Question on State Quarters Silver Proof Sets

Complete noob question here.

Scrolling through the offerings on eBay, I've noticed that some of the state quarters silver proof set boxes are trimmed in blue, and others are trimmed in red. From the photos, I can't see any difference between the two products.

Did they just issue them with two different types of packaging, or are the blue boxed quarters and the red boxed quarters somehow different? (different minting location, etc).

Thanks.

 

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Can't say for sure but the Mint pays hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for advertizing and graphic artists to redesign their packaging to make it an attractive sell.Packaging design is forever changing but does not make the coins any more valuable, just more confusing. Hope someone comes up with a better answer for you.

 

If I understand the question correctly, I think the red boxes are silver proof sets and the blue boxes are clad proof sets.

 

Yes, that is correct.

 

Uh oh, wait, so these coins aren't 90% silver, they're just silver coated? What is the difference between clad proof and silver proof? Because on the box in the picture, it just says silver proof.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...K:MEWNX:IT&item=200315124394#ebayphotohosting

 

As a follow up, just in case I'm not articulating the question well, what's the difference between the item linked above, and this one, which has the red trimmed box.

http://cgi.ebay.com/2006-5-SILVER-GEM-PROOF-QUARTER-SET-WITH-THE-BOX-COA_W0QQitemZ290307213143QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCoins_US_Individual?hash=item290307213143&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

 

There is no difference between the two boxes; just different designs. The fact that the coins themselves are in the mint issued, sealed red holder is a dead giveaway that they are silver (and the fact that it says silver on them). These coins are 90% silver proofs. The same type of sealed holder - but blue - is used for clad proofs. Hope that clears it up. Cheers!

 

Fenton,
There are no silver plated coins. There are 90% silver in the silver proof sets and cupro/nickel (copper and nickel) coins in the "clad" sets. The clad coins have a nicel base on the outside bonded to a copper core in the middle.

 

That's good to hear, I wanted silver coins and was worried I had bought the wrong thing.

It's a confusing system though. After googling it, I found sources saying that clad proofs were always in blue packaging, and silver proofs were always in red. So the idea of a blue packaged silver proof makes no sense.

But if what you guys are telling me is true, and I'm sure that it is, then they issued some silver proofs in a blue box with a red holder inside, and some silver proofs in a red box with a red holder inside.

Why they'd do that instead of clearly delineating clad from silver in a blue versus red distinction is beyond me.

 

Exactly, the plastic containers the house the coins is what I was referring too. red is silver and blue is clad. The cardboard box itself makes no difference.

Here is a comparison of what I was talking about. Red = Silver and Blue = Clad

​

 

To add a footnote, it is not unheard of that when packaging containers were in short supply, the mint has packaged the wrong coins in the wrong containers. This has been reported over the years but it adds no value to the coins as it is not an error so to speak, just a goof.

 

The second auction is a photo of an actual set and the first auction uses an artists rendition not an actual photo.

 

Those Silver Proof sets are selling like crazy! I've seen the 1999 going for $500!

 

Well, the 1999 is the big one.

 

Fenton,
The one you linked to with the red box is the box for the complete silver proof set - the auction is for just the quarters in the box without the remaining coins (Sac dollar,half dollar, dime, nickel, cent).
The other box is the Silver Quarter Proof Set as issued by the mint. This set is just the state quarters for that year.

 

Ahh, that makes sense...I hadn't paid attention to that part of the box before, seeing that the holder had the identical description printed on it.

So maybe the red box, quarter only sets were taken from the full proof set for that year, and the blue boxes were for sets that were "quarters only" to begin with.

 

Way overpriced as of late.....they can be had for less.

 

Correct. Actually the red box is a Silver Proof set missing the non quarters coins if you want to look at it that way.

Since 1999 the clad proof sets (proof versions of circulating coins - same metal content) are in blue colored boxes. Silver Proof Sets (90% silver quarters, half dollar, dime) are in red colored boxes.
The quarter only proof sets, silver and clad, are in different style and color boxes.
The plastic holders are identical for the full sets and the quareter only sets.

 

Egadds! $500 bucks for a 1999 silver proof set? As another person stated..a fool and his money will soon part ways. The aveage price for this set right now, even from the big box sellers like Coast Coins, Skyline, etc., is about $289.00 plus shipping.:computer:

 

Even $289 is too much in my book. I haven't been a big fan of the state quarters to begin with...so that set is just way too spendy for me. I think $50 is about as much as I'd be willing to pay for a modern silver proof set (which is why I don't own any).