This book provides the information you need to collect and enjoy the Proof and Mint Sets issued by the US Mints. It starts with a general explanation of what the words "Proof" and "Mint" mean, how the two very different types of coins are produced, a history of modern Proof and Mint sets, a discussion of the various finishes found on Proof coins, and how Proof and Uncirculated coins are graded.  Then it gets down to the meat of the matter, providing an analysis of the sets produced each year, how many were made, which coins were included in each set, what kind of orginal packaging to expect (if any), the original cost of the sets plus any information specific to that year.  Also provided are snippets of American and World history to give an idea of the political and economic context in which the sets were issued.