Last week the United States Mint released circulating quality quarters minted in San Francisco — a facility that has not produced a circulating quality coin with an "S" mint mark since the early 1980’s.
This week’s sales stats from the U.S. Mint reveal how fast the new quarters raced out of the gate. As it turns out, not so fast…
Debut sales appear a bit tepid when contrasted against past quarters from the Denver and Philadelphia Mints that bear respective mint marks of "D" and "P".
Released within bags and rolls on Thursday, June 21, collectors ordered a combined 614,700 of the San Francisco 2012-S El Yunque quarters. Unit splits were 3,827 for the 100-coin bags and 5,800 for the 40-coin rolls.
Looking back through all the past America the Beautiful quarters, the "D" and "P" quarters show significantly higher starting sales. The P’s lead followed by the D’s.
It must be noted that, with few exceptions, past U.S. Mint quarter bag and roll products have launched earlier in a week — most of them on a Monday. As such, most of their first reported sales cover a longer period than that of the latest "S" El Yunque quarters. Still, sales volumes are at their height during the first few days of a product’s release, so comparisons remain telling.
| Debut Sales of "S" Mint Mark El Yunque Quarters | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| "S" Sales | |||
| 2012-S El Yunque Quarters | 100-coin bag (S) | 3,827 | 614,700 |
| Roll (40 coin) (S) | 5,800 | ||
The following table provides a breakdown of debut sales performances of past America the Beautiful Quarters.
| Debut Sales of "P" and "D" Mint Mark ATB Quarters | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit Sales | "P" Sales | "D" Sales | Total Sales | ||
| 2012 P&D Acadia Quarter | 100-coin bag (P) | 2,177 | 838,900 | 837,500 | 1,676,400 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 2,163 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 15,530 | ||||
| 2012 P&D Chaco Culture Quarter | 100-coin bag (P) | 2,332 | 886,720 | 882,320 | 1,769,040 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 2,288 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 16,338 | ||||
| 2012 P&D El Yunque Quarter | 100-coin bag (P) | 2,189 | 840,580 | 834,780 | 1,675,360 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 2,131 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 15,542 | ||||
| 2011 P&D Chickasaw Quarter | 100-coin bag (P) | 2,271 | 937,260 | 931,160 | 1,868,420 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 2,210 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 17,754 | ||||
| 2011 P&D Vicksburg Quarter | 100-coin bag (P) | 2,457 | 994,460 | 986,660 | 1,981,120 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 2,379 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 18,719 | ||||
| 2011 P&D Olympic Quarter | 100-coin bag (P) | 2,518 | 989,720 | 985,620 | 1,975,340 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 2,477 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 18,448 | ||||
| 2011 P&D Glacier Quarters | 100-coin bag (P) | 2,697 | 1,066,780 | 1,062,580 | 2,129,360 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 2,655 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 19,927 | ||||
| 2011 P&D Gettysburg Quarters | 100-coin bag (P) | 3,275 | 1,162,340 | 1,157,840 | 2,320,180 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 3,230 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 20,871 | ||||
| 2010 P&D Mount Hood Quarters* | 100-coin bag (P) | 1,543 | 454,100 | 446,300 | 900,400 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 1,465 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 7,495 | ||||
| 2010 P&D Grand Canyon Quarters | 100-coin bag (P) | 4,015 | 1,328,380 | 1,316,880 | 2,645,260 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 3,900 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 23,172 | ||||
| 2010 P&D Yosemite Quarters | 100-coin bag (P) | 4,275 | 1,364,140 | 1,355,340 | 2,719,480 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 4,187 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 23,416 | ||||
| 2010 P&D Yellowstone Quarters | 100-coin bag (P) | 4,447 | 1,375,620 | 1,370,120 | 2,745,740 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 4,392 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 23,273 | ||||
| 2010 P&D Hot Springs Quarters | 100-coin bag (P) | 5,268 | 1,566,120 | 1,530,820 | 3,096,940 |
| 100-coin bag (D) | 4,915 | ||||
| Two-Roll Set (80 coin) (P&D) | 25,983 | ||||
*The Mount Hood opening United States Mint sales figures are highly suspect given erroneous order cancellations that occurred at the time.
The U.S. Mint has indicated that it has struck 1.4 million of the 2012-S El Yunque quarters. If more are needed to meet demand, it will raise the mintage. 2012-P and 2012-D El Yunque quarter mintages stand at 25.8 million and 25.0 million.