1966 SMS, No "FG" Proof

The 1966 SMS No FG Kennedy is a die-state variety on the year's Special Mint Set issue, identifiable by the complete absence of Frank Gasparro's FG initials from the reverse. The initials are normally positioned to the right of the eagle's tail feathers, between the tail and the eagle's right leg, and on a standard 1966 SMS die they appear as small but visible incuse letters. On the No FG variety the initials have been removed entirely by excessive die polishing, leaving a clean field where the FG should sit. Combined Mint records do not separate the variety from the standard issue, so the No FG share of the 2,261,583 total 1966 SMS mintage is unrecorded. Composition is the standard silver-clad recipe used through the 1965 to 1970 era: outer layers of 80% silver and 20% copper bonded to a 21% silver and 79% copper core, averaging 40% silver overall, at 11.50 g and 0.14792 troy ounces of fine silver per piece. The variety parallels the better-known 1972-D No FG circulation issue, where the same die-polishing mechanism produced the same disappearance of the initials.

Authentication on this issue rests on two diagnostics that a careful eye can verify with a loupe. First, examine the area immediately to the right of the eagle's tail feathers and below the right leg: on the No FG variety the field is completely clean, with no trace of incuse letter outlines. Some die states show partial initials where polishing has reduced FG to ghostly impressions of the original letters, and those intermediate states do not qualify for full No FG attribution. Second, check the surrounding eagle feather detail under good light; the No FG dies were polished aggressively enough to soften the feather edges slightly compared to a standard 1966 SMS, and that softening is consistent with the cause of the variety. PCGS recognizes the No FG attribution and applies it on the holder. Raw seller claims should be evaluated against high-resolution photographs of both areas; a missing initial without the surrounding feather softening sometimes indicates a different die state or a struck-through grease error rather than a true polished-die No FG.

As a collecting target the 1966 SMS No FG carries a meaningful premium over the standard 1966 SMS across every grade, with the gap widening at SP67 and above. Kennedy variety specialists treat it as the silver-clad-era parallel to the 1972-D No FG and as a required slot in a complete Kennedy variety set. Demand comes from those specialists, SMS set builders chasing variety completeness, and registry collectors who weigh the variety heavily in modern Kennedy rankings. Certification through PCGS or NGC with the No FG attribution is essential because the premium evaporates without the holder. For the broader story of Roberts and Gasparro's design and the proof program transitions through the 1960s, see the Kennedy Half Dollar series history.