2009 Proof & Mint Sets
Before the end of the year, I wanted to take a post to review the status of the US Mint's core annual proof and mint set offerings. By core annual sets, I am referring to the 2009 Proof Set, 2009 Silver Proof Set, and 2009 Uncirculated Mint Set.
In past years, sometimes one of the US Mint's annual sets has sold out before the end of the year, catching collectors by surprise. Last year, the US Mint sold out of the 2008 Proof Set in mid-December. The unexpected nature of the sell out and a relatively low mintage combined to drive secondary market prices higher. This 2008 Proof Set still sells for more than double the original issue price.
The most recent sales for this year's core mint and proof set offerings are shown below, along with the date that sales began for each product. (You can view the full weekly sales report posted today on Coin Update News.)
| Product | Sales Start | Sales to Date |
| 2009 Proof Set | June 1, 2009 | 1,392,782 |
| 2009 Silver Proof Set | July 17, 2009 | 628,289 |
| 2009 Mint Set | October 1, 2009 | 657,322 |
For comparison here are the sales start dates, end dates, and final sales figures for the 2008 offerings.
| Product | Sales Start | Sales End | Total Sales |
| 2008 Proof Set | June 24, 2008 | Dec 14, 2008 | 1,405,674 |
| 2008 Silver Proof Set | Aug 26, 2008 | July 17, 2009 | 774,874 |
| 2008 Mint Set | July 30, 2008 | Feb 25, 2009 | 745,464 |
Interestingly, the sales figures for the 2009 sets are still below the levels reached last year. Personally, I was expecting the 2009 annual sets to have higher mintages due to the inclusion of the 95% copper Lincoln Cents. The introduction of separate Lincoln products may have dampened the effect. If an early sell out occurs for any of the 2009 sets, there would be a strong case for higher prices. Personally, I prefer the regular clad version 2009 Proof Set and 2009 Mint Set.
At the time of writing this post, one of the single denomination proof sets has already sold out. The 2009 Lincoln Cent Proof Set, which contains the four 95% copper Proof 2009 Lincoln Cents, sold out today. The set originally went on sale August 26, 2009 priced at $7.95. The most recent sales report indicates that the US Mint sold 201,107 of the sets.
Labels: Annual Sets
posted by Mint News Blog @ 11:49 AM
27 Comments:
Wow! The 2008 Silver Proof Set sales ended before they started, and they still managed to sell over 3/4 of a million! Sorry Michael, I couldn't resist that one. If I hadn't called attention to the error, someone else would have. I wanted to have the fun this time!
Seriously, I figured the 2009 Lincoln Cent proof sets must have been sold out after I noticed that there were NONE sold this past week. I'm thinking the sales figure will be adjusted downward to an even 200,000 soon. Logic would dictate that with such a low sales figure, the "pennies only" proof set will have a strong secondary market price, simply due to the fact that the unique box and COA to accompany the proof cents has such a low production.
Do you think the sales figures for the Coin & Spouse Medal Sets for the Julia Tyler and Sarah Polk sets were inadvertently switched this week? Such a huge respective decrease and increase doesn't really make sense, does it? I could see it if the Tyler set was sold out and a downward adjustment had been made, but the set does not appear to be near a sellout. It hasn't even ever been on backorder status that I can recall.
Ah, thanks for pointing that out with the 2008 Silver Proof Sets. Near the end of the year, I always start mixing up dates.
I suspect you may be correct about the Julia Tyler and Sarah Polk sets. The original report does have them stated that way, but I am going to switch the order on the Coin Update post.
There have been some large downward adjustments for other products before (returns or order cancellations), but since both numbers are off, it's probably safe to assume they were inadvertently flipped.
Personally, I prefer the regular clad version 2009 Proof Set and 2009 Mint Set.
Personally, I prefer the silver proof set.
On the other hand, with the proliferation of base-metal coins that have no history of ever having been made of silver (specifically, the Sacagawea and presidential dollars, and the proliferation of penny designs), we have gotten to the point where a majority of the coins (eight of 18) the silver proof set contains are not, and have never been, made of silver. At some point, you do have to wonder why the mint should even bother to make a silver proof set.
I suppose the mint could market a "historical silver proof set" consisting of one of each demonimation ever made in siver: 3 cent piece, half dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar, and dollar. For more advanced collectors, the mint could add a "historical gold proof set," consisting of one dollar, $2.50, $3.00, $5.00, $10.00 and $20.00 denominations.
But such coins would bear no relation to the base metal coins currently in circulation, which is the whole point of a proof set in the first place.
That's a cool idea about the "Historical" gold and silver proof sets that would resurrect old coins, but I doubt it would or could ever happen. The addition of new dates to long-concluded series would likely get a lot of collectors agitated. That, plus the shortage of gold and silver today would not allow for such an endeavor.
what would be the best investment from the mint right now? and why?
I wouldn't mind seeing a silver proof set that just had the "silver" coins. In order to get a complete set of each year's issues, you end up with duplicate $'s, nickels and pennies. Kind of a waste of my resources.n
The trend is for coins to become less and less precious metal. The clad coins are now nickel coated copper, no silver to be found. Eventually I think they will become nickel coated zinc or nickel coated plastic whatever is cheapest and easy to produce as copper increases in value. The golden dollars will also become some kind of a clad item as they are now about 88% copper. The clad sets will be all that are available down the road. If there are silver sets the cost will be way to high for most collectors.
Brad, there's nothing wrong with the 08 silver set dates. went on sale in 08 and off sale in 09. sorry but it's my turn to point out your error and have some fun.
That's because Michael already fixed the date error. See his comment right below mine. The original sales end date was listed as 2008, not 2009.
So ha ha to you!
Oy Vey - Vey Oy!
The direct shipment Sacagawea dollar rolls are now sold out. I am glad I got another batch before they were gone. I ordered 2 boxes 6 months ago and another 2 boxes a few weeks ago, unfortunately they were all from the Denver mint. I am curious if I was just unlucky or if all the direct shipment rolls of the Sacagawea's were from Denver. Did anybody else on this board order any of these?
Yeah, I ordered some off and on. I received both Denver and Philadelphia coins. More Philly than Denver, though.
I might be missing something. I checked out closed eBay auctions for the 2008 Mint sets and 2008 silver proof sets.
From what I'm seeing, closing sold prices for most 2008 mint sets are around $35. Closing prices for most 2008 silver proof sets are around $50.
Are these prices nearly double of the US Mint's original sales prices?
It's the 2008 Clad Proof Set (which sold out right before Christmas last year) that still sells for nearly double, not the Uncirculated or Silver Proof Sets.
Aren't all of the platinum proofs of 2009 "firststrikes"??? With a limited mintage of 8000 surely the mint will ship these out within the first 30 days making them all early releases!!!! What fools would buy this for the so called pedigree??? So much for these grading debachles........
That's a good point, there. The better version in this case would probably be the PCGS slab that is NOT a silly "First Strike"! It will undoubtedly be the more rare version of the two.
I think the Lincoln set by itself will be the real winner in the future.
Looks like the 2010 1st Spouse images are up on the website.
Yep.
My impressions:
Abigail Filmore: oh my
Jane Pierce: quite nice, actually
Buchanan: i'm in
Mary Todd Lincoln: also a nice likeness and rendering; reverse is nice too with the depiction of civil war soldiers. i'm in.
- Raul
A lot of people will probably buy the Mary Todd Lincoln coins. It's possible that the proof version will sell many more than the Uncirculated version, since the Mint did away with the even split of 20,000 per finish after 2007.
The Buchanan's Liberty coin is very nice, but I don't know if it will be a sellout. As nice as the Jackson and Van Buren Liberty coins were, neither of them sold anywhere NEAR the authorized mintage.
I can't take any chances, though. I'll be buying my Buchanan's Liberty coins on release day, just to make sure I don't get left out. I'll also be buying my Mary Todd Lincoln coins on release day as well. I would hate to get shut out.
Liberty rankings on "looks":
Observse:
1-Van Buren
2-Jefferson
3-Buchanan
4-Jackson
Reverse:
1-Jackson
2-Van Buren/ Jefferson (tie)
4-Buchanan (a bit disappointing)
Mintages give advantage to Van Buren and Jackson and disadvantage to Jefferson and likely to Buchanan.
Mary Lincoln the only non-liberty "must-buy of '07-'10 (nicer reverse than expected).
"we have gotten to the point where a majority of the coins (eight of 18) the silver proof set contains are not, and have never been, made of silver."
I think that the Mint should now produce All-Silver Proof Sets, where all of the coins from the Cent to the Dollars would be made in 90% Silver.
If the Mint's going to make a million different varieties of everything, why not make 90% Silver varieties of every coin from the Cent upwards?
The new 90% Silver varieties would have unquestionable appeal to collectors. For example: What Lincoln Cent collector wouldn't like having a Silver Lincoln Cent?
Those who currently turn their nose up at the current 'Golden' Dollar coins are exactly those who would enjoy having 90% Silver
(non-brass-plated) versions of those coins (or, they would at least respect them as being 'true' collectible coins).
Michael: Personally, I prefer the regular clad version 2009 Proof Set.
This makes sense. There are those who advocate the Silver Proof Set for its 'bullion' value potential, but the problem with that line of thinking is that the majority of the coins in the 2009 Silver Proof Set are not 90% Silver. Only eight of the eighteen coins are 90% Silver.
My 'strategy' this year was to buy the 2009 Clad Proof Set and the 2009 Territorial Quarters Silver Proof Set, instead of the 2009 Silver Proof Set. Buying those two Sets only cost me $6.95 more than buying the Silver Proof Set alone, and ten of the eighteen 2009 Proof coins are the same in both Sets anyway. (and even the Clad Set has the 95% Copper Cents, so this Set also has coins that are upgraded in metal composition compared to their business strike versions)
If there is big Silver rally in the future, those that have Silver Proof Sets would have to sell their entire Set (or break out the eight Silver coins) to 'cash in' on the rally.
Me, I could simply sell my Silver Territorial Quarter Set (which is six of the eight 2009 90% Silver Proof coins), and I'd still have a complete Clad Proof Set to enjoy as a collectible.
The "All-Silver" Proof Set proposed in that other post would make much more sense for those who want 'bullion' value.
I'm curious if the person who made the liberty ranking's is making there list by viewing the coins on the computer or in person. My personal favorite was by far the Jackson. I have owned all three and the Jackson is my favorite by far.
Another thing I wanted to add to my previous post was that it is funny how you can look at a coin that the mint has sketched or even the actual coin on a website somewhere, but for some reason certain coins just tend to look either much better or much worse in person. Like the presidential dollars, they look great sketched, but the actual coin looks like crap. Part of the reason I think is the composition of the coin. I agree with the other suggestions of making a silver set with all the coins in silver. I think the dollars would then actually look decent. Another coin that is opposite to the presidential dollar is the new platinum eagle. I thought the design was kind of silly, but after receiving the coin I was really impressed with how good the coin actually looked. If the eagle coin was made with the brass/manganese composition I think the design would not stand out as much and therefore not look as nice.
If my history is correct the coins of the Roman Empire (for those who have heard of the Roman Empire) evolved into base metal for the most part toward the end of their empire like ours are doing. Does that mean our society is nearing an end. I dunno, but the Romans did not have the computer speed, printing presses, or plastic that we do. If it did it would it have have been an empire of 150 years instead of a thousand?
I wasn't the one that posted the Liberty "rankings" but agree with the post 100%. My personal favorite looking in real life is the Van Buren Uncirculated. The liberty looks like such a genuine classic, and when you compare it to the proof coin there are actually significantly better details in Liberty and on the reverse on the UNC coin compaired to the Proof. On the other hand I think the Jefferson Proof is more striking than the UNC. Check it out youself if you are fortunate enough to have them one of each!
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