The US Mint began selling American Samoa Quarter Official First Day Coin Covers Wednesday, Sept. 8, at noon ET for $14.95, plus $4.95 for standard shipping and handling.
The limited 20,000 edition cover includes two American Samoa quarters struck on the first day the coins were minted. One quarter-dollar is from the Mint’s Denver facility while the other was produced in Philadelphia.
The reverse or tails side of the quarter, sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Charles L. Vickers, depicts an ava bowl (”tanoa”), whisk and staff in the foreground with a coconut tree on the American Samoa shore in the background. The ava ceremony is considered the most significant traditional event in the Samoan culture and is used to make the special ceremonial drink for island chiefs and guests, according to the Mint. Read the rest of this entry »
Guam Quarter Official First Day Coin Covers are now available at the US Mint for the price of $14.95, plus $4.95 for standard shipping and handling.
The limited 25,000 edition cover includes two Guam quarters struck on the first day the coins were minted. One quarter-dollar is from the Mint’s Denver facility while the other was produced in Philadelphia.
The reverse design, by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Jim Licaretz, features an outline of the island of Guam, a flying proa (a seagoing craft built by the Chamorro people) and a latte stone (an architectural structure used as the base of homes and built all over the island for millennia).
An attractive display card housing the two quarters includes a 44-cent Flag stamp and a postmark of May 26, 2009, Hagatna, GU, marking the day the quarters were released to the public. Read the rest of this entry »
Tuesday is the deadline for a US Mint offering dubbed the "Last Opportunity" — a sale that includes nearly twenty products from the Mint’s about to be discontinued 2008-dated coin series.
The last chance sale began more than a month ago with an assortment of State Quarter Greeting Products, First Day Coin Covers, Presidential $1 Coin Covers and Denver or Philadelphia Coin and Die Sets.
The products are being sold at their original price points, but without household limits. A 7-day return policy is in effect for each although the Mint said it will not accept returns unless a product was delivered damaged.
The last chance sale has not caused a collector frenzy by any means. However, several thousand more coin covers have been purchased in recent weeks according to US Mint figures. Read the rest of this entry »
The US Mint this week revived their Last Chance Sale, a practice which began last year to alleviate the Mint’s inventory of old coin products. The sale will last until June 30.
This year the Mint has re-branded the sale, calling it the "Last Opportunity." A red button with the same name will now greet visitors of their online store. Clicking the button launches a listing of nearly 20 products from 2008 — mostly 25c First Day Coin Covers, $1 Coin Covers and Denver or Philadelphia Coin and Die Sets.
Although the products are being liquidated, expect no special savings. The prices are identical to when they were first introduced in 2008. Any price reduction would have elicited a barrage of complaints from collectors who spent money on the coin products last year. Read the rest of this entry »
Puerto Rico Official First Day Coin Covers are now available at the US Mint for the price of $14.95, plus $4.95 for standard shipping and handling.
This year the production run is limited to 25,000, which is down from the 35,000 issued in prior years. The cover includes two Puerto Rican Quarters with a reverse design featuring a sentry box in Old San Juan overlooking the sea and Puerto Rico’s official flower, the hibiscus.
The design, by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Joseph Menna, also includes the inscriptions Isla del Encanto (Island of Enchantment), making it the first U.S. coin to circulate with a phrase in Spanish. Read the rest of this entry »
District of Columbia Official First Day Coin Covers are now available at the United States Mint for the price of $14.95, plus $4.95 for standard shipping and handling.
This year the production run is limited to 25,000, which is down from the 35,000 issued in prior years. The cover includes two DC quarters with a reverse design featuring the image of internationally renowned composer and musician Duke Ellington seated at a grand piano. (Designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Don Everhart.)
The display card housing the two quarters includes a cancelled 42-cent Flags 24/7 stamp and a postmark of January 26, 2009, Washington D.C., marking the day the quarters were released into circulation. One quarter is from the Mint’s Denver facility while the other was struck from Philadelphia. Read the rest of this entry »
Coin collectors were expecting the District of Columbia Official First Day Coin Cover to go on sale Tuesday, at noon ET, based on a US Mint press announcement on April 3.
However, the cover is not yet available and the news release was pulled from the Mint Pressroom early Tuesday afternoon.
The latest information from customer service representatives indicates the DC cover will go on sale for $14.95 on Friday, April 24. Read the rest of this entry »
The United States Mint 2008 Hawaii Official First Day Coin Cover went on sale Monday for the price of $14.95, plus $4.95 for standard shipping and handling.
The 35,000 limited edition covers are the 50th and final in the series and include two Hawaii state quarters with reverse designs featuring monarch King Kamehameha I stretching his hand toward the eight major Hawaiian Islands. Inscriptions include the state motto "UA MAU KE EA O KA ‘AINA I KA PONO" ("The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness"), "Hawaii" and "1959," which is the year Hawaii was admitted into the Union.
King Kamehameha I is a revered figure in Hawaiian history. While maintaining the native practices and traditional ways of island life, he brought about change yet still unified the governance of the Hawaiian Islands into one kingdom in the early 1800s.
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The United States Mint 2008 Alaska Official First Day Coin Cover goes on sale Tuesday, September 30 at noon eastern for the price of $14.95, plus $4.95 for standard shipping and handling.
The 35,000 limited edition covers are the 49th in the series and include two Alaska state quarters featuring a grizzly bear emerging from the water clutching a salmon in its jaws.
The quarter-dollars were collected from the first day of their mintage — July 14, 2008. One quarter is from the Mint’s Denver facility and bears the "D" mint mark while the other is minted from Philadelphia with a "P" mint mark.
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The United States Mint 2008 Arizona Official First Day Cover went on sale today, June 30.
The 35,000 limited edition covers are the 48th in the series and include two shiny Arizona state quarters featuring an image of the Grand Canyon with a Saguaro cactus in the foreground.
The quarter-dollars were collected from the first day of their production — May 8, 2008. One quarter is from the Mint’s Denver facility while the other is minted from Philadelphia.
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