I'm not sure exactly why but Franklin Mint silver bars and rounds seem to not be very popular these days. The Franklin Mint has been around since 1964. I came to my precious metals consciousness just a little over 3 years ago....so obviously there were decades before this time in which I have little knowledge about collector sentiment toward Franklin Mint products. In recent years, it seems obvious though, that there is marginal interest in Franklin Mint silver. Nonetheless, I personally see many of their bars and rounds are well designed and struck. So this thread is for those who have some curiosity or interest in Franklin Mint silver and for those who care to share a Franklin Mint bar or round they like. Here's my first entry; it's from a series of 2-4 oz silver bars highlighting classic cars in proof-like silver: 1965 Ford Mustang - obverse 1965 Ford Mustang - reverse .
oh...silver bars rounds... don't know much about those. Some years ago (2011-2013 I think) the dealer I bought most of my silver from had now and then a Franklin Mint set for sale, under items that people sold to him. It didn't look like much interest, took quite a while for them to disappear (assumption = sold), and since, he ceased to offer buying (back) anything else than regular bullion coins / bars and specific junk coins from the country. About that latter, I wonder how many times he sold > bought back those same bags over the years lol. Saw them go, back, go; back, haha.
I just sold a set of International Society of Postmasters Official Commemorative First Day Covers and Sterling Silver medallions at our local coin club, they were made by Franklin Mint. I go spot for them. They will go to a good home. Franklin Mint, like the Pobjoy Mint, doesn't have a great reputation but does produce a lot of variety.
I recently sold this on SS. Thirty 24 gram sterling ingots nearly 40 years old and no sign of milk spots.
i had many of these mint .925 bars sold at SPOT a while ago. not huge interests because of the mintage and their diversity of series it was funny that i sold a set of bars at SPOT while buyer refuse to take the wooden case even for free due to the shipping cost. Sold the case individually through a local auction house at 100 AUD which that time was 6 times of the silver SPOT price :/
Most of the South American and Carribean proof coins are made at the Franklin Mint. The later years (1980-1985) of the Panamanian Balboas get a good premium.
I have a decent amount of Franklin Mint products that I got here cheap due to being sterling or 90%, etc, and they are beautiful coins/bars. I would say many of them beat the gov minted stuff hands down (quality of strike, design, LACK of milk spots, etc). The proof sets they did for different nations in the 70's were great. This is one of my favorites. http://www.apmex.com/product/37108/1973-barbados-silver-10-neptune-proof Jim
A couple years ago I saw a collection of Franklin Mint Commemorative First Day Covers and Sterling Silver medallions being offered on eBay. The set included the complete year of 1972 if I remember correctly....it was offered at no more than spot silver. I should have purchased it when I had the chance....it was gobbled up by someone else as I was trying to come up with a reason not to buy it. I have a few of these FD Cover+Sterling silver medallions that I purchased direct back in the 1980's when I still was very enthusiastic about my philately. Philately....it's such a weird term. .
I didn't realize that Franklin Mint produced legal tender....I thought all their metal products were non denominated. .
I picked up a few of their sterling medals at an antique shop for less than spot. I'm not sure why the stuff is so cheap but you can find a lot of it at antique shops for a good deal. I won't complain
I have a $10 Independence commemorative coin from the Bahamas made by the Franklin Mint, I don't think they ever did circulating currency though.
Found this elsewhere.. "As one of the world's premier private mints during the 1970's, the Franklin Mint was commissioned by a number of countries to mint Limited Edition Proof Sets of the country's coinage. These are not medals but actual coins, with monetary denominations and in editions authorized by the governments of each nation. Although the Franklin Mint created annual Proof sets for countries as far away as Ethiopia, the Phillipines, Tunisia, and Jordan, most of the sets were minted for Central American countries and the island nations in the Caribbean, including the British Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Jamaica, Panama, Cayman Islands, etc. The number of coins, denominations, mintage numbers, packaging, etc. varied across each country and each year. Many of these sets had significant silver content and superb designs, and so are of interest to Franklin Mint collectors along with world coin collectors." I've got 2-3 slabbed in high grades.. Large weight/diameter, in proof sterling. Lower end in pricing. They might not be totally popular these days, but I like those particular designs. Actually, now that I think about it, I might actually have more like a handful. Maybe I'll look into those more sometime. :lol: I don't like most of their stuff, but they've definitely got some cool ones when they do it right.
both right. the mint self does not have authority to produce legal tender. it is commissioned to design & make coins that have legal values.
Non circulating coin does not necessarily mean not legal tender. For example, the RCM establishes most collector coins as non-circulating legal tender (NCLT). Different jurisdictions (countries) may have different regulations regarding denominated coins, but more than likely, the Franklin Mint coins might be considered non-circulating legal tender in thier respective country (minted into the coin).....nonetheless, legal tender. .
