With gold prices pounding on new highs, many of the US Mint’s gold coins enjoyed stronger sales last week, although $20 UHRs dropped back and proof Buffalo coins continue to slow.

The newly released Lincoln Presidency cent two-roll sets are visible in this week’s report. The initial numbers are solid. Braille Silver Dollars, which will go off sale in less than a month, also picked up nicely. These and more highlights follow:

• 2009 Buffalo Gold Proof Coin sales continue to soften as compared to their first few days following their Oct. 19 launch. Another 4,316 were added, which is down nearly half from last week’s reported increase of 8,487. On the other hand, the bullion one-ounce versions climbed 13,500 versus the prior 11,000.

• American Silver Eagles topped 25 million this week. Their latest seven-day sales rose by 750,000, which is down from the prior 850,000. American Gold Eagles are moving faster. 41,500 were sold in the last seven days compared to the previous 30,000.

• UHR $20 Double Eagles snapped a two-week winning streak. Numbers came in at 1,098 and lagged behind the last gain of 1,453. The year-to-date tally is at 104,862.

• Louis Braille Silver Dollars improved across the board. A combined 208,272 have now been sold for all offerings. The Mint will take the Braille products off sale on Dec. 11 at 5:00 PM ET.

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The fourth and final redesigned 2009 Lincoln cent launched in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Nov. 12. By the following Sunday and according to the latest US Mint sales report, 153,427 of the two-roll sets were scooped up by collectors. Crunching the numbers and moving the decimal point, that is 15.3 million pennies.

During the same initial days following the launch of the previous two pennies, 15.2 million of the third Professional Life cents sold, and 20 million of the second Rail Splitter pennies sold.

In contrast, it took almost two weeks for collectors to purchase 9.6 million of the first 2009 Lincoln Birthplace cents — although these set the demand tone for the next three cents when the Mint unexpectedly stopped selling them. The following table provides the latest sales data for the Lincoln penny rolls. Read the rest of this entry »

Gold coins are again the major talking points coming out of the latest US Mint sales data. Buffalo gold proof numbers are less spectacular than those from last week’s report. But they are far from shabby and a retreat from the earlier blazing sales was to be expected.

Standing out also were Ultra High Reliefs, bullion Eagles, Braille dollars and the Mint’s traditional annual sets. All improved over the prior week. Our bullet point analysis follows:

• In less than two weeks, collector 2009 Buffalo Gold Proof Coins surpassed the 2008 sales figures of 25,896. Another 8,487 were added, raising the total to 27,955. In the same family, the sister bullion versions are now at 132,000 for an increase of 15,500 in the last seven days. They are 40,000 shy of topping the same sized 2008-dated sales.

• American Silver Eagles climbed 850,00 during the same seven-day period, which was 151K better than the last. American Gold Eagles spurred ahead 30,000 — more than double the prior figure. November is historically one of the better months of the year for bullion coins.

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The latest batch of US Mint sales figures are out and jumping to the forefront are gold coins — both bullion and collector. The bullion Silver Eagles are moving along as well. The US Mint Set and Proof Set continue with strength, with the former smashing through the 500,000 barrier. These and other highlights follow:

• The US Mint news of the week circled around the inaugural Buffalo Gold Proof sales. 19,468 were sold in four days. That was 123 shy of the 2008 Buffalo Proofs. The 2009 bullion versions are on fire as well. They were released on Oct. 15 and are now at 121,000 — 51,000 short from matching the 2008s.

• American Silver Eagle bullion coins officially recorded their best October ever, reaching 2,939,000 in the month. The US Mint has yet to report any November numbers, but the final two months of a year are generally very strong for eagles. American Eagle Gold coins finished last month with sales of 115,500, making October the 5th best ever for the series.

• UHR $20 Double Eagles recovered from the dip that took weekly sales to their second lowest level ever. 1,045 more were scooped up by collectors, bringing the new total to 102,311.

• Three of four Braille Silver Dollar products performed better than the last round. The Braille Education Set, which went on sale Oct. 15, declined slightly with 793 versus the prior 1,004. In related news, the US Mint announced this week that it would stop selling Braille dollars after 5:00 p.m. ET on Dec. 11. For the record, a total of 202,655 of the authorized 400,000 silver dollars have been sold.

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Inaugural sales of the 2009 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin are exceptionally strong, according to newly released figures by the United States Mint. Four-day sales of the 24-karat, .9999 fine gold collector coin came in at 19,468 — a tad shy of surpassing figures for the one-ounce 2008 Proof Buffalo Gold.

The proof coin went on sale Thursday, Oct. 29, at 12:00 noon ET. Few issues were reported in ordering — via the phone or the US Mint’s website — during the first several hours of availability, unlike the recent launch of the Lincoln Coin and Chronicles Set where the 50,000 authorized sold out within 30 hours.

The Buffalos were released at an issue price of $1,360.00. That was expected to hold some collectors at bay. Further complicating a decision to order was the falling gold prices last week. The US Mint prices its collector gold coins based on a weekly average of the London Gold fix. If the gold price falls below $1050 an ounce, the Buffalo and UHR gold piece will be dropped $50.

A price reduction was missed last Wednesday by a mere 28.8 cents, and indications were that the change could occur this week. That may still happen tomorrow, although it seems less likely. Read the rest of this entry »

October was explosive for US bullion coins. Unprecedented demand for gold and silver coins elevated the month with US Mint recorded sales levels that are either at or near the top of the all-time high charts.

Bullion American Gold Buffalo and American Silver Eagle coins enjoyed their best October ever.

For the Silver Eagles, more than double the amount were sold last month at 2,939,000, than in any previous October. The month also stands out as the time when 2009 became the best selling year ever for eagles — dating all the way back to their launch in 1986. The latest numbers pad the tally further with 23,406,500 delivered in the first 10 months of this year. Read the rest of this entry »

US Mint collector coins moved like molasses when compared to sales figures of two weeks ago. But bullion coins — especially gold — still had a little swagger in their step. October will be a robust month for American Eagles and American Buffalos.

These and other highlights follow:

• UHR Double Eagles took a significant hit, rising sadly by only 562. Since they went on sale Jan. 22, there has been one single instance when weekly sales were lower. The reason? Gold has been on a five day losing streak, which started last Thursday. It makes sense for collectors to be cautious in buying with expectations of a $50 price decline. We missed that reduction by just 28.8 cents.

• In the Lincoln category, the Chronicles sets were taken off standby status last week with the max 50,000 officially allocated. Lincoln Cent Proof Sets climbed by 4,900, which was less than half of the prior 10,921 increase.

• 2009 US Mint and US Mint Proof Sets were the biggest unit gainers, rising 21,826 and 22,613 respectively. The proof sets were actually up a tad bit. Not so for the mint sets which previously climbed by 74,474. The 500,000 milestone is still nearly 11K away.

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The United States Mint has sold 110,500 one-ounce American Buffalo $50 Gold Bullion Coins since they were released on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009.

To place that in perspective, in less than two weeks bullion dealers have purchased 64.2 percent of the total (172,000) that was sold in all of 2008.

There appeared to a touch of dry spell in sales for several days. The US Mint generally updates bullion figures daily, but the Gold Buffalos remained at 86,000 from last Wednesday until Tuesday morning when the tally jumped to 106,500. By close of business Tuesday, numbers were at 110,500.

The Mint will begin selling the collector proof Buffalo coins this Thursday at noon ET. Demand is expected to be fierce. No order limits are in place. Read the rest of this entry »

US Mint sales once again look attractive following a week when collector interest in most coins dipped. Demand is strong for both silver and gold bullion coins, as has been the case for much of the year. The newly released Gold Buffalo coins were most impressive.

In other notables, Ultra High Relief $20s finally topped the 100K barrier, and the Lincoln Chronicles set shot off Mint shelves to the tune of 50,000 in 30 hours. Collector silver coins and sets also held their own, enjoying better than normal weekly gains. These and other highlights follow:

• UHR Double Eagle Gold Coins hit 100,704 since their release on Jan. 22. Weekly sales picked up by 1,913 compared to prior 1,172.

• As expected, although not on the first day like many anticipated, the Lincoln Coin and Chronicles set sold out. The maximum 50,000 were scooped up within 30 hours. Standby orders are now in affect. Also in the Lincoln family line, the Lincoln Proof Set climbed by 10,921.

• Passing through their haze, Presidential Dollar Proof Set and 2009 Silver Proof Set increased by 2,872 and 12,306, respectively. Both sets were knocked down with negative adjustments in last week’s report.

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Demand for newly issued 2009 Gold Buffalo Bullion Coins is proving to be exceptionally hot. From their release on Thursday through to Monday, 71,500 of the one-ounce, 24 karat gold coins have been sold by the US Mint. That represents nearly 42 percent of the total sold in all of 2008.

In contrast, the one-ounce American Gold Eagles Bullion Coins have a sales tally of 63,500 for the first 19 days in October. It’s not that this figure is shabby, it’s not. They are just not on par with the couple of day sales numbers of the Buffalos. Read the rest of this entry »