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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The second 100 Euro coin in the gold series "Crowns of the House of Habsburg" will be released on Wednesday, 4th November. It is dedicated to the so-called "Archduke’s Hat", a name derived from the red velvet cap within the crown itself.

The title of archduke was invented by Rudolf IV in the spurious document of 1358/59 called the privilegium maius. It was an attempt to assert the status of the House of Habsburg as the equal of any Prince Elector of the Holy Roman Empire. There exists a mediaeval portrait of Rudolf wearing a crown similar to the Archduke’s Hat. Early versions of the crown have not survived, being either broken up or melted down.

In 1616, however, Archduke Maximilian III of Tyrol had the present Archduke’s Hat fashioned and he gave it to the Augustinian Abbey of Klosterneuburg just outside Vienna in honour of St. Leopold, whose tomb and shrine are still situated there to this day. The crown was not worn as such. There was no coronation. It was rather a symbol of authority and rank. It was brought into Vienna only for the ceremony of homage paid by the Estates of Lower Austria on the accession of a new Habsburg ruler. Even today the crown is not permitted to be outside the walls of the abbey for more than 30 days at a time. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

Today at noon ET the United States Mint began selling the 2009 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin for $1,360.00, as it announced on Oct. 22.

The one-ounce .9999 fine (24 karat) gold coin is expected to draw significant attention. The US Mint handled early demand in improved fashion compared to the collector blitz and resulting problems that brought its web site down just a few weeks ago with the release of another product, the Lincoln Coin and Chronicles Set.

While there were initial reports of several minute online order delays, that appeared to be the extent of any issue. Phone lines were busy. Some collectors indicated that it took dozens of minutes to get through to a Mint customer service representative, but again, it was unlike their experience of weeks back where there were reports of over an hour of delay and repeated "call back" messages. The Mint added an extra menu option that routed customers to a different queue and standby waiting list, which may have helped.

The Mint’s handling of the Buffalo Gold proof orders on opening day indicates they made improvements, but demand may also have been less intense. The $1,360.00 price point certainly held some customers at bay — especially when considering that gold prices have been dropping for several days and the coins missed out on a $50 price cut by a mere 28.8 cents. (See 28.8 Cents Prevents US Mint Gold Coin Price Reductions.) Many may try and wait for such a cut next week, despite the possibility that the coins could sell out — the Mint has not indicated how many are available, and there are no order limits in place. 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 price of gold has been on a five-day price slide, but ironically the timing of the decline was slightly off in helping collectors pay less for US Mint gold collector coins.

The US Mint uses a London Fix weekly gold average to determine whether to keep gold coin prices the same, or adjust them up or down. The average came in 28.8 cents higher than the threshold needed to cause a reduction of UHR Gold Double Eagles by $50, First Spouse Gold Coins by $25, and 2009 Gold Buffalo Proof Coins by $50.

The Buffalos go on sale Thursday at noon ET. Since the London Fix five day average is $1,050.278, the coins will launch with a price tag of $1,360.00. Had the average been at or below $1,049.99, the coin would have been released at $1,310.00. Read the rest of this entry »

Legislation seeking to recognize and celebrate the establishment of the Medal of Honor was approved in the U.S Senate Thursday by Unanimous Consent. The bill, H.R. 1209, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives back on May 14, 2009.

Following a procedural clearance step, the Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Act of 2009 will make its way to President Obama who is expected to sign it into law. That will authorize the United States Mint to strike up to 500,000 $1 silver coins and 100,000 $5 gold coins in proof and uncirculated conditions in 2011.

H.R. 1209, which was introduced by Rep. Christopher Carney, calls for gold and silver coin designs to be "emblematic of the traditions, legacy, and heritage of the Medal of Honor, and the distinguished service of its recipients in the Nation’s history." Read the rest of this entry »

The United States Mint today said the 2009 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin will launch on Thursday, October 29, at noon Eastern Time.

The release date is not surprising since it was tentatively announced earlier this month. What is nearly shocking is that there will be "no mintage or household order limit for this product."

A quick "Hurray!" comes to mind, before it is silenced somewhat with the prospects of the mad dash to order.

Given their lateness in release, the fact that they were suspended several times in 2008 due to "unprecedented demand" for gold coins, and their natural desirability, the pent up demand for proof 2009 Buffalo coins is enormous. The bullion versions of these coins opened Thursday, Oct. 15 to blistering sales. 71,500 were sold by the following Monday. As of Wednesday, 86,000 were gone, representing in those few days an astounding 50 percent of the entire total sold in 2008!

And the bullion versions are sold in bulk to the Mint’s several authorized dealers — not in tens of thousands of onesies or twosies orders as will occur when coin collectors buy. Even an optimist has to suspect the US Mint phone lines and Web site will again be susceptible to downtime, as happened last Thursday when nearly 30,000 Lincoln Coin and Chronicles Sets were purchased within five hours. 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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