Ulysses and Julia Grant Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set

Today, July 7, 2011 at 12:00 Noon ET, the US Mint will begin sales of the Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Medal Set featuring Ulysses S. Grant and Julia Grant.

The product includes one uncirculated Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Dollar and one Julia Grant Bronze Medal mounted on an illustrated plastic card. The back of the card contains issuance information.

Each set is priced at $14.95 plus applicable shipping and handling. This price is up by $3 from the $11.95 charged for last year's releases and up by $7 from the price of $7.95 charged in 2007 when the product line was introduced.

All of the 2010 releases featuring Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln still remain available for sale at the US Mint, priced at $11.95 each. The first release of 2011 featuring Andrew Johnson is also for sale at $14.95.

After today's product release, there is nothing else on the US Mint's product schedule until the July 27 release of the Gettysburg National Park Quarter 3-Coin Set. This slower month might be a welcome break following two very busy months, which have included the release of the uncirculated Gold Eagle, proof Platinum Eagle, proof Gold Buffalo, proof Silver Eagle, September 11 National Medals, and three different ATB 5 oz. Uncirculated Silver Coins.

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Andrew and Eliza Johnson Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set

On May 10, 2011 at 12:00 Noon ET, the United States Mint will release the Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set featuring Andrew and Eliza Johnson.

The uncirculated 2011 Andrew Johnson Presidential Dollar and Eliza Johnson First Spouse Medal are mounted on a durable plastic card. The front of the card includes portraits of the President and his wife, while the back contains issuance information.

The packaging has been slightly redesigned starting with this release. The lower portion of the card displays a black bar with the new US Mint logo. Previously, this space included a ribbon of red, white, and blue. The rest of the design appears to be unchanged.

Each set is priced at $14.95. The price for this product line has now been increased on three separate occasions. For 2007 and 2008, the sets had cost $7.95 each. This was increased to $8.95 each for the 2009 sets. Another increase brought the price to $11.95 for the 2010 sets. The new pricing level of $14.95 for the 2011 releases, nearly doubles the original price level.

The previously released Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Sets featuring Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln still remain available for sale on the US Mint's website. These are currently priced at $11.95.

First Spouse Bronze Medals

Last week, on May 5, 2011, the US Mint began sales of the Eliza Johnson Bronze Medal. The start of sales coincided with the release of the one-half ounce gold coins.

The bronze medals have a diameter of 1-5/16 inches and feature the same design as the gold coins, but with some inscriptions removed. The medals are struck to demand, although for previous First Spouse bronze medals, the US Mint has eventually concluded production and sales.

The Eliza Johnson Bronze Medal is priced at $7.95. This is up from the $5.50 price for the 2010 medals, and original $3.50 price for the 2007 to 2009 medals.

The 2011 First Spouse Bronze Medal Set, including all four of this year's medals will be released on December 1, 2011 and priced at $19.95.

Previously issued First Spouse Medals featuring Sarah Polk, Margaret Taylor, Abigail Fillmore, Jane Pierce, James Buchanan's Liberty, and Mary Todd Lincoln remain available for sale on the Mint's website priced at $5.50 each. The 2010 First Spouse Bronze Medal Set also remains available priced at $15.95.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set

Today, the United States Mint will release the Presidential Dollar Coin & First Spouse Medal Set featuring Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. This will be the second to last US Mint numismatic product release of the year.
Each set will include one uncirculated Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar and one Mary Todd Lincoln Bronze Medal mounted on a plastic card containing portraits of the President and First Lady. Based on the images used on the US Mint product page, the packaging style will be the old style used for previous issues of in the series.

The sets will be priced at $11.95 each, with no household ordering limits. A production limit has not been indicated. Orders will be accepting starting at 12:00 Noon ET.

Since this is a Lincoln related product, higher sales levels than other recent issues are expected. The Lincoln Presidential Dollar Rolls have already outsold the prior release for James Buchanan by more than 30%. Interesting to note, the production levels for Lincoln Dollars were also about 30% higher than the Buchanan issue.

It seems that the US Mint has anticipated the higher demand for Lincoln Presidential Dollars and related products and produced the coins and products in greater numbers. Thus the higher demand might be offset by the greater supply, possibly eliminating any "Lincoln premium".

James Buchanan Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Medal Set

On September 23, 2010, the US Mint will release the Presidential Dollar Coin and First Spouse Medal Set featuring James Buchanan.

The set will include one uncirculated 2010 James Buchanan Presidential Dollar and one Buchanan's Liberty Bronze Medal. The coin and medal are mounted on a plastic card illustrated with a portrait of James Buchanan on the front and issuance information on the back. The set is priced at $11.95 plus shipping and handling.

This particular set may see more collector interest than typical for the product type due to the inclusion of the Buchanan's Liberty medal. A reproduction of Christian Gobrecht's classic design for the Liberty Quarter Eagle is featured on the obverse.

The previously released Presidential $1 Coin and First Medal Set featuring Franklin and Jane Pierce debuted with sales of only 1,340 sets, although sales have since reached 5,139.

Buchanan's Liberty Gold Coin Sales

Sales figures for the James Buchanan's Liberty First Spouse Gold Coin have been closely watched by collectors. The coins had the strongest debut sales for the series since February 2008 and, due to a lower maximum mintage, have the reasonable likelihood for an eventual sell out.

The figures from the latest weekly period indicate sales of 607 proof coins and 562 uncirculated coins for a combined total of 1,169. Sales to date have now reached 8,568, representing 57.12% of the maximum mintage.

The Buchanan's Liberty Gold Coins now have a higher sales total than any of the other three currently available First Spouse Gold Coins, which have been available for sale for three to nine months longer.

In subsequent weeks, there may be a drop off in the pace of sales for the Buchanan's Liberty coins. Sales for US Mint products are typically the strongest in the opening weeks and the most recent week may reflect purchases accelerated to avoid the pricing increase. With 6,432 coins of the maximum mintage remaining available, a sell out may still be three to six months out.

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Franklin and Jane Pierce Presidential Dollar & First Spouse Medal Set

On June 24, 2010, the United States Mint will release the Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Medal Set for Franklin and Jane Pierce.

This will actually mark the first numismatic product release from the Mint following a three week gap. On June 3, the 2010 Proof Gold Buffalo and Jane Pierce First Spouse Gold Coins had been released. There have been no products released during the interim.

The Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Medal set will include one uncirculated (satin finish) Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollar and one Jane Pierce Bronze Medal. The coin and medal will be mounted on an illustrated plastic card with issuance information on the back. The sets are priced at $11.95 each.

Previous releases for this product type remain available for sale for John & Julia Tyler, James & Sarah Polk, Zachary & Margaret Taylor, and Millard & Abigail Fillmore. The last of this product type to sell out featured John & Letitia Tyler and sold 9,695 units.

In other US Mint related news, the Proof 2010 Boy Scouts Silver Dollars went on waiting list status before the weekend. This means that the US Mint has received enough orders to reach the maximum authorized mintage of 350,000 coins across proof and uncirculated options. Orders are still accepted for placement on a waiting list. These orders will be fulfilled on a FIFO basis for any coins available due to order cancellations.

Presidential Dollar Coin & First Spouse Medal Set - Millard & Abigail Fillmore

Today March 26, 2010, the United States Mint began sales of the Millard and Abigail Fillmore Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Medal Set.

This is the first release of the year for the product type, which includes an uncirculated Presidential Dollar and First Spouse Bronze Medal. The sets are priced at $11.95, up from last year's price of $8.95. The sets had been priced at just $7.95 each from 2007 to 2008.

The Millard Fillmore Dollar and Abigail Fillmore Medal are mounted on a durable plastic card. The front is illustrated with an image of the President and First Spouse and the back contains issuance information. These have been nicely presented, compact products to represent each Presidential couple, but the increased prices might have some collectors reconsidering whether it is still worth the price.

Sets from the prior year featuring John & Julia Tyler, James K. & Sarah Polk, and Zachary & Margaret Taylor remain available for sale at the Mint. These sets still remain priced at $8.95 each. The last available sales figures for the sets are 9,037 (Tyler), 8,549 (Polk), and 6,549 (Taylor).



Today, also marked the start of sales for the Women Airforce Service Pilots Bronze Medals. The 3 inch medals are priced at $42.00 and the 1-1/2 inch medals are priced at $6.00. Since I really like the design of this medal, I will be picking up one of the smaller sized ones.

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Margaret & Zachary Taylor Presidential Dollar Coin and Medal Set

The Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Medal Set featuring Zachary and Margaret Taylor will go on sale at the US Mint on December 17, 2009 at 12:00 Noon ET.

Each set will include one uncirculated (satin finish) Zachary Taylor Presidential Dollar coin and one Marget Taylor bronze medal. These will be held on a plastic card illustrated with portraits of the President and First Spouse on the front and issuance information on the back. The sets will be priced at $8.95 each. The US Mint product page can be found here.

Two previously released Presidential Dollar and First Spouse Medal Sets remain available for sale at the time of this post, the John and Julia Tyler Set and the James and Sarah Polk Set. These sets had recorded sales of 8,258 and 7,471 units, as December 13, 2009.

The Zachary & Marget Taylor Coin and Medal Set will represent one of the final 2009 product offerings from the US Mint as the year draws to a close. Only two more 2009-dated products are scheduled to be released. The Mint will release the Zachary Taylor Presidential Dollar Coin Cover on December 30, 2009 and the Northern Mariana Islands Quarter First Day Cover on January 12, 2010.

Presidential Dollar and First Spouse Medal Set - James K. Polk & Sarah Polk

The US Mint will release the Presidential Dollar and First Spouse Medal Set featuring James K. Polk and Sarah Polk this Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 12:00 Noon ET.

This will be the fourth such set released this year. Each set contains an uncirculated (satin finish) James K. Polk Presidential Dollar and a Sarah Polk Bronze Medal. Both are mounted on a plastic card which includes their portraits and information about the release.

The sets are priced at $8.95 each. The US Mint product page is already available here, although ordering options won't be available until the start of sales.

Two of the sets previously released this year featuring Letitia Tyler and Julia Tyler still remain on sale at the time of this post. So far, these sets have sold 9,498 and 4,718 units, respectively. The sold out set featuring Anna Harrison had sold 14,414 units.

Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Medal Set - John & Julia Tyler

The United States Mint will release the John & Julia Tyler Presidential Dollar & First Spouse Medal Set on August 25, 2009 at 12:00 Noon ET.

This set will include an uncirculated John Tyler Presidential Dollar and Julia Tyler First Spouse Bronze Medal mounted on a custom designed plastic card. The card includes portraits of the President and his spouse along with issuance information on the back of the card. The uncirculated Presidential Dollars included in previous sets have featured the "satin finish" used for Mint Set coins.

Each set is priced at $8.95 each. The US Mint has already posted the product page here, although ordering options won't be available until the start of sales.

A separate coin and medal set was previously issued for John Tyler's first spouse Letitia Tyler. This set actually became the source of an interesting packaging error. Some sets were shipped with Letitia Tyler medals included, but with Julia Tyler pictured on the plastic card.

When the Julia Tyler sets start shipping, collectors might want to double check that the proper Mrs. Tyler appears on the display card.

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John & Letitia Tyler Presidential Dollar and Medal Set Packaging Error

An interesting packaging error has surfaced for the John and Letitia Tyler Presidential Dollar and First Spouse Medal Set. Some sets have been identified with the Letitia Tyler Medal mounted on the Julia Tyler display card.

Because John Tyler had a first and second wife, the US Mint is issuing two separate Presidential Coin and First Spouse Medal Sets- one for each wife. The Letitia Tyler Set was released on July 14, 2009. The separate set for Julia Tyler has not yet been released by the US Mint and is currently scheduled for August 25, 2009.

The fact that the Julia Tyler Set has not been released further legitimizes the packaging error. After the release of the next set, one could argue that someone switched the medals to create the packaging error after the sets left the Mint. In reality, I believe this would be hard to accomplish without looking obvious, since each set is sealed in plastic cellophane and the coin and medal are securely mounted on the card.

After one of the packaging errors surfaced on eBay, an anonymous reader added a comment to the most recent Mint News Blog post to inform others about the mistake. This comment prompted several readers to more closely examine their own sets.

John Crosby, known as modern-coins on eBay, checked his shipment of 99 sets and located one example with the packaging error. The incorrectly packaged set that he identified is pictured at the top of this post. His sets were ordered on July 24 ,2009 and shipped by the United States Mint on July 30, 2009.

He plans to sell the packaging error set, but he is not certain when. There are currently three packaging error sets listed for auction on eBay with high starting bid prices. To date, no sets listed have reached the end of the auction or received a bid. Here's a link to the current listings for the packaging error.

This represents the second mix up by the United States Mint for First Spouses with the same last name. The Mint had previously created a mule error which combined the obverse of the Abigail Adams Medal with the reverse of the Louisa Adams Medal. These errors have been found within 2007 First Spouse 4 Medal Sets. The mule errors continue to sell for approximately $400 each.

Although the current Mint mistake falls into the category of packaging error, in all likelihood these sets will sell for premiums, especially if the number discovered remains low. If you ordered and received the John & Letitia Tyler Coin and Medal Set, be sure to check your sets for the packaging error!

John & Letitia Tyler Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Medal Set

The US Mint will offer the Presidential Dollar Coin and First Spouse Medal Set for John and Letitia Tyler starting on July 14, 2009 at 12:00 Noon ET.

Each set will contain one uncirculated 2009 John Tyler Presidential Dollar and one Letitia Tyler Bronze Medal. These will be mounted on a custom designed display card featuring images of the President and First Spouse. Issuance information is included on the back of the card. The sets will be priced at $8.95 with no household ordering limits.
The US Mint has already posted the product page, which can be found here.

John Tyler had a first and second wife while serving as President. A separate Coin and Medal Set will be released later this summer featuring the his second wife Julia Tyler.

The Presidential Dollar Coin and First Spouse Medal Sets have been an interesting product line to watch over the past few years. The sets were released amidst a conglomeration of other Presidential Dollar related products including the now canceled Historical Signature Sets and Individual Proof Coins, as well as the still offered annual Presidential Dollar Uncirculated Set and Proof Set.

The Coin and Medal Sets started showing up on more collector's radar screens after the set featuring Thomas Jefferson started consistently selling for over $200. Prices have settled since then, with the sets released in 2007 seeming to sell for around $50, and the sets released in 2008 selling for around double or more than the original offering price. Here are the current eBay auctions.

Jackson & Van Buren Presidential $1 Coin & Medal Sets Sold Out

As of yesterday, the Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Sets for Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren are sold out.

Each set contains one uncirculated Presidential Dollar and the corresponding First Spouse Bronze Medal. These are both placed on a custom plastic card featuring a portrait of the President. The sets were priced at $7.95 each.

Almost immediately after the coins were officially sold out, secondary market prices for the coins as seen on eBay lept incredibly higher. Completed auctions include Martin Van Buren Sets sold for $77.50 and $85.00. Current auctions show one listing with a high bid of over $100.

Here are the current eBay listings.

As I have mentioned before, the huge premiums paid for the Coin & Medal Set are essentially paid for the packaging option. All of the 2008 First Spouse Bronze Medals are still available for sale individually on the US Mint's website, priced at only $3.50 each. The 2008 Four Medal Set also remains available for $12.95.

Even though the sets moved into sold out status only yesterday, they may have effectively been unavailable for much longer. Under a prior post, a reader reported ordering the Martin Van Buren Presidential Coin & Medal Set in December 2008. After receiving three separate back order notices, the reader finally received an email stating that the coins were sold out.

About a week ago, I had also ordered one each of the Martin Van Buren and Jackson Sets, just to see if there was something that made the sets different than the individual medals or coins. Unfortunately, my order was also canceled after the sell out.

Harrison Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Medal Set

The Presidential Dollar and First Spouse Medal Set for William Henry Harrison and Anna Harrison will go on sale at the US Mint on April 7, 2009 at 12:00 Noon ET. Past releases for these interesting little sets have proved to be very popular.

Each set includes one 2009-P Uncirculated William Henry Harrison Presidential Dollar and one Anna Harrison First Spouse Bronze Medal. The coin and medal are placed on a custom designed card featuring portraits of the President and spouse. The sets are priced at $7.95 each.

The two coins included in the set are already (or will be) attainable through other US Mint products. The 2009 Uncirculated William Henry Harrison Dollar will be included in the 2009 Presidential $1 Coin Uncirculated Set which goes on sale later this week. It will also be included in the regular 2009 Mint Set, which should go on sale some time this summer.

The Anna Harrison First Spouse Bronze Medal is already available for sale individually, priced at $3.50. You can find this product on the US Mint's website here. The medal will also be included in the 2009 First Spouse Bronze Medal Set, which will include all five of the 2009 First Spouse Medals. This product is slated to go on sale in the winter.

Despite the separate options, many seem to prefer the distinctively packaged coin and medal set and have been willing to pay up for some of the previously sold out sets. I wrote previously about the First Spouse Bronze Medals outperforming the corresponding Gold Coins. Many seem to have taken note of this and started paying more attention to the medals. Recently, sold out products containing the medals still seem to be appreciating, but not as much as some of the earlier issues.

The US Mint still has the two prior coin and medal sets available for sale, which feature Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren.

Update: The product page for the Harrison Presidential Coin and First Spouse Medal is now posted here. The US Mint also appears to have raised the price of the set to $8.95, although a prior press release announced the price at $7.95.

John Quincy Adams Presidential Dollar & First Spouse Medal Set

Today September 3, 2008 at 12:00 Noon ET, the US Mint will begin offering the Presidential Dollar Coin & First Spouse Medal Set for John Quincy Adams. This will be the latest offering for this oddly popular product.

Each set contains an uncirculated John Quincy Adams Presidential Dollar and a Louisa Adams First Spouse Medal. Both are held in a custom plastic card. Each set is priced at $7.95 each.

The US Mint's product page can be found here, although ordering options won't be available until later today.

Last year's sold out Presidential Dollar Coin & First Spouse Medal Sets continue to sell for large premiums on the secondary market. This is despite the fact that the coin and medal contained in the sets can be obtained individually for just a few dollars.

I previously wrote a post about the high prices being paid for the Thomas Jefferson Set. Recently, the George Washington Set seems to have joined the Jefferson Set in premium price status. In the past month, the Washington Set has sold in two separate auctions for $87 and $177 dollars.

Here is a look at the current eBay auctions and completed eBay auctions for last year's sets.

In my opinion the 2008 sets most likely will not experience the same price appreciation as the 2007 sets. However, at the end of the day the Coin & Medal sets are nicely designed and affordable. It might make sense to add some to your collection.

James Monroe Presidential Dollar Coin & First Spouse Medal Set

The latest release for one of the US Mint's more intriguing products is about to go on sale. The Presidential Dollar Coin & First Spouse Medal Set for James Monroe will be released on August 6, 2008 at 12:00 Noon ET.

This set will contain one uncirculated 2008-P James Monroe Presidential Dollar and one Elizabeth Monroe Bronze Medal. Both will come on a custom designed plastic card. The sets will be priced at $7.95 each. The product page can be found here, although ordering options are not yet active.

Why is this product line so intriguing? Back in June, I noticed that some of the 2007 issues were selling for incredible premiums on eBay. In particular, the Thomas Jefferson Set was consistently selling for over $200. This was quite a jump for a product originally priced at $7.95 which contains a medal available for sale separately at $3.50 and an uncirculated coin not difficult to obtain for around face value.

Prices seem to have come down a bit, but the sets are still selling for $20 to $40 each. There have not been any recent auctions for (I suppose) the key Thomas Jefferson Set.

Here are the current eBay listings for the sets.

Here are the completed listings for the sets.

Will this year's Presidential Dollar & First Spouse Medal Sets experience similar price increases after a sell out? In my opinion, the answer is no. The prices for last year's sets probably got the attention of many collectors who will place bigger orders this time around. Also the set is still essentially an easily obtained coin and medal in custom packaging.

Presidential Dollar Coin & First Spouse Medal Set XP1 Worth $200?

One of the Presidential Dollar related products issued by the US Mint last year is making quite a stir on the secondary market, but I am not sure why.

It's the Thomas Jefferson Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Medal Set, US Mint Product Code XP1. The sets have been consistently selling for over $200 on eBay only a few months after selling out at the Mint for $7.95 per set.

Here are the current listings for the set.

Here are the completed listings for the set.

This set was issued along with three other sets, for each the other three 2007 Presidential Dollars. Each set contains an uncirculated Presidential Dollar and a bronze medal for that President's Spouse. The sets went on sale at the Mint on December 3, 2007 and were priced at $7.95 per set.

Here are the final sales figures for the sets provided by Numismaster:

2007 Washington $1 and Spouse Medal Set	16,736
2007 Adams $1 and Spouse Medal Set	15,496
2007 Jefferson $1 and Spouse Medal Set	15,853
2007 Madison $1 and Spouse Medal Set	15,690

Why are the Thomas Jefferson Sets selling for so much?

I have not been able to find an explanation for the huge premiums being paid. The Thomas Jefferson set sold roughly the same number of sets as the other three Presidents, which sell for a more reasonable $10-$20 each on eBay.

The sets appear to contain coins which can be easily (and much more cheaply) acquired elsewhere. The uncirculated Presidential Dollars can be obtained from many sources for close to face value. The First Spouse bronze medals can still be purchased individually from the US Mint for $3.50 each.

Is this premium being paid basically just for the packaging of a unique set surrounding common coins? If so, why only the Thomas Jefferson Sets? Is there something else unique or special about the set that I am missing?