A lot of 8 mint sets from the USSR was sold today for over €200 at the FNS auction. Do you think the buyer just might have great confidence that he can sell them way above bookvalue or are they really this valuable?!?!

LOT #224

Actually I have sold these sets for $5 each Unfortunately they have a nasty tendency to have irregular toning because of poor handling in the Goznak.

Appearently, one of the mint sets minted in the 70s is quite valuable. I believe it is either 1970 or 1975 that has a scarce variance that could only be found in mint sets.

I had the 1975 sets, sold it to one of my friends sisters, she was going through a coin phase for awhile, I wonder if she still has it?

Oddly, there is another mint set that is going way too high as well:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=8385203771

Now I am confused what mint year was the rarest out of all

I've seen sets in a square plastic holder before. Are those sets the same as the pilofilm types (changed packaging), or are they something else?

Square? Do not mean to get pedantic here, but just want to be clear as I have a rectangular one.

I think I know what ccg is asking. In 1990 and 1991, Leningrad mint seemed to have experimented their packaging for overseas, and hence such sets are in "squarish" paper holders. I am not too sure if a 1989 set exist but so far, these are the ones that I know of.

Alternatively, sets released in Soviet Union were released in either the flimpsy clear plastic sheets, like the example that I have shown, or in hard plastic cases.

I believe kuhli has more infomation on this as I definately don't have enough resource to purchase all possible sets!

My bad, I do mean rectangular cases.

So are the rectangular holdered sets valued at the same, or...?

I wasn't too sure which type is more rare but most certainly I should have hoarded them in the past:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=8402222363

And I know I have seen that year set in the past a lot cheaper than what I am seeing now

Let's see. The same year 1974, and different packaging, but crazy deviations in the prices.

Flimpsy plastic sheet:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=260024952239

Casing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=260024951364

Seems like the plastic sheet is more desired since it does not have problems with the hard cupboard set, as it often has plenty of toning issues.

Now you know whoever got those sets must have got a bargain - 1970 and 1975 sets appearently aren't too common.

1972: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=170061165717

1975: http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=170061164756

Appearantly the sets in this type of packaging are more scarce than those in the hard plastic casing of the same year.

For those of you guys who can read Russian here is the link to an article about Soviet mint sets published by a colleage of mine on the Russian forum (link - http://www.coins.su/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8323)
One must be registered to see pictures, this one is worth reading.

Very interesting Timofei. Thanks for the link.

Seems like the 1975 soft plastic coin set isn't inside the list? (or I fail to read carefully)

As well as, is there any indication of this mint set?



It's a 1961 mint (?) set.

Just a slight off topic question, what does the short form "анц." mean? My Russian isn't too good.

"анц." = unc (uncirculated)

The highest price ever paid for 1970 mint set:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=260073335411

Now that's over insanity.

I can make you a Happy, I sold out same date for $650