US Mint Sales: Gold and Silver Bullion Coins Reach for Records

United States Mint numismatic coin sales rose in a few areas last week, but Monday’s record gold prices and near $19.50 an ounce level for silver naturally draws investors and collectors more toward gold and silver bullion coins.

The U.S. Mint updated sales figures for those coins Thursday morning, and a few areas draw attention:

• American Silver Eagles are a stone’s throw away from 18 million in sales this year, jumping 809,000 since last Wednesday, June 16, for 2,533,500 this month. Last year’s annual record of 28.7 million is clearly within reach. The pace, however, will have to pick up for June to surpass the 3,636,500 sold in May — the highest monthly level since 1986.

• 1 oz American Gold Eagle bullion coins just topped 600,000. 34,000 more were added since last Wednesday, bringing June’s total to 79,500. The one ounce size is now competing with the three smaller 2010 fractional Gold Eagles. Those were released June 3 and now stand at a combined 339,500 for coins leaving Mint doors. Buyers have ordered 132,500 ounces of the four eagles this month. That already places June into the second best of month 2010.

• 24-karat American Buffalo Gold bullion coins are moving slower, hurting as eyes focus on the other Mint gold options. The Buffalos were released April 29, with first day sales hitting 48,500. In contrast, a smaller 31,500 have been purchased this month. Still, the yearly total is now 158,500 and approaching the 200,000 sold before the Mint’s inventory ran out in 2009. They are much closer to breaking the annual 2007 and 2008 levels, which came in at 167,500 and 172,000, respectively.

Record gold prices are not translating into significant demand for collector gold coins which carry higher premiums.

First Spouse Gold Coins advanced 918 as a group, falling slightly behind their prior 975 weekly increase. Jane Pierce First Spouse Gold Coins registered the biggest unit gains, but their numbers continue to decline as the days pass from their June 3 release.

The 2010 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coins were also issued on June 3. Their weekly sales plummeted to 2,054 compared to the previous 9,465. Their current 19,519 total has only now passed the opening four-day sales of the 2009s which hit 19,468. (Then again, the 2009s were released in late October — a far more active time for collectors as compared to summer surrounding months.)

In other numismatic coins, the Mint imposed June 15 deadline for 2009 Lincoln cents and related products containing them — 2009 US Mint Proof Set, 2009 US Silver Proof Set, and the 2009 US Mint Uncirculated Set — proved to be a boon in sales that were highlighted in last week’s report. However, final stats for the sets were not available from the Mint, which means collectors will likely have to wait until audited numbers are published in 2011.

The Mint deadline of June 30 for 2009 DC and U.S. Territories First Day Coin Covers is attracting buyers as well. Each of the six coin covers noticeably improved over past weekly performances, as the below sales tables show:

US Mint Collector Coin Sales

(Data compare previous to current Mint sales reports)

*NLA – No Longer Available.

The collector coin sales figures above have an "as of date" of June 20, 2010.