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 United States Mint this week announced the deadline to order Braille Commemorative Silver Dollars.

The legislation authorizing the coins stipulates that they can only be issued "during the 1-year period beginning January 1, 2009." On its online store, the US Mint has posted the following message:

The 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar products must be issued by December 31st. In order to meet these requirements, the United States Mint is only accepting orders for these products until December 11th at 5:00 p.m. ET. Please note that all credit card and billing issues must be resolved prior to December 11th.

The coin products referenced in the notice all honor the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, inventor of the Braille system for reading and writing by the blind and visually impaired. The four available, along with their prices and latest sales figures as of Sunday, Nov. 1, follow: 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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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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A month ago our US Mint sales report headline said "Presidential Dollar Sets Pass 600K." Today that picture reverses as the proof dollars withdraw to fall back below the milestone. Several other products fell as well in a week where demand for collector coins trended mostly lower.

There were several exceptions, especially for coins of yellow complexion. Bullion American Gold Eagles passed 1 million, Ultra High Relief’s picked up slightly and seven out of ten First Spouse Gold Coins improved over the prior week. These and other highlights follow:

• Whether it was a US Mint accounting correction or massive cancellation(s)/return(s), Presidential Dollar Proof Sets plummeted by 33,038 to fall to 576,211.

• Other proof sets also disappointed. 2009 Proof Set sales increased by 6,406 compared to the previous 27,856. 2009 Silver Proof Sets actually declined by 1,001.

• Braille products moved weakly. The newly released Braille Education set came in at 2,719 during the first four days of availability. The standalone uncirculated silver dollar picked up by just 343, and those within the easy-open capsule fell by 109.

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The US Mint launched the Braille Education Set on Thursday, Oct. 8, at noon ET, and it has just released opening sales figures through to Sunday.

Collectors are not spurring after the offering with any degree of excitement, as is expected with the soon to be released Lincoln Coin and Chronicles Set. A total of 2,719 Braille sets have been sold.

The set has a mintage of 25,000 and is priced at $44.95 with a one per household order limit. That leaves 22,281 more for the US Mint to sell.

The set includes an uncirculated Braille Silver Dollar with special packaging that has genuine Braille text — a first time event for the US Mint, much like the silver dollar is the first ever coin with readable Braille. Read the rest of this entry »

The first round of sales figures for US Virgin Islands Quarters are now available, as are the numbers for the newly launched US Mint Uncirculated Coin Set. The quarters are doing fine, the sets are off to the races.

Last week’s report showed that the Presidential $1 Coin Uncirculated Set had unexplained fiery sales. This week’s numbers are colder. Several of the US Mint’s proof sets, however, warmed up. These and other highlights follow:

• The first round of numbers are in for bags and rolls of US Virgin Islands Quarters. Sales are strong. Compared to the prior inaugural American Samoa quarter figures, the 100-coin bags and two-roll sets are moving faster. Both the P & D 1000-coin bags, however, are trailing.

• 2009 US Mint Sets have experienced exceptional collector demand during their first days on sale. Collectors purchased 297,842 between Thursday and Sunday. For more on this story, read 2009 US Mint Set Sales on Fire.

• Presidential $1 Coin Uncirculated Sets are back to normal. Last week’s report showed an irregular super leap of 11,217. The latest increase is 1,181, which is inline with typical weekly demand.

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It has been the Fall week for commemorative news from the US Mint. On Monday it added the Lincoln Coin & Chronicles Set to its online store in preparation for an Oct. 15 debut, and it just announced next week’s release of the United States Mint Braille Education Set.

The set includes an uncirculated Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar with special packaging that has genuine Braille text — a first time event for the US Mint, much like the silver dollar is the first ever coin with readable Braille.

The set will be issued Thursday, Oct 8, at noon Eastern Time for a price of $44.95. Sales are limited to a maximum of 25,000 and a further order limit of one (1) per household will be enforced.

These limits invite the question, will the education set sell out? The previously mentioned Lincoln Chronicles Set has a 50,000 max limit. Many expect those will fall to collector demand on the first day of issue. There is supportive reasoning. Lincoln silver dollars sold out earlier in the year to the tune of 325,00 proof and 125,000 uncirculated. That happened in just over six weeks. 50,000 actually had to be held in reserve for the chronicles set.

The story is different for the Louis Braille Silver dollars, which commemorate the 200th anniversary of the his birth. They are still available and have been since March 26, 2009. The latest US Mint sales figures (as of 9/27) show 122,661 proof and 65,716 uncirculated have been purchased by collectors. While very respectable, they are dull compared to the Lincolns. Read the rest of this entry »

Bullion American Eagle Gold and Silver Coins ended September in shining fashion, but recent demand has mostly weakened for collector proof and uncirculated coins. That is, except for uncirculated 2009 Presidential Dollar Sets. Their sales inexplicably blasted off like a rocket.

These and more highlights follow:

• Bullion American Gold Eagles marked the end of the month by registering the 3rd best September since 1986 with 115,500. The month was also the 4th best of this year — just missing the 3rd slot by a mere 501. At year’s end, 2009 annual eagles sales should rank 4th or 5th best of all time. One million is within very close reach. 954,000 is the current count.

• 2009 bullion American Silver Eagles have already assured their place in history. It is the second best September ever for the coins, but more impressively, annual sales are locking in to a record all time high. 20,467,500 silver eagles have already been sold this year. 2008-dated eagles earned the top spot last year with 20,583,000. Say goodbye to that, and soon.

• For no apparent rhyme or reason, Presidential $1 Coin Uncirculated Sets exploded. The tally soared 11,217 to 85,478. At $15.95 a pop, the Mint pulled in a cool $179,000. Last week’s report showed a sleeping increase of just 1,278. As mentioned before, the US Mint Fall catalog arrived on collector’s doorsteps to help boost sales, but other coins/sets didn’t have similar astronomical, above and beyond increases. This one is a bit of a mystery.

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Demand for gold coins and 2009 Proof Sets is turning out to be exceptionally high this September, US Mint sales data reveals.

The latest weekly sales figures also show collector coins were mixed compared to the week prior, with very narrow up or down changes. Several highlights follow:

• For the third straight time, clad 2009 Proof Sets have outpaced their prior week sales. Collectors purchased another 42,077, which surpasses the previous weekly gains of 40.5K, 27.9K and then 18.4K. The reason for the surge? Perhaps the Fall US Mint coin catalog is reminding collectors to buy the popular annual offering. More than 1.1 million have sold.

• Bullion American Gold Eagle coins are flying high compared to the last two months. More than 30,000 were scooped up per week this month. The new total is 92,500. That is already higher than figures from August or July.

• Bullion Silver Eagles had their best week this month, surging 500,000. The month may turn out to be the slowest for the silver coins this year, but the 1.1 million already sold ranks it as the second best September ever (since ‘86).

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