Monthly Archives: June 2010
US Mint Ceremony Introduces Yellowstone National Park Quarter
In what is typically as picturesque a location as could be found, the United States Mint debuted Wyoming's 2010 Yellowstone National Park Quarters to hundreds of gathered visitors today during a launch ceremony on the grounds of the Old Faithful Inn just steps away from the famous Old Faithful Geyser.
Park visitors wait on Old Faithful to erupt an hour prior to the Yellowstone quarter release ceremony, which was moved inside the Old Faithful Lodge Recreation Hall due to incremental weather. The famous geyser is depicted on the quarter's reverse.
This coin marks the second release of the America the Beautiful Quarters™ Program which debuted earlier this year with the Hot Springs National Park Quarter from Arkansas.
The ceremony was scheduled to be held outdoors but owing to the inclement weather experienced there today, the function was moved inside to the Old Faithful Lodge Recreation Hall. Temperatures hovering in the forties with a drizzle in the air do not make for pleasant event conditions.
2010 Fractional American Gold Eagle Bullion Coins on Sale June 10
The United States Mint this morning officially announced a release date of Thursday, June 10, for the 22-karat 2010 American Eagle Gold Bullion Fractional Coins.
The one-ounce Gold Eagle went on sale January 19. Buyers have sprung at the chance to scoop them up. 190,000 were sold during May, which was the highest sales level since 1999.
The fractional sizes that will be available include the one-half, one-quarter and one-tenth ounce. The US Mint indicates they will be offered for sale through the "standard allocation process."
US Mint Sales: May 2010 Gold Bullion Highest Since 1999
Buyers spent more money last week for both numismatic and bullion United States Mint coins.
190,000 ounces of bullion American Gold Eagles left U.S. Mint inventories in May. That marks the highest level since 216,000 were sold in June 1999.
Mint authorized purchasers also snapped up 70,500 American Gold Buffalos, bringing the total ounces of bullion gold May sales to 260,500. Only one month since the Mint's bullion program launched in 1986 recorded better, and that was January 1999 with 281,000 ounces of gold coins.
Gold Slides 1%, Silver Falls 2.1%
US Mint May Coin Production: 2010 Nickels, Dimes Mintages Soar
The United States Mint today published coin production figures for May that are a bit more interesting than many past months.
2010 dime mintages soared, making them far from scarce -- at least when stacked up to the slimmer looking 2009 dime numbers. In fact, May's output alone matched all of 2009's.
Jefferson nickels also leaped forward following their debuting token April output.
Also revealed in the US Mint's May data are the finalized production figures for Franklin Pierce Presidential $1 coins, the second of four Presidential dollars for 2010. As the following table illustrates, the only coins not produced were Kennedy Half-Dollars.
Ohio Teenager Wins 2010 PNG Scholarship for ANA Summer Seminar
Gold, Silver, Metal Prices Commentary – June 2, 2010
2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Sets Debut Strong
2010 Boy Scouts Commemorative Coins 2,820 Short of Sell Out
May 2010 American Silver Bullion Coin Sales Highest Since December 1986
The United States Mint's bullion 2010 American Silver Eagles posted their best May and second best sales month in history, according to the most recent figures available from the Mint.
In just the one month, buyers purchased an astonishing 3,636,500 of the one ounce .999 fine silver coins. This number smashes the old May record of 1,904,500 set last year.
May 2010 sales fell short of the best month ever by only 59,500. December 1986 retains the title with 3,696,000. While the month to month comparison is always valid, it should be noted that December 1986 bullion eagle numbers were lifted by the excitement of their premiering worldwide release just days earlier.