1979-S 1c-$1 Proof Set, Type 1, 6 Coins PR

Original Packaging: The coins were secured in a clear plastic casing with a red, flocked insert and a black, hinged frame. The hinge provided for an easel display of the set, and the words UNITED STATES PROOF SET appeared at the bottom of the frame in raised, silver lettering. A black cardboard box housed the assembled set, and the words “UNITED STATES PROOF SET • 1979” were printed on it in silver script.

The Mint did not prepare a new holder for this first year of Susan B. Anthony dollar production. Instead, it simply adapted the existing Proof set holder to accommodate the smaller coin by inserting a clear plastic retaining ring into the large dollar hole.

Commentary: Unlike its delay with the Eisenhower dollar in 1971­ and ­1972, the Mint did not wait for new holders before including the Susan B. Anthony dollar in this year’s Proof sets. The novelty of the mini­-­dollar clearly boosted sales of Proof sets at a time when interest in them was otherwise lagging.

Until the mid­-­1980s, the S mintmarks applied to Proof dies were still punched into each die with hand tools. When these wore out, they had to be replaced, and this led to a collectible transition in 1979 sets. The old S puncheon had been deteriorating for years and its mark had become scarcely recognizable as a letter S. It was replaced with a much more distinct mintmark midway through 1979, with both varieties being known in Proof for each denomination. Both mintmarks are small enough that many collectors have difficulty telling them apart, yet these transitional varieties have captured their attention ever since. The Type 2 or Clear S mintmark is scarcer across the board, having been introduced near the end of Proof coin production for 1979. It is actually scarcer than the certified population suggests, because owners are much more likely to submit Type 2 coins for grading. Again, variety or subtype is better nomenclature than Type, but Type is firmly entrenched in the literature.

Source: Whitman