Survey Results: 2010 US Mint Products and Potential Offerings

The series of posts covering the results of a year end survey for Mint News Blog readers will continue with this post. The fourth and fifth questions were in relation to the US Mint's upcoming products for 2010 and a more general question about products that readers would like to see the US Mint offer in the future.

Of the products listed on the current US Mint 2010 scheduled product listing, what are you looking forward to most?

Other	38.36%
Boy Scouts of America Silver dollar	16.95%
American Veterans Disabled for Life Silver Dollar	13.22%
2010 Proof Platinum Eagle	12.56%
James Buchanan's Liberty $10 Gold	10.92%
Mary Todd Lincoln $10 Gold	8.19%

The reaction to the question was widely mixed. The majority of readers chose "Other" with 38.36% of the vote. This was followed by the Boy Scouts of America Centennial Silver Dollar at 16.95%, with the remaining options dividing the rest of the vote.

For readers who had selected "Other," there was an opportunity to provide a separate written response. Of the responses provided for the "Other" category, 25% simply indicated "none" or "none of the above." This was closely followed by 23% who indicated the Proof or Unicrculated 2010 Silver Eagle. These products currently are not listed on the US Mint's 2010 schedule, as their production will remain contingent on the ability of the Mint to satisfy "full demand" for bullion coins.

More responses from the "Other" category in order of frequency included: America the Beautiful Quarters, 2009 Lincoln Presidential Dollar products, one or more of the US Mint's annual sets, America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins, 2010 Gold Buffalo Proof coins, 2010 Lincoln Cent products, and Proof 2010 Gold Eagles. Again, several of these responses indicate products that are not currently included on the product schedule.

Not including collectible Gold and Silver Eagles, what product would you most like to see the US Mint offer in 2010 or the future?

Limited mintage sets including special strike or mint marked coins	35.44%
Fractional Gold Buffalo coins	26.11%
Rolls and bags of other circulating coins (cents, nickels, dimes)	15.64%
Coins struck in palladium or other new composition	15.49%
Other	7.32%

The most popular response was "limited mintage sets including special strike or mint marked coins" with 35.44% of the vote. Past offerings of this nature have been very popular with collectors and proved to be secondary market winners. In 2006 the US Mint issued 20th Anniversary Sets for the Gold and Silver Eagle, which included reverse proof coins. During the 1990's, there were several sets issued with matte proof versions of circulating coins such as the 1998 Robert F. Kennedy Set with the 1998-S matte proof Kennedy Half.

A very interesting idea for a special set that the US Mint could develop for 2010 was mentioned by a reader "Former Boy Scout" in a comment to a previous post. A set could be developed featuring the Boy Scouts Silver Dollar Commemorative together with a special 2010 Kennedy Half Dollar (with a special finish or W mintmark). The set would be fitting and meaningful since John F. Kennedy was the first U.S. President to be a former Boy Scout.

The next most popular response was Fractional Gold Buffalo coins with 26.11% of the vote. These coins were issued for only one year in 2008 before being discontinued.

Rolls and bags of circulating coins and coins struck in palladium or a new composition received approximately 15% of the vote each.

Some of the responses entered by readers who selected "Other" presented some very interesting ideas for potential products. These included:

- True silver proof set with all silver coins, penny through dollar. (Although the US Mint issues a silver proof set, the majority of coins currently have non-silver compositions.)

- Bimetallic coins. (The only US Mint bi-metallic coin was the 2000-W Library of Congress $10 Coin, which consisted of platinum with an outer ring of gold.)

- Legacy or Prestige Proof Sets. (The US Mint issued Prestige Proof Sets from 1986 to 1997 and American Legacy Collections from 2005 to 2008. These sets included the coins of the annual Proof Set plus one or more commemorative coins.)

- Coins using classic designs. Some mentioned included the Morgan Dollar, Liberty Head Double Eagle, Bust, Seated, and Flowing Hair designs.

- Classic designs re-imagined by skilled contemporary artists.

- More reverse proof coins.

Other posts covering survey results:
Favorite 2009 US Mint Product and Biggest Disappointment
Mint News Blog Readers Reflect on 2009