• Year: 1982
• Mint Location: San Francisco
• Country/Region: United States
• Denomination: Proof Set (1c–50c)
• Strike Type: Proof
• Composition: Copper-Nickel Clad
• Number of Coins: 5 (plus Treasury token)
• Certification: Uncertified
• Grade: Ungraded
• Packaging: Original Government Packaging (OGP)
• Seller Notes: Complete set in original lens and sleeve, includes U.S. Mint Treasury seal token

Description

Offered here is a complete 1982-S United States Mint Proof Set — five coins plus the Mint's Treasury seal token — in the original plastic lens and printed outer sleeve.

• Struck at the San Francisco Mint from polished dies on specially prepared planchets
• Lincoln cent, Jefferson nickel, Roosevelt dime, Washington quarter, and Kennedy half dollar
• Includes the U.S. Mint Treasury Department token that occupied the dollar well in 1982, 1983, and 1984
• Proof cent is the copper-alloy strike, not zinc
• All coins copper-nickel clad — this set contains no silver
• Complete original government packaging
• 3,857,479 sets issued

Every coin presents as struck, with mirrored fields and frosted raised devices. The Kennedy half carries the best contrast in the set and the cent retains full original red-orange color. The outer sleeve shows hard wear — split corners, scratching, and fraying along the edges — and the lens frame has hazed white around its border. The coins themselves are untouched and bright.

1982 packed a decade into twelve months. Britain and Argentina fought over the Falklands through the spring. Epcot opened in October. Seven people died in Chicago from cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules, and the tamper-evident seal was born out of it. In November the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on the Mall, and at the end of that same month a record called Thriller went on sale. In December, Barney Clark received the first permanent artificial heart.

The token is what makes this set worth explaining to a buyer. The Susan B. Anthony dollar had failed so completely that the Mint stopped striking it after 1981, leaving a hole in the proof set layout. Rather than reduce the holder, the Mint dropped in a Treasury Department seal token to fill the space, and did the same in 1983 and 1984 before the packaging was redesigned. Those three years are the only U.S. proof sets ever issued with a non-denominated token in place of a coin — a small piece of Mint improvisation that collectors specifically hunt down. Note also that the 1982 George Washington commemorative half, the first U.S. commemorative since 1954 and struck in 90% silver, was sold separately and is not part of this set.

Curiosity Coins — Medway, Massachusetts | Est. 1999 | ANA • PCGS • NGC • Heritage Auctions Member / Buying & selling US and world coins, silver, gold, currency, and collectibles since 1999. Many auctions start at $5 — combined shipping always available. Questions welcome.