Welcome back to Something About Coins! Collectors and investors might have felt a little disappointed recently, since demand for certain coins has depleted the U.S. Mint's inventory. Below are summaries of U.S. Mint news and more.
It happened. The U.S. Mint stopped selling Platinum Eagle Proof coins. CoinNews.net reported that the Mint is only accepting names on a waiting list at this time, in case any previous orders are canceled. The article said over 7,200 were sold in the first few days, compared to the 4,769 sold last year. This year the mintage limit was 8,000 and it was reached in just over a week.
SilverCoinsToday.com reported the U.S. Mint sold 1M Silver Eagles in a day to authorized dealers last Monday, which pushed total sales for the year over 27 million. The old record was broken, as this new total is the all-time high. On another note, the article also said that the order deadline for the Braille commemorative coins and Education Set is Friday, Dec. 11.
Last week the U.S. Mint ended 2009 Buffalo bullion sales, so only Buffalo proofs are still in production, an article on WorldMintCoins.com read. The bullion inventory for authorized purchasers was depleted, and it is unknown how much longer the Mint will sell the proof version. 200,000 of the bullion buffalos sold since October, which beat the 172,000 sales in 2008 and the 167,500 in 2007.
CoinLink.com posted an article describing the Sunnywood Toned Morgan Collection and its recent sale. It said Legend Numismatics sold the entire collection intact to one collector. The collection was described as "attractive, original color, at least on the obverse." It had been featured in the PCGS Set Registry and displayed at the January 2009 FUN Show, the Long Beach Expos in February and May 2009, and in numismatic publications advertisements. The article included input from Legend and the seller.
Numismatic News explored the true number of 1825-1835 U.S. half cents in an online article today. It provided an inside look at the U.S. Mint's correspondence between Mint Director Dr. Samuel Moore and half cent planchet supplier Matthew Robinson Boulton of Britain. U.S. demand for the half cent was low, so the planchet supply that was delivered in 1826 wasn't depleted until 1828, and then the director ordered more. This article explained the production numbers, mintage record errors, common dies and tested dies, and other problems in the records for anyone researching the Mint's production history.
It's fun to read articles about gold coins dropped in Salvation Army kettles this time of year, but I haven't linked to a single one. That's because there are new ones across America every day. I'm very glad people are giving to the Salvation Army.
Have a good day!
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