The United States Mint Proof Set, commonly known as the Proof Set in the United States, is a set of proof coins sold by the United States Mint. The proof set is popular with coin collectors as it is a way to collect examples of United States coinage in proof condition.
Standard proof sets (since 1936)
Pre-war proof sets (1936–1942) In 1936, the US Mint produced proof coinage for collectors for the first time since 1916, when the mint had shut down proof production due to lack of interest from collectors. Like previous proof coinage, the new coins could be bought individually, but unlike previous coins, they were also offered as a set. Proof cents and nickels produced in early 1936 had a satin finish, which was unpopular with collectors as it closely resembled the standard circulation strike finish. Therefore, later 1936 cents and nickels featured the mirror-like "brilliant" finish used on the other coins of the set.
Halfway through 1942, following the outbreak of World War II, the composition of the nickel temporarily changed from cupronickel to 35% silver. Only the cupronickel version was included in the 1942 proof set, but a proof silver nickel (identified by the P mint mark on the reverse) was sold separately later that year. Later that year proof coinage was discontinued as the Mint was busy striking millions of medals for military awards. Pre-war proof setsYear1¢5¢10¢25¢50¢Total face valueMintage1936Lincoln cent
(P)Buffalo nickel
(P)Mercury dime
(P)Washington quarter
(P)Walking Liberty half dollar
(P)$0.91>3,8371937(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.91>5,5421938(P)Jefferson nickel
(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.91>8,0451939(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.91>8,7951940(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.91>11,2461941(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.91>15,2871942(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.91>21,120
Post-war proof sets (1950–1964) Proof coinage production continued in 1950, although the mint no longer sold proof coins individually. Because of this, mintages for all proof coins in a year were the same.
1964 was the final year that the Philadelphia Mint produced proof sets. Then, starting the next year, through 1967, all mints produced coins without mint marks, as a shortage of coins was blamed on coin collectors. No proof sets or uncirculated mint sets were produced by the mint in those years, and instead "Special Mint Sets" containing circulation coins featuring a satin finish were sold to collectors. Although these sets were neither proof sets nor true uncirculated sets, they are collected by proof set collectors to complete their "yearly" proof set collections. Post-war proof setsYear1¢5¢10¢25¢50¢Total face valueMintage1950Lincoln cent
(P)Jefferson nickel
(P)Roosevelt dime
(P)Washington quarter
(P)Franklin half dollar
(P)$0.9151,3861951(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.9157,5001952(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.9181,9801953(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.91128,8001954(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.91233,3001955(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.91378,2001956(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.91669,3841957(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.911,247,9521958(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.91875,6521959(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.911,149,2911960(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.911,691,6021961(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.913,028,2441962(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.913,218,0191963(P)(P)(P)(P)(P)$0.913,075,6451964(P)(P)(P)(P)Kennedy half dollar
(P)$0.913,950,762
San Francisco proof sets (1968–present)
In 1968, the mint started producing coins with mint marks again. Proof sets were once again produced also, with production of proof coins being taken over by the San Francisco Mint. Therefore, most post-1968 proof coins feature the S mint mark (error coins that lack the mint mark exist, and some special edition proof coins were produced by the Philadelphia and West Point Mints). Since 1975, San Francisco has only struck coins for collectors and investors, with the proof set being its main product (one major exception is the Susan B. Anthony dollar, produced 1979–1981).
In 1973, the dollar coin made its debut in the proof set in the form of the Eisenhower dollar. This coin proved unpopular in circulation and was discontinued in favor of the Susan B. Anthony dollar in 1979, which was also unpopular and also discontinued in 1981. The 1982 proof set contained a Department of the Treasury token in place of the dollar. It wasn't until 2000 that the dollar made a comeback in the proof set as the gold-colored Sacagawea dollar. Another dollar coin to be included in the proof set was the Presidential dollar, which was introduced in 2007 and produced alongside the Sacagawea dollar. Although popular with collectors, the dollar coin once again proved unpopular in circulation and was discontinued for circulation after 2011. , however, the Sacagawea dollar continues to be available in the proof set (the Presidential $1 coin program ended in 2016).
Both the 1975 and 1976 proof sets contained the Bicentennial quarters, half dollars, and dollars featuring the double date 1776–1976. This was due to the fact that the mint did not produce those coins dated 1975, and the bicentennial coins were produced both years.
From 1999 through 2008, five 50 State quarters were included in the mint set each year. In 2004 and 2005, the Westward Journey nickels were also included in the set, adding an extra nickel in both sets. The 2009 proof set contained the highest number of coins and the highest combined face value ($7.19) of any proof set as of 2019, containing the four Lincoln Bicentennial cents (with a special composition of 95% copper), all six District of Columbia and United States Territories quarters, five dollar coins, and the standard nickel, dime, and half dollar. In 2019, a penny featuring the W mint mark (indicating that it was minted at West Point Mint) was included in the mint set, this was the first time a penny featured the mint mark. The same was done with the nickel in 2020. San Francisco proof setsYear1¢5¢10¢25¢50¢$1OtherTotal face valueMintage1968Lincoln cent
SJefferson nickel
SRoosevelt dime
SWashington quarter
SKennedy half dollar S––$0.913,041,5061969SSSSS––$0.912,934,6311970SSSSS––$0.912,632,8101971SSSSS––$0.913,220,7331972SSSSS––$0.913,260,9961973SSSSSEisenhower dollar
S–$1.912,760,3391974SSSSSS–$1.912,612,5681975SSSSSS–$1.912,845,4501976SSSSSS–$1.914,149,7301977SSSSSS–$1.913,251,1521978SSSSSS–$1.913,127,7811979SSSSSSusan B. Anthony dollar
S–$1.913,677,1751980SSSSSS–$1.913,554,8061981SSSSSS–$1.914,063,0831982SSSSS–Department of the Treasury token$0.913,857,4791983SSSSS––$0.913,138,7651984SSSSS––$0.912,748,4301985SSSSS––$0.913,362,8211986SSSSS––$0.912,411,1801987SSSSS––$0.913,792,2331988SSSSS––$0.913,031,2871989SSSSS––$0.913,009,1071990SSSSS––$0.912,793,4331991SSSSS––$0.912,610,8331992SSSSS––$0.912,675,6181993SSSSS––$0.912,337,8191994SSSSS––$0.912,308,7011995SSSSS––$0.912,010,3841996SSSSS––$0.911,695,2441997SSSSS––$0.911,975,0001998SSSSS––$0.912,086,5071999SSS50 State quarters:
Delaware S
Pennsylvania S
New Jersey S
Georgia S
Connecticut SS––$1.912,543,4012000SSSMassachusetts S
Maryland S
South Carolina S
New Hampshire S
Virginia SSSacagawea dollar S–$2.913,082,5722001SSSNew York S
North Carolina S
Rhode Island S
Vermont S
Kentucky SSS–$2.912,294,9092002SSSTennessee S
Ohio S
Louisiana S
Indiana S
Mississippi SSS–$2.912,319,7662003SSSIllinois S
Alabama S
Maine S
Missouri S
Arkansas SSS–$2.912,172,6842004SPeace Medal S Keelboat SSMichigan S
Florida S
Texas S
Iowa S
Wisconsin SSS–$2.961,789,4882005SAmerican Bison S Ocean in View SSCalifornia S
Minnesota S
Oregon S
Kansas S
West Virginia SSS–$2.962,275,0002006SSSNevada S
Nebraska S
Colorado S
North Dakota S
South Dakota SSS–$2.912,000,4282007SSSMontana S
Washington S
Idaho S
Wyoming S
Utah SSSacagawea S Presidential dollars:
George Washington S
John Adams S
Thomas Jefferson S
James Madison S–$6.911,702,1162008SSSOklahoma S
New Mexico S
Arizona S
Alaska S
Hawaii SSSacagawea S
James Monroe S
John Quincy Adams S
Andrew Jackson S
Martin Van Buren S–$6.911,382,0172009Birthplace S
Formative Years S
Professional Life S
Presidency SSSDC and US Territories quarters:
District of Columbia S
Puerto Rico S
Guam S
American Samoa S
US Virgin Islands S
Northern Mariana Islands SSSacagawea S
William Henry Harrison S
John Tyler S
James K. Polk S
Zachary Taylor S–$7.191,482,5022010SSSAmerica the Beautiful quarters:
Hot Springs National Park S
Yellowstone National Park S
Yosemite National Park S
Grand Canyon National Park S
Mount Hood National Forest SSSacagawea S
Millard Fillmore S
Franklin Pierce S
James Buchanan S
Abraham Lincoln S–$6.911,103,9502011SSSGettysburg National Park S
Glacier National Park S
Olympic National Park S
Vicksburg National Park S
Chickasaw Recreation Area SSSacagawea S
Andrew Johnson S
Ulysses S. Grant S
Rutherford B. Hayes S
James A. Garfield S–$6.911,098,8352012SSSEl Yunque National Forest S
Chaco Culture National Historical Park S
Acadia National Park S
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park S
Denali National Park SSSacagawea S
Chester Arthur S
Grover Cleveland (1st term) S
Benjamin Harrison S
Grover Cleveland (2nd term) S–$6.91794,0022013SSSWhite Mountain National Forest S
Perry's Victory International Peace Memorial S
Great Basin National Park S
Fort McHenry National Monument S
Mount Rushmore National Memorial SSSacagawea S
William McKinley S
Theodore Roosevelt S
William Howard Taft S
Woodrow Wilson S–$6.91802,4602014SSSGreat Smoky Mountains National Park S
Shenandoah National Park S
Arches National Park S
Great Sand Dunes National Park S
Everglades National Park SSSacagawea S
Warren G. Harding S
Calvin Coolidge S
Herbert Hoover S
Franklin D. Roosevelt S–$6.91714,6612015SSSHomestead National Monument of America S
Kisatchie National Forest S
Blue Ridge Parkway S
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge S
Saratoga National Historical Park SSSacagawea S
Harry S. Truman S
Dwight D. Eisenhower S
John F. Kennedy S
Lyndon B. Johnson S–$6.91662,8542016SSSShawnee National Forest S
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park S
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park S
Theodore Roosevelt National Park S
Fort Moultrie SSSacagawea S
Richard M. Nixon S
Gerald R. Ford S
Ronald Reagan S–$5.91595,1842017SSSEffigy Mounds National Monument S
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site S
Ozark National Scenic Riverways S
Ellis Island S
George Rogers Clark National Historical Park SSSacagawea dollar S–$2.91568,6782018SSSPictured Rocks National Lakeshore S
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore S
Voyageurs National Park S
Cumberland Island National Seashore S
Block Island National Wildlife Refuge SSS–$2.91517,0532019S, WSSLowell National Historical Park S
American Memorial Park S
War in the Pacific National Historical Park S
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park S
Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness SSS–$2.92601,3272020SS, WSNational Park of American Samoa S
Weir Farm National Historic Site S
Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve S
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Historical National Park S
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve SSS–$2.96464,6582021SSSTuskegee Airmen National Historic Site S
Washington Crossing the Delaware SSS–$2.16512,6032022SSSAmerican Women quarters:
Maya Angelou S
Dr. Sally Ride S
Wilma Mankiller S
Nina Otero-Warren S
Anna May Wong SSS–$2.91399,9492023SSSBessie Coleman S
Edith Kanak'ole S
Eleanor Roosevelt S
Jovita Idar S
Maria Tallchief SSS–$2.91331,314
Silver proof sets (1976; since 1992)
In 1976, the mint released a proof set containing the Bicentennial quarter, half dollar, and dollar struck in 40% silver.
The Silver Proof set became a standard product of the United States Mint in 1992, containing a dime, quarter, and half dollar composed of 90% silver. The compositions for the penny, nickel, and dollar (introduced to the set in 2000) remained the same as in the standard proof sets. In 2019, the purity of the silver coins was changed to 99.9%.