2008 Presidential Dollar Proof Sets on Sale

Yesterday the 2008 Presidential Dollar Proof Set went on sale. Similar to a few other recent product releases, these sets cannot currently be ordered using the US Mint's website. Orders must be placed by phone at 1-800-USA-MINT.

The sets include all of the 2008 Presidential Dollars, which honor James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, and Martin Van Buren. The price for the set is $14.95 each.

The coins contained in this set will overlap with the regular 2008 Proof Sets, which will contain the same 2008 proof Presidential Dollars. However, this set can still be a nice addition for collectors looking to get their hands on the coins earlier since the regular proof sets won't be available until later this year. It can also make a nice stand alone set for collector's focusing on the Presidential Dollars only.

Update: The 2008 Presidential Dollar Proof Set is now available online. The delay was less than one day.

Related:
2008 Presidential Dollar Designs

Platinum Soars, 10th Anniversary Platinum Sets Still on Sale

Platinum has been soaring recently due to mining power outages. As of the writing of this post, platinum is trading at $1,689 per ounce. Yesterday it had traded above $1,700.

The only platinum product still available for sale at the US Mint is the 10th Anniversary Platinum Eagle Set.

The Uncirculated Burnished Platinum Eagles have not been on sale for some time. The Proof Platinum Eagles were only recently pulled from the Mint's website. However, there were many reports on Friday that any orders placed for the coins were shown as "no longer available" on the email confirmations sent immediately following the order. So even though orders could be placed, they were not accepted.

The 10th Anniversary Platinum Eagle Set contains two one-half ounce Platinum Eagle coins. One has a proof finish and one has a special reverse proof finish. The set is priced at $1,949.95, which continues to become a better relative value as the price of platinum increases.

Platinum seems to be pulling back this morning, but with any further increase it's likely that the Mint would have to suspend sales of the 10th Anniversary Set as well.

Related:
10th Anniversary Platinum Eagle Set Sales Figures
Coin Update- Daily Coin News Roundup

Oklahoma Quarter Bags and Rolls Scheduled for Release Today

Bags and rolls of 2008 Oklahoma Quarters are scheduled to go on sale today, January 28, 2008 at 12:00 Noon ET.

Oklahoma is the first of the 2008 State Quarters to be released, and the 46th coin in the overall program.

100-coin and 1,000-coin bags will be available at the price of $32.95 and $309.95, respectively. Two-roll sets, which contain one roll each of P and D mint coins, will be available for $32.95 per set.

Other recently released products have had some delays as the Mint continues to get back on track following the recent outage. The 2008 Kennedy Half Bags and Rolls, which were scheduled to be released January 17, only recently became available on the US Mint's website. The 2008 Sacagawea Dollar Bags and Rolls are still not found for sale on the website. The 2008 State Quarters Proof Set, which were scheduled for release on January 24 are currently only available for ordering by phone according to a message on the website's home page.

Update: The bags and rolls of Oklahoma Quarters have gone on sale, but currently can only be ordered by phone.

Update #2: Now available for ordering through the US Mint's website.

US Mint Director Issues Apology for Website Outage

Via Susan Headley at About Coins, the Director of the US Mint Edmund Moy issued the apology statement below in response to the recent website outage:

To Our Valued Customers:

The United States Mint temporarily suspended its online catalog recently while we shifted our online ordering capability from one provider to another. We didn't plan an interruption in service but, as the transition from one company to another took place, we realized that we couldn't guarantee to our customers that our online ordering system was completely reliable until the new provider had enough time to take over operations and make them secure.

During the transition to new service providers, we know that many of you tried to log in to the United States Mint's retail Web site and found a notice that the online catalog was unavailable. We also know that many of you called our toll-free Customer Service lines to place orders. Because of extremely high call volume, many customers were unable to get through or spent a long time waiting on hold. This is not the level of service that you deserve from the United States Mint and certainly not the kind of service that I want you to have.

I take full responsibility for the lapse in service and apologize to you for any inconvenience and frustration you experienced. I thank you for your patience while we improve our system of online operation. The United States Mint's service mission is to create the highest quality products for the United States and our customers, and we are working to make this vision a reality. I truly regret service interruptions and will take measures to avoid them in the future.

Sincerely,

Edmund C. Moy
Director
United States Mint

US Mint Website Back Online

It appears that the US Mint's website just went back online. Thanks for the tip left by Anonymous comment.

The Online Catalog and ordering process appear to be the same. I was able to place an order for some of the Bald Eagle Commemorative Silver Dollars without any problems. However, the coins had an availability status of Backordered and ship date of 03-01-2008.

Notably, the bags and rolls of 2008 Sacagawea Dollars and Kennedy Halves that were scheduled to be released January 17 are not listed online. In an earlier post I had mentioned reports that the release of these products was delayed to an unspecified date.

Tomorrow the 2008 State Quarter Proof Sets are scheduled to go on sale. No word on whether this release might be delayed, but at least now we can just check the website.

Related:
US Mint Online Catalog Unavailable
US Mint Website Outage Day Seven
Bald Eagle Commemoratives

2008 State Quarters Proof Set on Sale Tomorrow (Maybe)

The US Mint just announced that the 2008 State Quarters Proof Set will go on sale tomorrow January 24, 2008.

This annual set contains proof versions of all of the year's State Quarters. This year's set will contain the quarters honoring Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii. Notably, these are the last of the "State Quarters." Although 2009 will see the release of six additional quarters to honor US Territories and the District of Columbia.

As of the writing of this post, the US Mint's website ordering system is still down. So there is the potential that sales might be delayed until this is restored. Sales of bags and rolls of 2008 Sacagawea Dollars and Kennedy Halves were scheduled to be released this week, but have been delayed.

When will the Mint's website be restored? Still no definite date, but hopefully soon.

Related:
2009 Quarters for District of Columbia, U.S. Territories
US Mint Website Outage Day Seven

US Mint Website Outage Day Seven

Today we enter the seventh day of the US Mint's website outage.

The US Mint's online catalog and ordering system first went off-line January 15. This was also unfortunately the same day that the highly awaited Bald Eagle Commemorative Coins went on sale. The Mint recommended placing orders by phone, which were jammed with callers who would usually use the internet. Susan Headley tried to get some answers. Dave Harper recommended "You might just want to wait."

The bags and rolls of 2008 Sacagawea Dollars and Kennedy Halves were scheduled to be released January 17. Based on some comments and early reports, the Mint is not accepted phone orders for these products. The offering has been delayed and no specific release date has been provided.

When will the Mint's online ordering capabilities be restored?

When the online catalog first went off-line, they provided a website message with an estimate of "the next couple of days." Later that day, the message was modified and estimate updated to "the next few days." On January 18, the message was changed again with a new estimate for "the next several days."

So collectors will be happy to know that the Mint's website restore estimate has progressed from the next couple to few to several days.

New Website- Coin Update

This weekend I decided to start a new coin website Coin Update.

Each day there are tons of great news stories, blog posts, and coin related happenings on the web. Coin Update will provide a daily round up of interesting coin collector news. Drop by each morning and you will get a fresh assortment of links.

There's always something interesting happening in the world of coins!

10th Anniversary Platinum Eagle Set Sales Figures

After quickly selling about half of the total authorized mintage, sales of the 10th Anniversary Platinum Eagle Set have slowed. This set contains the reverse proof Platinum Eagle coin.

The sets went on sale December 13, 2007. By December 20, 14,682 out of the maximum 30,000 sets had been sold. As of January 17, 2008, sales have crept up to 16,841 according to Numismaster.

Along with many others, I had thought this set would sell out in the near term, especially after the strong opening sales figures. There are a couple of upcoming factors that may start driving sales.

The Mint placed an ordering limit of one set per household. This prevented collectors ordering multiple sets and impeded possible speculative buying of the set. This initial ordering limit was re-evaluated by the Mint at the 7-day mark. At that time, they decided to keep the one per household limit in place. The next re-evaluation was anticipated to take place at the 30-day mark, which fell on the weekend before the Mint's website went off-line. Will the ordering limit be raised when the online sales resume?

The price of platinum has risen since the initial offering. Since each set contains one ounce of platinum, this can play a factor in purchasing decisions. When the sets first went on sale, the price of platinum was $1,474 per ounce. Since that date, platinum traded as high as $1,590 per ounce. On Friday, it closed at $1,545. If platinum continues to rise, the sets become a better relative value.

The Mint's website outage may be creating some pent up demand for the coins. I have personally delayed my order for the Bald Eagle Commemoratives. I am sure there are at least some collectors who decided to delay placing orders for other offerings, such as the platinum eagle sets.

According to information recently published in CoinWorld, the Mint had produced the full 30,000 sets by December 31, 2007. It seems likely that the sets will remain on sale until all of the sets are sold. The question remains- how soon?

2008 Kennedy Half and Sacagawea Dollar Bags and Rolls on Sale Tomorrow

Tomorrow 2008 Kennedy Halves and 2008 Sacagawea Dollars will go on sale from the US Mint.

The 2008 Kennedy Halves are offered as either a Two Roll Set or in bags of 200 coins. The two rolls sets contain one roll each from the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. The 200 coin bags contain 100 coins each from the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. The Two Roll Set is priced at $32.95 and the bag is priced at $130.95.

The 2008 Sacagawea Dollars are offered as either a Two Roll Set or in bags or 250 coins. The two roll sets contain one roll each from Philadelphia and Denver Mints. The 250 coin bags are available from either the Philadelphia or Denver Mint. The Two Roll Set is priced at $35.95 and the bags are priced at $319.95 each.

Due to the continuing issue with the US Mint's Online Catalog, these will likely need to be ordered by phone for "the next few days."

Correction: The Sacagawea Dollars are available as single rolls of either "P" or "D" mint coins at $35.95 each.

Update: Based on a few comments, it appears that the Mint has postponed these product offerings. No specific date has been given.

US Mint Online Catalog Unavailable Update

Since this morning's surprising notice from the Mint about the unavailability of their online catalog, they have slightly modified the notice published on their website.

The updated message is as follows:

Because of a transition in online ordering operations, the United States Mint online catalog is currently unavailable.

The decision to suspend access to the website was made on January 15 when we determined we could not ensure uninterrupted service or the reliability of the ordering system until the new provider was given appropriate time to assume and test operations. Although we understand the inconvenience this may cause, please be assured that we are working to resolve the issue and will have the site operational in the next few days.

This message provides some more color on the decision to take their online ordering off-line on the day of a major product launch. The reason for the unavailability was clarified from "transition in service providers" to "could not ensure uninterrupted service or the reliability of the ordering system" because of said transition.

I guess the lesson here is: do not transition service providers immediately before a major product launch.

Long term, maybe the Mint's website will get better at handling the large amount of traffic that occurs on product launch days.

Personally, I am going to wait for the Online Catalog to go back online before placing my order for the Bald Eagle Commemoratives.

Related:
Bald Eagle Commemoratives

US Mint Online Catalog Unavailable

Anyone looking to place an order for the new Bald Eagle Commemorative Coins will find that the US Mint's Online Catalog is Off-Line. Apparently online ordering will not be available for the "next couple of days." Customers can still place orders by phone, but this will be an inconvenience for many customers.

When attempting to access any of the online catalog pages the message below is displayed:

Because of a transition in service providers, the United States Mint online catalog is currently unavailable. We expect the online catalog to be back in service within the next couple of days. In the interim, our toll-free customer service number will continue to be available to our customers.

To place an order, or to inquire about the status of an order, please call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Customer Service Representatives will be available to assist you from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight (ET), seven days a week. Hearing- and speech-impaired customers may place orders and inquiries through TTY at 1-888-321-MINT (6468), Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (ET).

The Bald Eagle Commemorative Coin Program will be available for sale as scheduled, starting January 15, 2008, at 12:00 noon (ET). You may place orders via our toll-free numbers and through mail order. Information about the Bald Eagle Commemorative Coin product options and household limit information can be found in our press release in our online press room.

We expect call volume to be high during this transition period. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. Please consider calling during off-peak hours, in the early morning and evening, when call volume is lower.

The expedited shipping option will not be available during the service transition period. All products ordered during this period will be shipped within our normal processing time of one to two weeks.

Bald Eagle Commemorative Pricing and Ordering Limits

The Mint recently announced the pricing and ordering limits for the new 2008 Bald Eagle Commemorative, which goes on sale January 15, 2008 at 12:00 Noon ET.

The coins will be available in six individual coin options: $5 gold, $1 silver, and 50c clad half dollar each in proof and uncirculated versions. In addition, the Mint will offer a Three Coin Proof Set, a Coin and Medal Set, and a Young Collector's Set. The United States Mint American Legacy Collection to be released later this year will also contain a Proof Bald Eagle Silver Dollar.

Product	Price	Limit
$5 Gold Proof	$294.95	100
$5 Gold Unc	$284.95	100
$1 Silver Proof	$39.95	100
$1 Silver Unc	$35.95	100
50c Clad Proof	$9.95	100
50c Clad Unc	$7.95	100

Related:
Bald Eagle Coin Designs
Bald Eagle Commemorative Coins

Gold Reaches All Time Record High

Yesterday, the price of gold reached an all time record high of $880.30 per ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Over night, gold briefly traded above $890.00 in the overseas markets.

The record price was preceded years of rising prices. Dave Harper recently noted that gold has risen over each of the past seven years with yearly gains of 2.46%, 24.72%, 19.59%, 5.24%, 18.29%, 22.84%, and 31.44% from 2001 to 2007. Only a few days into 2008, gold has risen by more than 5% year to date.

Many will note that the previous record close for gold at $875 was set in 1980. Adjusted for inflation, this would equate to a price of $2,200 in today's dollars.

The number of gold products at the Mint continues to dwindle as products sell out or are suspended. As of the writing of this post, the follow gold products are still available for sale:

• 2007 First Spouse Gold Proof Dolley Madison (contain one half ounce of gold) $529.95
• 2007 First Spouse Gold Unc Dolley Madison (contain one half ounce of gold) $509.95
• 2007-W $5 American Gold Eagle Proof (contain one tenth ounce of gold) $116.95

2009 Quarters for District of Columbia, U.S. Territories

Update: View 2009 Quarter Images and Release Schedule

As mentioned yesterday, I wanted to make a few posts to catch up on some newsworthy items that happened over the holiday period. In late December, President Bush signed legislation authorizing quarters to commemorate the District of Columbia and the five U.S. Territories.

Prior to the new legislation, the 50 State Quarters program was due to conclude with the final five states released in 2008. The six newly authorized coins will be issued during 2009 and carry the same obverse used on the State Quarters.

The new quarters will honor the following:

• District of Columbia Quarter
  
• Puerto Rico Quarter
  
• Guam Quarter
  
• America Samoa Quarter
  
• Virgin Islands Quarter
  
• Northern Mariana Islands Quarter
  

2008 Presidential Dollar Designs Released

A few Mint related news items came out during the Christmas and New Year's period that I neglected to cover. The most important were the release of the 2008 Presidential Dollar designs and the announcement of 2009 Quarters to honor District of Columbia and US Territories. For the next few days I will play catch up...

In late December, the Mint revealed the designs for the 2008 Presidential Dollars as well as the release schedule. The circulation release date as well as the design image from the US Mint are below:










February 14, 2008
James Monroe Dollar
5th President of the United States










May 15, 2008
John Quincy Adams Dollar
6th President of the United States










August 14, 2008
Andrew Jackson Dollar
7th President of the United States










November 13, 2008
Martin Van Buren Dollar
8th President of the United States

Related:
Monroe Dollar Wrong Planchet Error

Five Coin Blogs You Should Be Reading

Mint News Blog is relatively new to the internet. I started this blog in October 2007 to follow the latest developments in products from the US Mint. There has been no shortage of blog topics as the Mint continues to put out new products at a rapid rate that can be covered and discussed from many different angles.

Outside of this narrowly defined space, there are many other worthwhile coin blogs. The five listed below are my personal favorites. There are several others, but I have narrowed this list down to the ones that are updated relatively frequently and provide a broad range of coverage.

Do you have any favorite coin blogs that you think should be included? If so, let me know in the comments.

For now, here is the list:

Buzz with Dave Harper - Updated daily with timely posts about the latest coin news. Dave has been a writer for Numismatic News for 30 years and provides excellent insights into new and developing stories.

Coin of the Day - Updated daily with "a sampling of the pocket change collected each day." The variety of coins and refreshing personality of the writing will keep you coming back.

About Coins - Susan Headley writes about the latest news in coins and broader issues such as coin dealer ethics. She commonly engages her readers through active discussions in the Comments.

Coin Collector's Blog - Less frequent posts, but usually about the issues you are pondering or contemplating right now.

Price of Gold Hits Record High

Today the price of gold jumped $22 to close at $860 per ounce. Gold hit an intraday trading high of $864.50, the highest price in nearly 30 years. Gold's all time high price of $875 per ounce reached in 1980 is now within striking range.

Gold has recently had a very sharp run up. Less than two weeks ago on December 20, gold was trading below the $800 mark. The recent run has been accompanied by a rise in the price of oil and uncertainty in the financial markets.

Last year, the rising price of gold played havoc with some of the Mint's gold product offerings. On several occasions the Mint had to suspend sales of coins to adjust prices to account for the increasing value of gold. It looks like there might be more of the same in store for 2008.

The Mint currently has the following gold products for sale:

• 2007 First Spouse Gold Proof Dolley Madison (contain one half ounce of gold) $529.95
• 2007 First Spouse Gold Unc Dolley Madison (contain one half ounce of gold) $509.95
• 2007 American Buffalo Gold Proof (contain one ounce of gold) $899.95
• 2007-W $10 American Gold Eagle Proof (contain one quarter ounce of gold) $239.95
• 2007-W $5 American Gold Eagle Proof (contain one tenth ounce of gold) $116.95

Related:

Burnished Gold and Silver Eagles- The US Mint Keeps Collectors Guessing
First Spouse Gold Coins
Certified Gold Eagles

US Mint 2008 Product Release Schedule

Archived version of the US Mint's 2008 Product Release schedule.

Availability Date	Product Description
January 3, 2008	American Eagle Silver Proof Coin
January 15, 2008	Bald Eagle Commemorative Coin Program
January 17, 2008	Kennedy Half-Dollar Bag and Two-Roll Set
January 24, 2008	United States Mint 50 State Quarters Proof Set™
January 28, 2008	Oklahoma Quarter Bags and Two-Roll Sets
January 29, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set™
February 5, 2008	American Buffalo 2008 Celebration Coin
February 14, 2008	James Monroe $1 Coin Bags and Rolls
February 25, 2008	United States Mint 50 State Quarters Silver Proof Set™
February 27, 2008	Oklahoma Official First Day Coin Cover
February 28, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coins - Individual Proof Coin – James Monroe
February 28, 2008	First Spouse Series One-Half Ounce Gold Proof Coin – Elizabeth Monroe
February 28, 2008	First Spouse Series One-Half Ounce Gold Uncirculated Coin – Elizabeth Monroe
February 28, 2008	Elizabeth Monroe Bronze Medal 1 5/16"
March 4, 2008	American Eagle Gold Proof Coin
March 14, 2008	American Presidency $1 Coin Cover Series - James Monroe
March 17, 2008	American Eagle Silver Uncirculated One Ounce Coin
April 1, 2008	American Eagle Gold Uncirculated Coins
April 7, 2008	New Mexico Quarter Bags and Two-Roll Sets
April 8, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Historical Signature Set™ - George Washington
April 23, 2008	Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, M.D. Bronze Medal
April 28, 2008	Sacagawea Golden Dollar Bags and Rolls
May 5, 2008	American Eagle Platinum Proof Coins
May 8, 2008	New Mexico Official First Day Coin Cover
May 13, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Historical Signature Set™ - John Adams
May 15, 2008	John Quincy Adams $1 Coin Bags and Rolls
May 29, 2008	First Spouse Series One-Half Ounce Gold Proof Coin - Louisa Adama
May 29, 2008	First Spouse Series One-Half Ounce Gold Uncirculated Coin - Louisa Adams
May 29, 2008	Louisa Adams Bronze Medal 1 5/16"
May 29, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coins - Individual Proof Coin – John Quincy Adams
June 2, 2008	Arizona Quarter Bags and Two-Roll Sets
June 10, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Historical Signature Set™ - Thomas Jefferson
June 12, 2008	American Presidency $1 Coin Cover Series - John Quincy Adams
June 24, 2008	United States Mint Proof Set®
June 30, 2008	Arizona Official First Day Coin Cover
July 1, 2008	American Eagle Platinum Uncirculated Coins
July 8, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Historical Signature Set™ - James Madison
July 22, 2008	American Buffalo Gold Proof Coins
July 22, 2008	American Buffalo Gold Uncirculated Coins
July 24, 2008	2008 Presidential $1 Coin Uncirculated Set™
July 30, 2008	United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set®
August 1, 2008	8-8-08 Double Prosperity Set
August 6, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set™ - James Monroe
August 7, 2008	United States Mint Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set™
August 14, 2008	Andrew Jackson $1 Coin Bags and Rolls
August 25, 2008	Alaska Quarter Bags and Two-Roll Sets
August 26, 2008	United States Mint Silver Proof Set™
August 28, 2008	First Spouse Series One-Half Ounce Gold Proof Coin - Jackson's Liberty
August 28, 2008	First Spouse Series One-Half Ounce Gold Uncirculated Coin - Jackson's Liberty
August 28, 2008	Jackson's Liberty Bronze Medal 1 5/16"
August 28, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coins - Individual Proof Coin – Andrew Jackson
September 3, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set™ – John Quincy Adams
September 11, 2008	American Presidency $1 Coin Cover Series - Andrew Jackson
September 23, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set™ - Andrew Jackson
September 30, 2008	Alaska Official First Day Coin Cover
October 27, 2008	United States Mint American Legacy Collection®
October 27, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coins - Individual Proof Coin - Martin Van Buren
October 27, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set - Martin Van Buren
October 27, 2008	American Presidency $1 Coin Cover Series - Martin Van Buren
October 27, 2008	Hawaii Official First Day Coin Cover
October 27, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Presentation Folder™
October 27, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Historical Signature Set - James Monroe
October 27, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Historical Signature Set - John Quincy Adams
October 27, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Historical Signature Set - Andrew Jackson
October 27, 2008	United States Mint Presidential $1 Coin Historical Signature Set - Martin Van Buren
October 27, 2008	2008 50 State Quarters® Greetings From America Portfolio
October 27, 2008	2008 50 State Quarters® Greetings From America Card Set
November 3, 2008	Hawaii Quarter Bags and Two-Roll Sets
November 13, 2008	Martin Van Buren $1 Coin Bags and Rolls
November 25, 2008	First Spouse Series One-Half Ounce Gold Proof Coin - Van Buren's Liberty
November 25, 2008	First Spouse Series One-Half Ounce Gold Uncirculated Coin - Van Buren's Liberty
November 25, 2008	Van Buren's Liberty Bronze Medal 1 5/16"