2010 America the Beautiful Quarter Proof Set
The United States Mint will begin sales of the 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set today, May 13, 2010 at 12:00 Noon ET.
This set will include the clad proof versions of the first five coins of the new America the Beautiful Quarters series. The following coins are included in each set:2010-S Hot Springs National Park Quarter
2010-S Yellowstone National Park Quarter
2010-S Yosemite National Park Quarter
2010-S Grand Canyon National Park Quarter
2010-S Mount Hood National Park Quarter
The five coins are sealed in a single plastic lens and placed within an illustrated cardboard box with certificate of authenticity. The sets are priced at $14.95 each.
Last year, the US Mint offered the 2009 District of Columbia & US Territories Quarters Proof Set priced at $14.95, which contained six coins. To date, this set has sold 608,830 units.
The US Mint began offering a separate proof set containing each year's quarters back in 1999 for the start of the 50 State Quarters Program. Back then the US Mint began sales of the full annual proof set and the separate quarters proof set on the same day. Recently, the component proof sets have gone on sale before the full set.
Personally, I usually pass on the separate sets and wait for the release of the full annual proof set, which offers a better value. The full 14-coin 2010 Proof Set is expected to go on sale July 22, 2010 priced at $31.95. This is just $1.05 more than the cost of the previously released 4-coin 2010 Presidential Dollar Proof Set ($15.95) and today's 5-coin 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set ($14.95).
New Coingrader Capsule: Crossing Over from ANACS to PCGS
Labels: America the Beautiful Quarters
posted by Mint News Blog @ 7:03 AM
20 Comments:
Although they were released to the public today, seems that the various TV shopping shows (HSN), have had these already graded PR70 first day of issue and ready for sale LAST WEEK. We should all write our government representitives and demand that they wait in line like everyone else.
Very dissapointing.
I'm not sure if they truly HAD them before anyone else. My assumption is that it was an unacknowledged pre-sale. I remember them saying something similar about the Hot Springs quarters, and they were showing one of the coin folders with 5 variations of that quarter... but those quarters definitely looked slightly different a week later AFTER the official release.
For stuff like this... they usually don't actually get to you until a good month after you "ordered".
The picture on the website looks like a mockup... not the real deal.
The thing is... the real annoyance is the sweet-heart deals they have with some of the grading companies like ANACS for special labels and special attention. They essentially meet up with ANACS officials, figure out what the label and grading will be, and have ANACS ready to go the moment they get their hands on the proof sets.
You hardly EVER see PCGS do these kinds of deals with the TV shopping shows. But I do see ANACS and ICG. And occasionally I see NGC. Point is... its proof that their grading is a lot more lax than others. The website says they are doing a limited 3,975 run. They probably bought 4000 to make sure they do get somewhat PR70s for most of the coins... and then sell off whats left over in some other scam/deal.
I have one question re: shipping reimbursement from the Mint.
I ordered FS gold coins at the end of April and coins arrived damaged (rims). I shipped back them for replacement and Monday I received package. The "new" cois are also damaged ( this time small scratches). I will ship them back again for replacement. Does the Mint reimburse my shipping costs until I received coins good enough to accept or the Mint only reimburse once.
Thank you for your help.
Interesting to note... per coinflation.com, it takes around .05 to make a quarter and around .06 to make a dollar coin. Thus, .25 to make 5 quarters, and .24 to make 4 dollar coins. So, both because of total production costs and the number of coins being made, it seems it SHOULD be cheaper to make the Presidential proof sets than the quarter proof sets... or at the very least, they should be pretty equal.
And I'm pretty sure it is equal, production-wise... but the extra $1 is there just to denote that face-value-wise, we are dealing with $4 vs. $1.25. So, that's an extra quarter 'higher denomination' markup for buying a $1 proof coin over a quarter proof coin.
With regards to Reimbursement for Return Shipping. Yes, the Mint will reimburse the legitimate costs of returning products - postage and insurance - that you can document with receipts. USPS Insurance for items over $200 includes tracking, so additional parcel tracking or return receipt usually are not needed.
Call the Mint's 800 Customer Service Number, by-pass the phone bott by hitting "0" or saying Operator. When you get the next available agent, explain that you are planning to return a DAMAGED product (for replacement or refund), then indicate you understand that the Mint will reimburse you for the costs of returning the DAMAGED product - up to $25. The agent should respond by explaining that you will need to fax your receipts, a copy of the Mint Order Sheet and a coversheet w/ brief explanation to a 800 Fax number.
I have had my return costs successfully reimbursed three out of three times over the last 5 years. Most recently was last December for a bum 2009 Proof Buff. The refund is issued via a Gov't check in 2-3 weeks, and the event is documented with a new Mint order number in your registered customer account.
The Mint "should" reimburse you for each instance of returning damaged products, as long as you can document each Mint product transaction, to include their replacements, and each instance of a return.
Back to the release of the quarters set, I think Michael stated what most collectors do. That is, wait for the full mint set which is a bigger bargain than getting the individual sets. It's certainly what I intend to do.
JA
On a different note (yet again), I did not notice this before but there seems to be an update on the US Mint's page regarding the Silver Eagles. It states:
"Note: The United States Mint is working diligently with current and potential blank suppliers to increase the supply of bullion coin blanks, so it can offer to the public the proof and uncirculated versions of American Eagle silver, gold, and platinum coins in 2010. Please visit our Schedule of Products Listing to keep abreast of product on sale dates."
This would be the first mention of the possibility that we still may have 2010 silver eagles. Other sources on the net indicated that we would probably not have SAE's from the mint this year.
Jaime Aguirre
All this talk about returned coins is a concern...
Does the mint reissue these coins (particularly gold and silver coins) once they have been returned to the mint or do they just issue new coins to every order...
I think this is worth finding an answer to...seems like sloppy seconds aren't really what we are paying for.
Goldfingers
I've ALWAYS suspected the Mint ships out returned coins in other orders. They probably figure that just because one collector is picky enough to return a coin for some issue or another, other collectors might no be as picky or they simply might not bother to return the coin.
The Mint isn't going to go to the trouble to melt down rejected coins and mint new ones every time someone returns a coin. I'm sure they've done studies that have determined that it is much more cost-effective to take the chances of having to deal with the coins being returned a second time than to make new ones for every return.
Unless the damage is something VERY major that should have been caught by quality-control in the first place, the returns are simply going to be re-sold to some other sorry sap. I think I've been in that group a few times. That's why now I simply order my coins on the first day regardless of how much the price is at the time, simply because I want my coins to come from the first shipments, before anyone has time to return any problematic coins.
I feel if you order in the first few hours and get placed on "back ordered",your probably going to get picked over coins.Some big outfit bought a mega amount and the mint waits for the returns to fill your order.
I think the bulk buyers / dealers do sort coins and return them - they are in it strictly for the profit. But I do also see the mint's point of view. A minted coin is a minted coin! They are free to ship a return elsewhere where a collector-customer may purchase. After all even some of us who post here are strictly not collectors but buy to resell at a later date. Given this and the fact that there is an extra amount of work in processing returns I can see why the mint has raised prices significantly on the small low cost items which sell in droves. They have to recover their costs. I remember a time when the mint DID NOT ACCEPT RETURNS!
I think some of you are just plain "parinoid"
I'm not parInoid, I'm parAnoid. No, I'm not really paranoid, everyone is just out to get me, that's all! :)
To commenter above: You are correct. If everyone is out to get you then you are not paranoid.
Just be sure to wrap your head in heavy duty Reynolds wrap when you go to bed so the mother ship won't be able to retrieve data from your brain as you sleep. I also wear a tinfoil hat during the day for added protection.
He he he,, that is funny.
The Mint really hasn't been doing too much with the whole "backordered" thing anymore. These days regardless of what I order, it seems to ship very quickly and arrive within a week. I ordered some Fillmore Coin & First Spouse Medal Sets on May 7th, they shipped THE SAME DAY (incredible, that had NEVER happened before) and arrived in 5 days. My last few First Spouse coins have arrived within a week also.
**Breaking news, gold at fresh highs again today!
The release of the quarters set, I think is important for most collectors. Waiting for the full mint set may be suggested.
I'll wait.
There is no back orders I guess because people fed up collecting junk
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