Survey Results: Will you buy the 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle?

About a week ago, I posted a survey asking the question: Will you buy the 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coin?

Here are the results:

Yes: 271 Votes (48.57%)

No: 163 Votes (29.21%)

Undecided: 124 Votes (22.22%)

Some of the comments posted included:

Talk about a beautiful coin! I will surely buy one. This is an amazing coin, and I hope the mint doesn't stop here. The high relief process should be utilized on more coin designs. I would like to see at least 1-2 high different relief coin designs each year.

-DJ

While the design is beautiful, the implementation results in an item that looks, to me, more like something I would get from Disneyland than from the Mint. The thickness, the edge lettering, and the concave surface are what makes this look more like a bauble than a coin. The only things this coin has going for it is the Augustus Saint-Gaudens design and the gold it’s made out of… and that’s not enough to justify the premium the mint is charging. Needless to say, I won’t be buying one.

-Syruss

I will buy the coin if one or more of my other orders (currently in backorder status) get canceled by the mint.

-Randy

The day before the release, I am personally left with mixed feelings about the coin.

The US Mint first announced their intention to recreate the Ultra High Relief Double Eagle more than 10 months ago, on March 13, 2008. Ever since, they have slowly dribbled out the information and images of the coin, building collector excitement with each new announcement. The US Mint has touted the coin as a masterpiece, the most beautiful gold coin ever made, and the culmination of an artistic vision 100 years in the making. The coin was authorized to have an unlimited mintage so everyone could have the opportunity to own one.

On the eve of the release, collectors are faced with a relatively high price of $1,158.00, a one per household ordering limit, and a potential six to nine month shipping delay caused by the US Mint's supply chain constraints. Collectors also face questions resulting from the US Mint's new pricing policy combined with the potential shipping delay. If the price of the coin drops, should you cancel your order and order again? Or will that move you down the shipping queue and prolong your wait? Worse yet, will the US Mint count your canceled order towards the one per household ordering limit?

Considering all of the effort the US Mint has spent building up the coin's release, it seems they could have done more to ensure a smooth launch. Is it really too much to ask to be able to buy the coin that has been promoted to you for ten months and have it delivered within a reasonable time frame?

Good luck to everyone placing orders tomorrow. Sales start at 12:00 Noon ET.