accusation and stated that his son had been the model for the drummer. According to numismatic historian Walter Breen, "both obviously derive from Archibald Willard's 1876 painting Spirit of '76," a painting which both designers undoubtedly saw sometime in their lives. Mint Director Mary Brooks, in a letter to Smith, declared that the design for the quarter was "sufficiently original" to impress the National Sculpture Society and would be used for the reverse of the quarter. Frank Gasparro, the Chief Mint Engraver at the time, made minor changes to the quarter's reverse design, simplifying it a bit and altering the drum and drummer for the sake of authenticity. While Ahr expressed a desire to have more time to complete his design, he did agree that Gasparro's changes had been an improvement to his design.
The 1976 Washington Quarter is one of the most important U.S. modern coinage issues, as it led the way for future commemorative coins, as well as the statehood quarters, and America the Beautiful quarters. With George Washington having such a major role in the American Revolution, the quarter was an obvious choice to be included in the celebration of the 200th anniversary of U.S. independence.
The 1982 George Washington Commemorative Half Dollar coins mark the beginning of what is known as "Modern Commemoratives" from the U.S. Mint. The U.S. Mint had received wide criticism for it's unprofitable use of commemorative coins to support both private and charitable organizations and minted the last of the "Classic Commemoratives" in 1954. Many a numismatist was surprised when twenty-seven years later the Mint announced that a commemorative coin would be struck to celebrate the 250th anniversary of George Washington's birth, thus beginning what is known as the modern commemorative program.
Given the success of the Bicentennial Washington Quarters in 1975 and 1976, it was determined that this occasion was more deserving of a commemorative coin rather than the commemorative medals that had been produced to honor presidents in more recent years. Unlike later commemorative coins, the profits from this one would be used to pay down the national debt rather than support a particular organization. The 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games were fast approaching, and there was strong support to strike this 1982 commemorative in order to open the doors to striking another commemorative to celebrate the games.
Unlike most of the commemoratives struck after the Washington Commemorative, this coin seems to belong more with the coins struck between 1892 & 1954. Like the earlier issues, this commemorative is a half dollar, and is made up of 90% silver. Most of the later commemoratives struck were of the large dollar size with a copper clad composition. Like the later coins, this issue was to be struck in both Proof and Uncirculated versions. The coin was highly successful and received three awards in its inaugural year: Coin of the Year competition in 1984 for Most Historically Significant Coin, Most Popular Coin, and Coin of the Year. The success of the George Washington Commemorative Half Dollar was a driving force towards creating three commemoratives for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games!
Here we present the 1982-S George Washington Commemorative Half Dollar in Proof finish.
U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Elizabeth Jones designed both the obverse and reverse of this coin. The obverse show Washington on horseback, and the reverse is of his home, Mount Vernon.
Just hours after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Chief U.S. Mint Engraver Gilroy Roberts was contacted by Mint Director Eva Adams, who informed him that serious consideration was already being given to designing a coin to commemorate the late president's life. On November 27, 1963, just 5 days after the assassination, the new design was authorized by the mint, though not approved by Congress. The late president's widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, was consulted, and it was decided to replace Benjamin Franklin on the half dollar, since the first lady did not want to take George Washington off the quarter. While the dies for the new coin were being created, a new coinage bill was passed by Congress on December 30, 1963 which allowed the design to be used on the half dollar.
There was very little time to create a new design for the coin so Gilroy based the coin on a medal that he and Frank Gasparro had already created. The coin features a bust of JFK on the obverse and a Presidential Seal on the reverse. It is composed of 90% silver and 10% copper and is the only year of the Kennedy Half dollar to have this composition.
The coin was met with overwhelming public approval which, in combination with the rising price of silver, resulted in the coins being hoarded. In response, the Treasury Department announced that no proof sets would be struck in 1965, 1966 or 1967 and modified the composition of the circulating coins to contain only 40% silver, making this first year of issue the only Kennedy Half dollar composed of 90% silver.
Here we present the 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar in Proof finish.
Check Out (
Click for Larger images
