Confirming a public notice released in January, the United States Mint on Wednesday announced four new Presidential $1 coin products and also revealed an April 5, 2012 release date for rolls of Chester A. Arthur dollars.
The product news carries extra weight this year since it is the first in which Presidential coins will not be released into circulation and available from local banks. This is due to an order from the Treasury Department which terminated $1 coin production for all but numismatic purposes. U.S. Mint products will be the single originating source for any new dollar coins dated 2012 and beyond.
As for the Mint announcement, the four new coin products and their prices include:
- Presidential $1 Four-Coin Set for $9.95
- Presidential $1 Coin 100-Coin Bags for $111.95
- Presidential $1 Coin 250-Coin Box for $275.95
- Presidential $1 Coin 500-Coin Box for $550.95
The four-coin set is an obvious addition as it will package together the four 2012 Presidential dollars. Those include designs honoring former Presidents:
- Chester A. Arthur
- Grover Cleveland (first term)
- Benjamin Harrison
- Grover Cleveland (second term)
The Arthur dollar will be the first in the series to appear within the new 100, 250, and 500-coin bag and box products, but their release dates are yet to be determined. Rolls of Chester Arthur dollars minted from either Denver or Philadelphia will be released on April 5 at a price of $32.95 each, which is $7 less than last year.
As Presidential coins are now minted only for collectors, their mintage levels become all-the-more watched. The U.S. Mint has produced a total of 5.74 million Chester Arthur dollars, with 2.8 million from Denver and 2.94 million from Philadelphia. These are the lowest levels for any of the coins going back to their introduction in 2007. (As a perspective, last year’s Andrew Johnson’s dollar had previously held the scarcest mintage title with a combined 2011-D and 2011-P mintage of 72.66 million.) The next three 2012 dollars are likely to have similar mintages of 5-6 million just for consistency. But if sales are low for the new bag and box products, mintages could be trimmed significantly going forward.
In addition to the new products, the U.S. Mint will release its traditional annual sets that also contain dollar coins, including:
- Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set for $9.95
- American Presidency $1 Coin Covers for $19.95
- Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set for $18.95 and scheduled for release on April 24
- Presidential $1 Coin Uncirculated Set for $16.95 and scheduled for May 1
- 2012 Proof Set for $31.95 and scheduled for release on May 7
- 2012 Mint Set for $27.95 and scheduled for May 21
- 2012 Silver Proof Set® for $67.95 and scheduled for release on June 4
These release dates and prices are subject to change. When available, the products will be offered directly on the U.S. Mint website at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
