Today, Thursday, April 5, 2012, the United States Mint released the Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coin. New circulating quality strikes are available directly from the U.S. Mint in 25-coin rolls as well as new, first-time products of 250-coin boxes and 500-coin boxes.
The new boxes were expected, but the Mint did not announced their release date of today until Tuesday.
U.S. Mint rolls are wrapped in special black and white paper and imprinted with the Mint of origin ("P" or "D"), "Presidential $1 Coin," the president’s name and "$25,"(the face value of the contents). Buyers have the choice of rolls from the United States Mint facility in Philadelphia or Denver.
Rolls are $32.95 each, a price point that reflects a $7 decrease from previous Presidential dollar releases which were sold for $39.95. The cut was part of a larger series of price reductions implemented this year for several U.S. Mint numismatic products.
However, the fact that these rolls are offered at a lower price is not the most significant news attached with their release. Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coins are the first in the series to only be produced for collectors. Previous issues were struck for circulation and available through Federal Reserve Banks in addition to rolls sold directly to the public by the U.S. Mint.
Federal Reserve releases are now a thing of the past thanks to a suspension ordered by Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner as part of a Campaign to Cut Government Waste. The production halt was implemented as millions of Presidential $1 coins from prior releases stockpiled in Federal Reserve vaults.
The dollar suspensions have perhaps resulted in the new box products. 250-Coin Boxes are priced at $275.95 each and 500-Coin Boxes are listed at $550.95. The U.S. Mint notes that there will be an additional shipping charge of $7.95 per box of 500 coins because of its weight. This is on top of the standard shipping and handling fee of $4.95 added to all domestic orders.
At some point in the future, the U.S. Mint is set to also release 100-coin bags of Chester Arthur dollars. Bags will be prices of $111.95 each, and available from either Philadelphia or Denver.
Presidential $1 Coin Design
A portrait of Chester Arthur, the 21st President of the United States, is found on the obverse of all of the new $1 coins. The portrait was designed by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart and is surrounded by the inscriptions of "CHESTER ARTHUR," "21ST PRESIDENT," "1881-1885" and "IN GOD WE TRUST."
The reverse features a Statue of Liberty design also by Everhart and the inscriptions, "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "$1." Edge inscriptions include "2011," "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and the mint of origin.
Ordering 2012 Chester Arthur Presidential Dollar Rolls and Boxes
Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coin products are available from the Mint’s online store located at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog. Customers may also place orders by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing and speech-impaired customers may call 1-888-321-MINT (6468).
New Presidential dollars are also available in the United States Mint Online Subscription Program. Two-roll sets offered as part of the program feature one roll of coins from the U.S. Mint’s facility in Philadelphia and one roll from the U.S. Mint’s facility in Denver. The two rolls together feature a face value of $50 and are offered through the program for $65.90, plus shipping and handling. This also marks a decrease from previous two-roll set releases which were sold for $79.90.
United States Mint Products with Arthur Dollar
Arthur Presidential $1 Coins will also be packaged within the following U.S. Mint numismatic products:
- 2012 Proof Set with a scheduled release date of May 7
- 2012 Silver Proof Set which is expected to launch on June 6
- 2012 Uncirculated Mint Set with a scheduled release on May 21
- 2012 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set which is expected to launch on April 24
- 2012 Presidential $1 Coin Uncirculated Set with a scheduled release date of May 1
- 2012 Arthur Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set
- 2012 Chester Arthur $1 Coin Cover with a release date of April 9
- $1 Coin Four-Coin Set
This year the Mint will release three other 2012 Presidential dollars to increase the total to four for the year. These will feature Grover Cleveland for his first term, Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland for his second term.
Chester Arthur Bio Brief
Chester Arthur was elected Vice-President of the United States and took office in March of 1881. But just six months later, following the assassination of then President James Garfield, Arthur assumed the office of President on September 20, 1881.
Owing to his own poor health, Arthur only completed a single term as President. However, during his tenure he oversaw continued reforms to the political patronage system of the day and also was instrumental in the rebuilding of the US Navy.
I would like to encourage everyone to send an e-mail of compalint to the U.S. Mint expressing the inappropriateness of selling U.S. Currency to the U.S. public for more than face value and not allowing the U.S. Public access to U.S. currency through the local banks. If they would not mint so many coins, they would not have a stock pile of them.
I couldn’t agree more! Not only that, I’m going to demand that they sell their 2012 UNC set to me for $6.91. Not a penny more! And after I do that, I’m going to call the Bureau of Engraving & Printing and demand that they sell me sheets and bricks of uncut and uncirculated currency at face value. 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, 20’s, all of it..!!! Then I’m going to call my Senators and Congressmen, and demand that they pass legislation prohibiting coin dealers in this state from selling older non-silver coins at anything over face value. Damn it, if I… Read more »
I started collecting the presidential dollars for my six grandchildren now it seems I cannot finish the project. I even had to go to many banks to get the previous coins in the beginning of the series no one had them in stock. No wonder they haven’t left the mint…