Bullion production at the United States Mint has apparently made enough gains toward meeting demand as availability has changed for two different bullion coins.
First, the allocation process for the 2013 White Mountain National Forest Five Ounce Silver Bullion Coin has been lifted. Second, the U.S. Mint is again selling 2013 $5 American Gold Eagle bullion coins. These changes were announced today in a memo sent to U.S. Mint Authorized Purchasers (APs).
Rationing Ends for White Mountain 5 Oz Bullion Coin
Sales of the White Mountain Five Ounce Silver Bullion Coin began just a few weeks ago, on May 13, 2013. Since that release, the 99.9% pure silver coins have been sold to the Mint’s APs under an allocation program. Each week, available inventories of the strike were divided into two pools with one pool distributed evenly among all APs and the second pool split based on their past purchase history.
Despite the rationing, sales were brisk for the first 2013-dated strike in the series. In nine days, the U.S. Mint recorded sales of 23,300 coins. That level is more than the final sales for the prior two bullion coins honoring Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and Denali National Park.
There was a bit of pent-up demand helping sales. America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Bullion Coins had not been available from the U.S. Mint since March 1, 2013 when the Mint’s entire inventory of 2011- and 2012-dated coins sold out.
Today, the minimum order quantity for the White Mountain coins is 500 ounces/100 coins with 500 ounces/100 coin ordering increments.
Sales Resume for $5 Gold Eagle Bullion Coins
22-karat 2013 American Gold Eagle bullion coins launched on January 2, 2013. They are available in sizes of one-ounce, half-ounce, quarter-ounce and tenth-ounce, which match the respective Gold Eagle denominations of $50, $25, $10 and $5. By mid-April, inventories of the one-tenth ounce coin were depleted and the U.S. Mint announced their temporary suspension. Sales have resumed for the smallest Gold Eagle, and without any rationing.
"We have produced sufficient quantities of these coins, and as a result, we will not have to allocate inventories," the U.S. Mint memo to APs added.
Bullion products from the U.S. Mint are not sold directly to the public but through the Authorized Purchasers who buy in volume and then re-sell in smaller quantities to coin and bullion dealers or the public.
