The 1936 Proof Set marked the resumption of production of proof coins for collectors. The last proof coins had been produced 20 years ago in 1916. Today, the 1936 Proof Set is scarce and expensive, but when it was offered it received a lukewarm reception from collectors.
The US Mint produced five denominations in proof version during 1936. This included the Lincoln Cent, Buffalo Nickel, Mercury Dime, Washington Quarter, and Walking Liberty Half Dollar. The coins were sold by the US Mint individually or as a complete set priced at $1.89 per set. Because the coins were sold individually, this resulted in a wide range of mintages for each proof coin.The mintage for the 1936 Proof Set is usually stated as 3,837, since that is the maximum number of complete sets that can exist.
1936 Proof Coin Mintages
- 1936 Proof Lincoln Cent: 5,569
- 1936 Proof Buffalo Nickel: 4,420
- 1936 Proof Mercury Dime: 4,139
- 1936 Proof Washington Quarter: 3,837
- 1936 Proof Walking Liberty Half Dollar: 3,901
Early in the year, the Lincoln Cents and Buffalo Nickels were produced with a satin proof finish. This finish was disliked by collectors, since it closely resembled the regular circulation strike coins. Later in the year, a brilliant proof finish was used instead, resulting in two different finishes for the cent and nickel. The dime, quarter, and half dollar are all found with only the brilliant proof finish.
The 1936 Proof Set packaging could vary. The individual coins were placed within cellophane sleeves, and then stapled together at the top, either as a complete set, or with other coins from the same order. The stapled sleeve was placed in a box or envelope and shipped or given to the customer.
1936 Proof Set
- Face Value: $0.91
- Original Issue Price: $1.89
- Mintage: 3,837
