The 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar went on sale at the US Mint on March 26, 2009. After two weeks, combined sales have already exceeded 70,000 coins.
The Louis Braille Commemorative has a maximum authorized mintage of 400,000 across all product options. The number of coins sold now represents 17.6% of the maximum. The breakdown of sales as published on Numismaster appears below.
| 2009 Louis Braille Commemorative Sales | |
| Proof | 42,107 |
| Uncricualted | 19,556 |
| Uncirculated (Easy Open Capsule) | 8,611 |
| Total | 70,274 |
On interesting thing to note is the high percentage of the uncirculated version of the coin that have been sold. The uncirculated version makes up 40% of sales to date. By comparison, the uncirculated version of the 2009 Lincoln Commemorative makes up only 25% of teh overall mintage.
A big contributing factor to the higher percentage of uncirculated version sales is the Easy Open Capsule ordering option. The US Mint created this option for those who wish to feel the tactile features of the coin. The reverse of the coin includes the first readable Braille on a United States coin.
Later in the year, the US Mint plans to release a special set limited to 25,000 coins which will also include the uncirculated version of the coin. This special set was mentioned in a March press release, but I have not yet seen any further details on this set.
The Louis Braille Silver Dollars are still available for sale at their introductory prices of $31.95 for either uncirculated version and $37.95 for the proof version. After April 27, 2009, the prices will be increased to $33.95 for the uncirculated coins and $41.95 for the proofs.
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