Survey Results: Mint News Blog Readers Look Ahead to 2010

This will be the fifth post recapping the results from the Mint News Blog survey. For those keeping track, there will likely be two additional installments following this post, which will conclude coverage of the survey.

In the seventh question, readers were allowed to provide additional thoughts or comments on 2010 US Mint Products or 2010 Coins in an open format. This was a chance for readers to provide more insights into their responses on previous questions or raise other issues.

This time just under 200 readers provided comments. Once again, I will try to distill some of the major themes and then present a selection of reader comments.

The most frequent subject mentioned was Proof Silver Eagles. Dozens of readers expressed their hopes that the US Mint would produce and issue the coins this year. Similarly, numerous readers also mentioned the Uncirculated Silver Eagle and Proof and Uncirculated Gold Eagless. One reader suggested that the US Mint should produce a special 25th Anniversary Silver Eagle Set next year, which would include the 2009 Proof Silver Eagle.

Another frequent topic was America the Beautiful Quarters. While most continued to mention the over saturation of rotating designs, there were several readers looking forward to the series. A small group of respondents also mentioned that they were looking forward to the 5 ounce silver bullion versions of the quarters. Others expressed disappointment that the limited supply of silver would be used for another program of silver coins, rather than collectible Silver Eagles.

Other recurring comments included disappointment about design selections for 2010 coins. The design most frequently mentioned as a disappointment was the 2010 Boy Scouts Silver Dollar.

Below are a selection of the comments provided by readers. I couldn't include everything, but I have tried to make the selection representative of most of the major themes and include some of the more unique comments.

"I hope the mint will not let the collectors down again in 2010 with the non production of the Proof and Uncirculated Silver American Eagles."

"I'm looking forward to the new one cent design and would welcome a new obverse design to [other] circulating coinage. I would like to see a return to images of Lady Liberty that display the beauty and creativity of engravers, rather than seeing more dead people. With the current economic down-turn, we as Americans need images to invoke feelings of patriotism and pride in Our Nation."

"About the quarter series...I am half excited about seeing them, but the other half of me is like how can they do any Park justice on the back of the quarter? They managed to do a decent job with the states, but I believe it will be much more difficult to get the primary scenic idea of a Park across on the back of a quarter. Maybe on the 3 inch medals it would come across with more detail, but Iwonder if it will feel sparse taking such a small portrait and now stretching it onto a bigger surface."

"I would like to see a set of classic or legacy designed US Silver Dollars produced in uncirculated and proof."

"The US Mint needs to be run more like the customer-focused manufacturing business that it should be and less like the customer-be-damned fiefdom that it has become. I had thought that Henrietta Fore made an effort in this direction, but any gains seem to have been lost."

"...Looking ahead to 2011 and beyond, it is very unfortunate that there are no coins planned to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, although a Battle of Gettysburg coin has been proposed in the House. I would add in conclusion that the U.S. Commemorative coin programs lack imagination and the designs are often very poor. For a nation with as rich a history as the U.S., we honor it very poorly on our coinage."

"Is it possible the Mint is offering too many new items and might kill the 'golden goose' eventually? It happened with the Post Office and it seems the mint is following suit."

"The public should be able to order the Silver Eagle Bullion coins from the mint, instead of having to pay a premium price to authorized dealers and distributors. The Proof Silver Eagle should be covered under the existing law to provide an adequate supply to the public."

"I think the America the Beautiful quarters are overkill, too many series to close together and too soon after the State quarter series. With the Presidential dollars still going and the Lincoln pennies just ending, the mint has us chasing our tails in too many directions."

"It will be interesting to see where the mintages end up with all products in comparison to the 2009 numbers and how the Government is going to address the over production of the dollar coins - will the trend continue downward with the number of coins minted? There are many story lines to watch over the coming months."

"I feel they should continue using copper cents in the 2010 mint and proof sets. The mint should also issue rolls for the shield cents in 2010."

"I want more first day and educational products surrounding the coins. I want first day coin covers for the new quarters. I want things similar to the 'Braille Education' set or the Lincoln Chronicles Set. Products based on coins but providing a broader view of what the coin is about or what it represents.Wouldn't it be cool if the Mint created commemorative versions of all the past types of coins and had each encased in a nice display folder/board/case that had a lot of historical information regarding the coin, the designers, and what was going on in America during the time the coin was being produced and used?"

"They need to bring back the proof silver eagle."

"I want silver eagles!"

Other posts covering survey results:
Favorite 2009 US Mint Product and Biggest Disappointment
Mint News Blog Readers Reflect on 2009
2010 US Mint Products and Potential Offerings
Collecting America the Beautiful Quarters

Today on Coin Update News:
New US Mint Sales Report