CoinNews

2009 $20 Ultra High Relief Gold Double Eagle sales exploded with a sizzling 28,183 purchased by the end of its Jan. 22 launch day. Action continued to be strong despite the initial $1,189.00 price, which is now considered a dreamy bargain for buyers in today's market. By the following Tuesday, Jan. 27, the number jumped to 41,664. How have they done since? A week-by-week analysis paints the picture.

After Jan., orders settled. As spring started, summer began and then July ended, there were only four times when UHR orders rose above 1,000 a week. In fact, average weekly sales were hitting 875 -- a far cry from the early days.

A higher price for the coin -- up $100 by now -- and the US Mint's mandated one order limit per household was stifling sales. The former was a result of surging gold prices. The latter was proven true on July 27 when the Mint increased household limits from one to ten. Following the change, sales shot up another 3,800 in less than a week. The numbers later moved with several peaks and valleys, but weekly gains easily topped 2,000 until the final days in Sept., or for nearly two months. (In between, the Mint increased order limits to 25 on Aug. 31 and lifted them entirely on Sept. 21.)

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The first round of sales figures for US Virgin Islands Quarters are now available, as are the numbers for the newly launched US Mint Uncirculated Coin Set. The quarters are doing fine, the sets are off to the races.

Last week's report showed that the Presidential $1 Coin Uncirculated Set had unexplained fiery sales. This week's numbers are colder. Several of the US Mint's proof sets, however, warmed up. These and other highlights follow:

• The first round of numbers are in for bags and rolls of US Virgin Islands Quarters. Sales are strong. Compared to the prior inaugural American Samoa quarter figures, the 100-coin bags and two-roll sets are moving faster. Both the P & D 1000-coin bags, however, are trailing.

• 2009 US Mint Sets have experienced exceptional collector demand during their first days on sale. Collectors purchased 297,842 between Thursday and Sunday. For more on this story, read 2009 US Mint Set Sales on Fire.

• Presidential $1 Coin Uncirculated Sets are back to normal. Last week's report showed an irregular super leap of 11,217. The latest increase is 1,181, which is inline with typical weekly demand.

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The 2009 Silver Eagle coin cancellations sting many collectors the most following yesterday's US Mint announcement that it would not offer several long awaited and anticipated 2009 products.

For many weeks now, collector questions, concerns and worry increased about the possibility of this very thing happening -- especially to the proof Silver Eagle. The thought of forever having a gapping hole in a 23-year old collection is severely disappointing, but now a reality.

Of interesting note, there is still a means to buy an uncirculated 2008-dated American Silver Eagle directly from the US Mint. One is included in the 2008 US Mint Annual Uncirculated Dollar Set for $37.95.

The set includes the collector eagle as well as four 2008 Presidential $1 Coins from the United States Mint at Philadelphia, and a Sacagawea Golden Dollar from the United States Mint at Denver.

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2009 US Mint Uncirculated Set sales are on fire and off to a lightning quick start, effortlessly surpassing initial demand of prior year sets.

Between their launch on noon Thursday (Oct. 1) through Sunday (Oct. 4), coin collectors purchased a whopping 297,842 at $27.95 each. The US Mint pulled in a hefty $8,324,684 in a mere four days.

The annual Mint set is an always popular product, with modern sales reaching into at least several hundred thousand and many topping a million. But initial sales from at least the last two years have not blasted off as they have this year, as the following table highlights:

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