Jamaica - Here We Go Again - Anybody Seen A 2002 Proof Set?

[VickySilver]

OK, I periodically dredge this up, but since I can barely afford nice later milled bits I have been chasing down some obscure and rare bits. What? Well, the Royal Mint took over striking proof sets for Jamaica in the period 1985-2001 omitting the 1986 date. Now either they have or have not issued a last year 2002 set but the RM has not responded to inquiry, and the only reference I have seen is in Krause with nary a picture or image or information available on internet searches.

BTW, with the help of a reader of these boards I was able to get the elusive but ugly 1997 set so have all but this last 2002 year. PM me if you'd like with either information or questions.

[jamaicacoincollector1]

Vicky I collect this series and can also say I share your quest about proof sets post 2001, I have been to the bank of Jamaica and you would think that they would be the authority on thus but sadly no, they were spectacularly unhelpful. I have never seen a proof set post 2001 despite exhaustive searches.

My coin collection which goes back to 1969 is missing 1986 - which I'm sure don't exist. 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. If any member can help with these I would be very thankful.

[Peckris]

Welcome to the forums jcc1

Sorry I'm not able to help you in your quest.

[Accumulator]

Welcome to the forum! I don't collect these coins, but it's always good to hear from new members.

[VickySilver]

Hi JCC,

Even though my concentration is late British Milled silver and copper (Vicky! throughGeorge 5) , I came to like the pursuit of these later Jamaica proof sets as well as some other Caribbean bits....Matte Jamaica gold from 1975-77 in 100D. denomination is prohibitively rare and interesting stories to boot.

I actually got a 1999 from BOJ in about September of last year. I lucked up on the 1997 from a Canadian who had gotten it from a friend's wife after the friend had died. Do you have this date or the single crown with the Manatee design? The 1998 I got along with the '91 and '96 from a dealer in Jamaica that had gotten a run of sets.

No trace of the 2002 that is listed in Krause even unto the detail of the Krause numbers of the coins in the set. Interestingly, according to them the crown in that set commemorates (!?) the World Junior Track and Field Championships. Yikes!

A very interesting question that neither BOJ (despite my pleading and persistence) nor the Royal Mint have answered is that if the authorized mintage for the proof sets dated 1988-2001, then why are some dates much more common? Were there fewer actually issued of some dates like '96-'99 like I believe, or are there a bunch of sets lying around in some vault? I know that Cayman Islands and Barbados used the RM for sets during these years and had authorized mintages that were above and beyond the eventual "final mintages", or how many were actually made.

PS - No 1986 sets made.

PM me if you would like answers in private, or if you have some...

Edited March 5, 2014 by VickySilver

[VickySilver]

Small update:

the 2002 Crown showed up in solo form (not with the set) on ebay last month and that it indeed did have the World Junior Track and Field Championships commemorated complete with an ugly rendition of a female runner. No idea how many were actually made, as with the sets.

This 2002 set remains elusive....

[VickySilver]

BTW, the listed mintage for this last bit is 30k (!), and even with concentrated looking have seen only ONE for sale in 12 years. As stated BoJ does not even know anything about their own issue.

So I still do not know whether the whole set was made in 2002. PM me if you should ever see one for sale, PLEASE.

I think this begs the question about domestic Proof sets for the UK - how many actually released to public as opposed to how many authorised and yet again how many struck. I have noted that the Central Bank of Barbados states on their site indicate that the actual number they took delivery of is many times 1/10 the amount made, more sometimes and less others.