Released May 7, 2012 with pricing at $31.95, the 2012 Proof Set is expected to be the most purchased numismatic product issued by the United States Mint this year.
If sales stay on par with recent releases, more than one million of the sets will be sold before they go off sale at a yet to be determined date. As the most recent example, the 2011 Proof Set, which went on sale January 22, 2011 and is still available from the U.S. Mint, has sales of 1,075,932 as of May 7, 2012.
What makes the annual Proof Set so popular with collectors is the quality of the coins within it, and the fact that they are collectible versions of the same denominations produced for circulation. This year there are fourteen coins within the Proof Set.
While most can easily recognize the quality of proof coins due to their sharper details and mirrored background, what many new collectors are not aware of is that the coins have the same weight, composition and other specifications of the coins released into circulation. While those are minted in U.S. Mint facilities in Denver or Philadelphia, the proof coins within the set are struck at the San Francisco Mint and carry the ‘S’ mintmark.
Here is a break out of the coin specifications for each type of coin in this year’s Proof Set:
Specifications for US Coin Within 2012 Proof Set
| Lincoln Cent | Jefferson Nickel | Roosevelt Dime | America the Beautiful Quarter | Kennedy Half Dollar | Native American Dollar | Presidential $1 Coin | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composition |
Copper Plated Zinc 2.5% Cu |
Cupro-Nickel 25% Ni |
Cupro-Nickel 8.33% Ni |
Cupro-Nickel 8.33% Ni |
Cupro-Nickel 8.33% Ni |
Manganese-Brass 88.5% Cu |
Manganese-Brass 88.5% Cu |
| Weight | 2.500 g | 5.000 g | 2.268 g | 5.670 g | 11.340g | 8.100 g | 8.100g |
| Diameter | 0.750 in. | 0.835 in. | 0.705 in. | 0.955 in. | 1.205 in. | 1.043 in. | 1.043 in. |
| 19.05 mm | 21.21 mm | 17.91 mm | 24.26 mm | 30.61 mm | 26.5 mm | 26.5 mm | |
| Thickness | 1.55 mm | 1.95 mm | 1.35 mm | 1.75 mm | 2.15 mm | 2.00 mm | 2.00mm |
| # Reeds | N/A | N/A | 118 | 119 | 150 | N/A | N/A |
| Edge | Plain | Plain | Reeded | Reeded | Reeded | Plain | Edge-Lettering |
| Obverse Designer | Victor D. Brenner | Felix Schlag | John Sinnock | John Flanagan/ William Cousins |
Gilroy Roberts | Glenda Goodacre | Variable* |
| Reverse Designer | Lyndall Bass | Felix Schlag | John Sinnock | Variable* | Frank Gasparro | Variable* | Don Everhart |
*America the Beautiful Quarters and Presidential $1 coins feature annually changing designs. There are five different reverse designs each year for the quarter. This year, they honor:
- El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico
- Acadia National Park in Maine
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii
- Denali National Park in Alaska
There are different obverse portraits on the Presidential $1 coins. This year’s coins honor former Presidents:
- Chester A. Arthur
- Grover Cleveland (first term),
- Benjamin Harrison, and
- Grover Cleveland (second term)
The reverse of the Native American $1 Coin also changes annually. The 2012 dollar features a Native American and horse in profile with horses running in the background, representing the historical spread of the horse.
2011-2012 Proof Sets may be purchased directly from the United States Mint website at http://catalog.usmint.gov/.
