Featured Coin News Articles

U.S. Mint image of the 2012 San Francisco Proof Silver Eagle Two-Coin Set

The United States Mint has announced its plans to launch a 2012 San Francisco Proof Silver Eagle Two-Coin Set for a limited time beginning in June.

The set will go on sale on June 7, 2012 at noon Eastern Time (ET) and end on July 5, 2012 at 5 PM ET. Its price will be announced shortly before its launch. There will not be a mintage limit, as the U.S. Mint decided it will produce them based on demand during those four weeks.

Making up the set are two proof American Silver Eagle coins that will be struck at the U.S. Mint facility in San Francisco, so their mintmark will be an "S." One of the coins will be a reverse proof Silver Eagle, meaning its raised "Walking Liberty" and eagle designs will have a mirror-like finish and the background will be frosted. The other coin will be a regular proof Silver Eagle, with frosted designs that seem to float on a mirror-like background. [click to continue…]

2012 Native American $1 Coin

Two new annual sets debuted, along with six new dollar coin products, the latest United States Mint sales figures highlight. They were the 2012 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set, the 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Set, and the 2012 Native American $1 coins in rolls and boxes.

At the top of the chart was the Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set. It started with 146,097 between its launch on Tuesday, April 24 and Monday, April 30. Despite being popular with collectors, this year’s inaugural sales were softer than last year’s, which opened with 163,129 in February of 2011. [click to continue…]

2012 Proof American Gold Eagle

2012 Proof Gold Eagles and Chaco Culture Quarter Three-Coin Sets debuted, but the .999 fine proof Silver Eagles were the star of the latest United States Mint sales stats once again. In the week following the proof Silver Eagles opener, collectors ordered another 29,117 despite the fact that six new 2012 products launched. As of Monday, the U.S. Mint has sold 328,656 Proof Silver Eagles.

Number two on the sales chart was the Chaco Culture Quarter Three-Coin Set. Its sales began Tuesday, April 17, and the total hit 10,666 by Monday. [click to continue…]

On Monday, April 23, 2012, the United States Mint revealed in a press release the new designs and images for the four upcoming 2012 First Spouse Gold Coins.

2012 First Spouse Gold Coin Designs

First Spouse coins, introduced in 2007, honor the spouses of the Presidents of the United States. They are released in the same order as the Presidential dollars, and this year the one-half ounce, 24 karat gold coins will honor Alice Paul and the suffrage movement, Frances Cleveland (first term), Caroline Harrison and Frances Cleveland (second term). [click to continue…]

2012 Proof Silver Eagles scored debut sales of 299,539

The hottest numismatic U.S. coin item of the year debuted, the 2012 Proof Silver Eagle. In its shadow was another new product from the United States Mint, the Chester Arthur Presidential Dollar Coin Cover. As expected, both made it to the top of the Mint’s weekly best-seller list.

Between the launch on Thursday, April 12, and Monday, April 16, collectors ordered 299,539 of the 2012 American Silver Eagle Proof Coins. Without the restraint of a household order limit this year, the US Mint gave collectors the freedom to buy as many as they wanted. [click to continue…]

On Thursday, April 19, at 12 noon ET, the 2012 Proof American Gold Eagles will be released, the United States Mint said in a news announcement.

2012 Proof American Gold Eagles come in four sizes and in a four-coin set

Last year’s proof issues launched around the same time (April 21). They come in four fractional weights or denominations, starting with the 1 oz. ($50) and then the 1/2 oz. ($25), 1/4 oz. ($10) and 1/10 oz. ($5) weights. There is also a fifth product, a four-coin set which includes all the coins packaged in a single presentation case. The 2012 Gold Eagles will be offered in the same sizes and include the four-coin set. [click to continue…]

Of all the coins the United States Mint releases each year, one of the most popular is coming this week. The 2012 American Silver Eagle Proof Coin will get placed on sale Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 12 noon Eastern Time for $59.95 each.

2012 American Silver Eagle Proof Coin

This time, the U.S. Mint will not restrict collectors to a household limit as was enacted in the previous years’ initial release. Buyers may make their purchases of the Silver Eagles at the U.S. Mint’s website (http://www.usmint.gov/catalog) or by phone at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468) once the coin is made available. [click to continue…]

2012 Star-Spangled Banner Silver Dollars - Proof and Uncirculated

Although 43 products on the United States Mint’s sales chart outperformed their prior week’s increases, numismatic sales overall experienced another slump this spring. 24,337 products in the table below sold compared to 31,736 from the previous week. Of the Mint’s best sellers in the latest round, the Star-Spangled Banner Proof Silver Dollar, once again, was the clear frontrunner, and it was among one of the products to outsell the prior week.

Collectors purchased 7,476 of the individual proof commemorative, versus 7,237 in the last round. The slight increase may have to do with the impending price increase that will occur at 5:00 PM ET on Thursday, April 5. [click to continue…]

U.S. Mint image of the 2012 Birth Set

Without a debuting product last week, buying trends weakened according to most recent United States Mint sales numbers. The newest items, the 2012 Proof American Buffalo Gold Coin and the 2012 Birth Set, were still among the top sellers, in 5th and 6th place.

This year’s proof Buffalo gold coin climbed by 1,580 during its first full week of availability. Combined with its debut numbers from the last report, the 2012 Buffalo’s total bumped up to 5,690. That is still slower than the start of the 2011 issue which was more than 8,000 in the same amount of time. One thing that potentially could boost sales would be a price reduction by the US Mint, but gold prices have not fluctuated enough to trigger one. [click to continue…]

Commemorative coins honoring the 225th anniversary of the U.S. Marshals Service are expected in 2015 as legislation authorizing them passed in the House on December 15 and was just approved in the Senate on March 15.

Introduced by Rep. Steve Womack [R-AR3] on March 2, 2011, the United States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act, H.R. 886, provides language which directs the U.S. Mint to produce three commemorative coins in collector proof and uncirculated qualities. These include a $5 gold coin, silver dollar and clad half dollar. [click to continue…]

The United States Mint announced that the collector 2012 Proof American Buffalo Gold Coin will go on sale Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 12 PM (noon) Eastern Time (ET). Due to the .9999 pure gold composition, the price for the coin will be made available the day before its launch.

2012 Proof American Buffalo Gold Coin

The U.S. Mint has been offering the American Buffalo Gold Coin since 2006. The proof issue undergoes a special minting process with custom cut dies to produce the highly detailed images that seem to float on the surface. [click to continue…]

There were no new collector products added to the latest United States Mint sales report, which might have played a role in the reduced (overall) buying activity. Sales of the commemorative Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar products spiked, but most of the other Mint offerings waned. Plus, recent temporary suspensions led six silver coins into the negative.

For the third week in a row, Infantry Soldier Silver Dollars topped the first three spots on the sales chart. Shockingly, 36,685 in total sold compared to 24,554 in the previous report. Most of them were the individual proof Infantry dollars, at 19,338, and another 9,356 were the Defenders of Freedom Sets. The uncirculated silver dollars trailed closely with 7,991. The commemoratives launched on February 16. [click to continue…]

The 2011-W Uncirculated American Silver Eagle Coin was among the silver numismatic products which were suspended but returned Tuesday at the same price

Six collector silver coins that were suspended on February 24 were made available again by the U.S. Mint on Tuesday, February 6, at same pre-suspension prices.

The 12-day suspension was initiated as silver prices surged above $35 an ounce, bringing the melt values of collectible silver coins closer to their listed U.S. Mint prices. The Mint will not sell any of its numismatic products below their melt values. As a result, it had suspended the sale of the following coins for possible re-pricing: [click to continue…]

First Spouse Gold Coins were among the better performing numismatic coin products based on the latest US Mint sales

The United States Mint reported a bit more buying action in its most recent set of weekly sales even with the recent silver product suspensions. 45 numismatic coin products outperformed their previous increases versus 41 in the last report, with gold coins and Presidential dollar related offerings shaking it up the most.

First Spouse Gold Coins were definitely hotter in the latest round. As a group, sales shot up 236 against the prior 88, and individually all six issues improved. American Eagles and the proof Buffalo also performed well. The one-half ounce American Gold Eagle proof coin reached its apparent maximum after 211 left Mint shelves (it is now sold out), and 280 American Gold Buffalo proof coins were snatched following a week where 134 and 181 coins sold, respectively. [click to continue…]

The 2011-W Uncirculated American Silver Eagle Coin was among the silver numismatic products suspended by the US Mint on Friday

The United States Mint on Friday, February 24, suspended sales of six silver numismatic products, which include five collector America the Beautiful 5 Oz Silver Uncirculated Coins and the uncirculated American Silver Eagle. The US Mint annual sets containing silver coins and the newly released commemoratives, however, were not affected and remained available.

The limited suspension was due to the steady rise of silver in the precious metals market. The white metal tipped the $35 an ounce threshold on the London Fix on Friday when it came in at $35.57. [click to continue…]

A proof Infantry Silver Dollar is also found within the Defenders of Freedom Set

Collectors ordered more United States Mint numismatic products recently, per the latest sales report, than the prior week. In all, 41 products out shined their previous gains compared to 32 in the last report. Of course, the debut of the new 2012 Infantry Silver Dollar commemorative coins may have helped.

Infantry Silver Dollar products debuted on Thursday, February 16, and by Monday a combined 54,675 of the coins had been purchased. The proof version was the hottest with 26,262 individual coins sold and then 16,222 more sold in the Defenders of Freedom Set. Sales of the uncirculated dollars were not far behind at 12,191. (See how they compare to last year’s commemoratives.) [click to continue…]

The United States Mint announced it is making the Infantry Soldier Silver Dollars available on February 16, 2012 at 12 PM (noon) Eastern Time (ET). The commemorative coins are being offered in proof and uncirculated qualities, and there will be a unique Defenders Freedom Set that will have a proof dollar plus memorabilia.

2012 Infantry Soldier Silver Dollars (proof and uncirculated)

Initial pricing for the three products was also listed, although there is always a possibility that the price could change in the coming days and weeks if silver moves significantly higher or lower. For now, the proof silver dollar will cost $49.95, the uncirculated silver dollar will be $44.95, and the set will be priced at $51.95. [click to continue…]

United States Mint sales figures revealed the newest El Yunque National Forest Quarters helped supplement collector interest to several other numismatic products.

In all 62 items outperformed their previous weekly gains compared to 21 in the previous report, and the new items that captured the most attention were El Yunque Quarters in bags and rolls.

 El Yunque quarters launched on Friday, February 3. The coins honor El Yunque National Forest located in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, and they are the eleventh in the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. Split up, collectors ordered 2,189 of the 100-coin bags from Philadelphia and 2,131 of the 100-coin bags from Denver. The two-roll set was a top seller with 15,542. [click to continue…]

Without any new products starting, sales slipped in the numismatic coin arena compared to prior weeks, according to the latest US Mint figures. Only 21 items outperformed their previous gains after 29 did it in the last report. All but one collector set lost speed.

The best US Mint seller was the proof set featuring the 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters. It rose 5,497 during its second week on the charts. During its inaugural period it racked up 50,774. Not far behind was the 2011 Uncirculated Silver Eagle which advanced 4,455. In the same category but on the investment side, bullion Silver Eagles topped 6 million in January sales for the second highest monthly figure in the history of the series. Their weekly increase of 560,000 was improved over the prior 375,000. But obviously, sales slumped as compared to the beginning of the January. [click to continue…]

A new product, the 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set, debuted on the US Mint sales charts and won the majority of attention, hands down. The quarters proof set did not have much of an impact on other sales, as only a handful of offerings, 29, managed to exceed their prior week’s increases.

United States Mint Image of the 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set

The 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set launched Tuesday, January 17, and by January 23, collectors scooped up 50,774 of them. The annual set is in its third year of the America the Beautiful Quarters series, and it opened much earlier and with lower numbers than the prior two quarters sets. [click to continue…]