The end of "the longest-running offering of a single set" by the U.S. Mint was announced by Mint Director Donna Pope at the August 1986 convention of the American Numismatic Association.

Sales of Uncirculated sets of American Bicentennial coins in silver clad composition would end Dec. 31, she said.

Offerings of the Proof versions of these three coins had already ended in March 1985. The final report would show that 3,998,621 three-coin Bicentennial Proof sets sold (20,621 in the final fiscal year) from an authorized mintage of 4 million.

Up to 11 million Uncirculated silver clad sets were authorized under the congressional act of 1973. The final sales figure was less than half that amount: 4,908,319.

All silver clad Bicentennial coins that remained unsold were melted, according to Coin World Comprehensive Catalog & Encyclopedia of United States Coins.

The Treasury Department had long shown resistance not only to any commemorative issues but also even to any change in circulating change. For the 200th anniversary of the nation's independence, however, Mary Brooks, Mint director under President Richard Nixon, suggested herself that special reverses might be considered for the higher denominations. Eventually, she acceded to the concept not only for the half dollar and the dollar but also for the quarter dollar (which was not in her original proposal).

Collector enthusiasm ran high at first, but final failure of the silver versions to sell out might be attributable at least in part to the fact that all three denominations appeared for two full years, 1975 and 1976, with the same mandated dating of 1776-1976.

By the time regular designs and dating resumed for 1977, more than 200 million dollar coins, more than 500 million half dollars and more than 1.6 billion quarter dollars with Bicentennial dating and design had been minted for general circulation.

Today it is not hard to find high-grade Bicentennial half dollars in bank rolls. The Bicentennial quarter dollars are findable in circulation but seen less and less often; some dealers have begun offering small premiums even for circulated examples, in quantity. The large dollars with Eisenhower on the obverse are simply not available anymore at most banks.

This may be a good time to take stock of what makes a complete set of Bicentennial coins and put one (or more) sets aside while prices are low.

First are the circulating coins in regular copper-nickel clad composition. Start with Philadelphia and Denver Mint varieties for each of the three denominations: six coins in all. But most collectors will want an additional dollar coin from each Mint, because an early subtype has noticeably thicker lettering on the reverse. These "Reverse 1" coins are valued a little higher. (Remember also that the Philadelphia pieces do not have Mint marks; it was only beginning in 1979 and 1980 that the P Mint mark was added for most denominations.)

The copper-nickel version was also struck for Proof sets of both 1975 and 1976, and the same holds true about the reverse varieties on the dollars.

Today, you could buy the Bicentennial coins alone from a dealer, or one or the other set or maybe both sets, leaving them intact in their Mint-sealed holders as examples from two different years.

The dollar variety hurdle is also met by acquiring the Uncirculated Mint and Proof sets for both years. Apparently all 1975 sets contain the early subtype and all 1976 sets, the later subtype.

The silver clad versions were sold only in sets, so here the collector will want simply the Proof set and the Uncirculated set. All the dollars are of the early reverse variety.

Coin World's Coin Values^TM places retail values for the copper-nickel 1975-S Proof set at a "low" of $15 and "high" of $20 (based on overall grade and eye appeal) and for the copper-nickel 1976-S Proof set at $10 and $14.

For the 1976-S silver clad sets, the Uncirculated version is posted at $17 and $20 and the Proof version at $20 and $30.

The copper-nickel Uncirculated Mint sets are listed at $11 and $15 for the 1975 edition and $12 and $17 for the 1976 examples.

Fluctuating bullion value of the 0.5381 ounce of silver (the total amount of silver in all three coins) affected the issue price of the special Bicentennial sets. The Mint started offering them in late 1974 at $15 for the Proof set and $9 for the Uncirculated set. Prices reached $20 and $15 at one point.

The silver clad quarter dollar is the only coin of that denomination in that composition. Single examples are listed in Coin Values from as little as $2.50 in Mint State 63 to only $18 in Proof 68 (and to $125 in Proof 69 deep cameo). It is not hard to envision these becoming more promoted, both for investors and beginning collectors.

During the Christmas season of 1976, the Mint advertised the Uncirculated silver set as a gift item. People buying the set at that time would find it arriving to be kept in an envelope with a view of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, as seen through snow-touched window panes.

The Coin World Comprehensive Catalog indicates that some sets bought directly from the Mint during the 1980s are inferior:

"Three-piece Unc. sets packaged 1975-76 were given special handling and have a broad white coding stripe along one of the long edges. Sets packaged in later years without the stripe were made up from coins struck at high speeds and dumped in bags in the rush to meet the striking deadline for the 40 percent silver issues. Despite the fact that these mass-produced pieces were officially condemned on the day they were made due to indifferent strikes and excessive bag marks, they were used to make up sets in the early 1980s, once the original production run was finally sold out."