In less than two weeks, James K. Polk Presidential dollar rolls shot past this year's William Henry Harrison and John Tyler same roll sales.
The US Mint launched the Polk rolls Thursday, Aug. 20. As of Sunday, Aug. 30, collectors purchased a total of 31,915 Philadelphia rolls and 30,920 Denver rolls.
By contrast, the first two 2009 rolls of Harrison and Tyler dollars reached 30,000 from each Mint facility. Is this a fair comparison? No. Unlike prior Presidential roll offerings and the latest Polk $1 rolls, the Mint stopped selling each when they reached the 30,000 figure.
The unavailability of Harrison and Tyler rolls has resulted in interesting secondary market premiums. (See current eBay auctions as examples.) Resellers are sure to be disappointed in the Mint's decision to continue offering the Polk dollars. And collectors as a group are left to wonder what controls how long certain coins will be sold in a particular product line.
William Henry Harrison $1 Coin Covers are now available from US Mint. These limited edition covers include two Harrison Presidential $1 coins that were...
William Henry Harrison Presidential $1 Coins were officially launched in a ceremonial release on Presidents Day (Monday) by the United States Mint. The event...
The United States Mint on Wednesday introduced newly designed 2009 Presidential $1 coins and released detailed artist images of the dollars. The American public will see 2009 circulating coins honoring Presidents William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor. Most interestingly, different design elements have been implemented compared to the initial series of 2007 and 2008 coins.
Notable in the new designs is the placement of "In God We Trust," which in past years has been on the edge of each Presidential dollar. A public outcry occurred when the U.S. Mint inadvertently issued a small subset of 2007 dollars that did not have the inscription because of minting errors. Also, while many thought edge letterings on coins would be a fresh approach, fewer liked "In God We Trust" there after seeing the new dollars. They felt the inscription lacked prominence, and needed to be moved.