Shortly before its scheduled launching, the United States Mint announced that it postponed the release of the 2.5-ounce U.S. Air Force Silver Medal.
The U.S. Mint stated that the projected demand for the product — the first from its Armed Forces Silver Medal Program which celebrates the five branches of the military — surpasses its supply. The Mint noted the delayed release will provide time to improve its online ordering system for high-demand products, but added it would still be unable to meet the demand for the medal.
"Not everyone will be able to purchase this medal," the Mint said.
The U.S. Mint’s entire statement follows:
U.S. Mint Delays Release of United States Mint Air Force Silver Medal
The U.S. Mint today announced that it will delay the release of the United States Mint Air Force Silver Medal, originally scheduled for Tuesday, June 22, until mid-July.
The total number of "Remind Me" email/text notifications received by the Mint indicates that demand for the Mint’s Air Force 2.5 Ounce Silver Medal — the first in its new Armed Forces Silver Medal Series — will exceed inventory, as the projected demand is greater than supply.
Other recent silver product offerings have resulted in an extraordinarily high volume of BOT traffic. These BOTs were programmed to conduct technology-driven transactions which interfered with the transactions of many Mint customers.
The Mint has identified a solution that is expected to mitigate most of the issues caused by BOT traffic. We are working diligently to put that solution in place, as it will enable our website to function more smoothly. Even this robust effort to improve product access remains limited by demand, which continues to outpace our supply of silver blanks. As a result, not everyone will be able to purchase this medal.
A one-ounce version of the Air Force Silver Medal (SAF1) will be available next year, and customers may now request "Remind Me" notifications for that medal.
