1973 U.S. Mint Set BU (Original Government Packaging)

1973 United States Mint set in the Original Mint Packaging

Although the series began in 1971, the 1973 Mint Set included the Eisenhower Dollar for the first time. It was struck at both the Philadelphia and Denver Mint which raised the number of coins in the set to 13.

Mintage of mint sets decreased by nearly a million this year, much of that because the issue price increased by nearly double from $3.50 to $6. What collectors did not realize at the time is that the two Eisenhower dollars included in the set were not issued for regular circulation, and a LOT of collectors missed out on owning these coins. This caused a number of sets to be broken apart for the individual coins in the years that have passed since, which means that finding original 1973 Mint Set such as this one is much harder to do today!

Each 1973 Mint Set includes: the Lincoln Cent (P, D, S mint marks), Jefferson Nickel (P, D mint marks), Roosevelt Dime (P, D mint marks), Washington Quarter (P, D mint mark), Kennedy Half Dollar (P, D mint mark) and the Eisenhower Dollar (P, D mint mark).

Because of the increase in coins, the set went through a package redesign; the plastic disc was dropped and the five Denver Mint coins were placed in a red-bordered cellophane while the others were in separate cellophane bordered in blue. Both are then placed between cardboard and then into a white envelope.