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 Royal Canadian Mint is inviting Canadians to save the latest circulation coin in its Vancouver 2010 collection — the 25-cent coin celebrating the women’s hockey gold at Salt Lake City in 2002.

The launch of the coin was commemorated today at a special event for local hockey youth with special guests including member of the 2002 women’s Olympic hockey team, Danielle Goyette and members of the Montreal Juniors Hockey Club.

"Canada’s women’s hockey team demonstrated the true meaning of spirit and determination when they won the gold medal on February 21, 2002, which triggered celebrations from coast to coast to coast," said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "Employees of the Mint are extremely proud to have produced a coin commemorating this extraordinary moment in Canadian Winter Olympic Games history."

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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 »

Leading the pack in commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Burke and Wills expedition, the Royal Australian Mint unveiled new coin designs alongside an exclusive Burke and Wills display at the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne.

Modern day explorer Jesse Martin together with Assistant Treasurer Senator Nick Sherry revealed the new coin designs today in Melbourne.

Jesse Martin, the current record holder for the youngest person to sail solo around the world non-stop and unassisted, was able to, after looking through the Burke and Wills collection, empathise with taking on such a major expedition, the hardships that came with it and the sense of achievement at the end. Read the rest of this entry »

Each of US Mint’s four 2009 Lincoln Cent ceremonial launch events were unique, but all have been similar in offering opportunities for the attendees to make money.

Following the Presidency cent launch in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Nov. 12, rolls of the new pennies began to appear on the secondary market from those who were there to experience the launch.

A decent profit has been seen by resellers who waited in line to exchange cash for the new Presidency rolls, and then waited in another line to have them stamped and canceled by the US Postal Service as proof they were issued on the day of the ceremony.

In analyzing 56 completed eBay auctions between Nov. 13 and Nov. 15, the average sold price per 50c roll was just four cents shy of $15. Read the rest of this entry »

One of Australia’s biggest television personalities and well-known wildlife experts has been named as an inspirational Australian and now appears on a new $1 coin.

Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Australian Mint Graham Smith was joined by Terri Irwin and a few of her friends including "Sanchez" the Alligator to officially launch the new coin design at Australia Zoo.

"Steve would have been so proud to see his work elevated to yet another level. His efforts in conservation recognised on a national coin! We are all very proud of him," said Mrs Irwin.

The Royal Australian Mint’s Inspirational Australians collector coin series recognises and celebrates individual achievements and commemorates unique Australians who have made an extraordinary contribution to our society. Read the rest of this entry »

For the first time in Big Ben’s 150 year history, a new £5 Crown, from the Royal Mint is being used to help London’s iconic clock keep time.  The 2009 Big Ben £5 Crown was today placed inside the movement of the Great Clock and will play an essential role in maintaining its famous accuracy.

The coin change-over forms part of Big Ben’s 150th Anniversary celebrations, with the new £5 Crown, one of the official London 2012 licensed coins, replacing some of the pre-decimal pennies which have acted as weights inside the clock since 1859. This is the first time any of the coins inside the clock have been changed.

As part of the Royal Mint’s collection celebrating London 2012, a further 100,000 of the commemorative coin have been specially minted by the Royal Mint to help the public celebrate Big Ben’s momentous anniversary and are available now to purchase from www.royalmint.com. Read the rest of this entry »

The US Mint today pulled away the drapes and revealed the new 2010 Lincoln Cent reverse design. The 2010 penny is a continuation of sorts of the themed 2009 designs, which reflect four distinct phases of Lincoln’s life: his birth in Kentucky, his formative years in Indiana, his professional life in Illinois, and his presidency in Washington, D.C. 

The 2010 cent theme is "emblematic of President Lincoln’s preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country," and was outlined in authorizing Public Law 109-145.

While this year’s cents were issued to celebrate the bicentennial birth of Abraham Lincoln and are minted for 2009 only, next year’s penny design has no specific end date. It could be seen by generations yet to come. Congress would have to marshal through new legislation for ANY change to occur. Read the rest of this entry »

At the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial located below the west front of the U.S. Capitol Building, the US Mint today launched the last 2009 Lincoln Cent. Known as the ‘Presidency Life in Washington, DC‘ penny, the release brings to a close a year of four redesigned coins which have excited the public and awakened new interests with collectors.

"The fourth and final 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Coin design evokes the historical challenges of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency," said United States Mint Director Ed Moy.  "The image of an incomplete U.S. Capitol symbolizes the unfinished business of a Nation torn apart by slavery and the Civil War."

Donald R. Kennon, Chief Historian of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, and Eileen R. Mackevich, Executive Director of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, joined in the ceremonial launch. 

Similar to the prior cent launches in Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln City, Indiana and Hodgenville, Kentucky, shiny pennies bearing the new design were handed out free to eagerly awaiting children. 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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