A U.S. Mint set is a complete collection of one of each coin produced by all U.S. Mints in a given year. Mint sets have been offered every year since 1947, except 1950, 1982, and 1983. All U.S. coins in a Mint set are uncirculated, although they are not struck on special, polished dies like coins in a proof set. But Mint sets do have their charms, especially the ones from the late 1940s through the mid-1960s, when sets were sent to customers in plain manila envelopes and sealed in cellophane. Sets from 1947 through 1958 included two coins each so that a collector could view the fronts and backs of each coin, while sets produced from 1965 through 1967 were sold as Special Mint Sets since no proof sets were offered in those years.

While many Mint sets on the market today are offered in hard plastic containers made for this purpose, collectors should be aware that there’s no guarantee these coins were in the original Mint set; they may just be uncirculated or lightly circulated coins. Coins in Mint sets since 2005 have had satin finishes. Naturally Mints sets from the late 1940s and early 1950s command the highest prices today, but a decreased mintage in 2004 makes Mint sets from that year relatively more collectible than the ones immediately before of after.