1999 Silver Proof Set (BUY)
Face Value: $1.91
Original Issue Price: $31.95
Mintage: 804,565
The 1999 Silver Proof Set was the first year of the State Quarters series. This new program would reinvigorate the hobby of coin collecting by issuing five different quarter designs each year over the course of the following ten years. Each design highlighted the unique aspects of each of the 50 States. This new program caused the expansion of the number of coins in the proof set and increased issuance prices. Due to the popularity of the State Quarters sales of the more expensive sets actually rose from the prior year.
Each 1999 Silver Proof Set contains the five quarters featuring Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut, struck in 90% silver. The 1999 Kennedy Half Dollar and Roosevelt Dime are also struck in 90% silver. The Lincoln Cent and Jefferson Nickel have the standard composition. All coins are struck in San Francisco and carry the "S" mint mark.
The packaging for the 1999 Silver Proof Set was altered to fit the expanded set. The five quarters were sealed in a plastic lens, with the remaining four coins sealed in a second lens. The two lenses were placed in a cardboard box. The color scheme for the silver proof sets was red, which differentiated the sets from the regular clad versions, themed in blue.
