US Mint Product Schedule Through Year-End

The year is winding down and only ten US Mint numismatic products remain scheduled for release through the end of the year. With no products scheduled to be released during the next month, the final month and a half of the year will be packed with new products. Among them are eagerly awaited items like the 2010 Proof Silver Eagle, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollars, and Mary Todd Lincoln First Spouse Gold Coins.

Here's how the schedule looks for the rest of the year:

11/15/2010 - Mount Hood Quarter Bags and Rolls
11/17/2010 - Hot Springs Quarter Three Coin Set
11/18/2010 - Abraham Lincoln Dollar Rolls
11/19/2010 - 2010 Proof Silver Eagle
11/19/2010 - 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Circulating Coin Set
11/23/2010 - 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Coin Set
12/02/2010 - Mary Todd Lincoln First Spouse Gold Coins and Bronze Medal
12/02/2010 - 2010 First Spouse Bronze Medal 4 Medal Set
12/23/2010 - Abraham Lincoln $1 Coin and Mary Todd Lincoln Medal Set
12/30/2010 - Abraham Lincoln $1 Coin Cover

The releases for the numismatic products containing Mount Hood National Park Quarters and Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollars will coincide with the circulation release dates for each coin, on November 15 and 18. For the quarters, the US Mint would offer two roll sets or 100-coin bags from the Philadelphia or Denver Mints. The Lincoln Dollars would be available in 25-coin rolls from either Mint.

On November 19, possibly the most anticipated product of the year will be released, the 2010 Proof Silver Eagle. The US Mint has recently posted images of the coin, which appear above, and the product page, which can be found here. There hasn't been any new significant information available since my last post, which included the pricing of $45.95 per coin and household ordering limit of 100. The product page does state that the ordering limit will be in effect for the first week of release, after which it will be re-evaluated and extended, adjusted, or removed. I expect nothing less than a frenzied opening for this long awaited product.

On November 17, 19, and 21, the US Mint will release three new product types for America the Beautiful Quarters. Images of the packaging haven't been provided yet. Each of these products contain quarters released through other products, remixed into different arrangements. Perhaps the most useful of the products is the circulating coin set, which will include circulation strike P and D-mint coins for each of this year's releases. Within existing US Mint products, these are only available through more costly bags and rolls, and the coins have been challenging to find through the channels of circulation.

The Mary Todd Lincoln First Spouse Gold Coin will be released on December 2, 2010. The overall series has recently gotten more attention, following the release of the James Buchanan's Liberty Gold Coin. As of the last available sales report, this coin has sold nearly 10,000 out of the 15,000 maximum mintage. The US Mint is apparently expecting even greater demand for the Mary Todd Lincoln coin, as they have set the maximum mintage at 20,000.

Rounding out the numismatic offerings will be the 2010 First Spouse Bronze Medal Four Medal Set on December 2, the Presidential $1 Coin and First Spouse Medal Set featuring Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln on December 23, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential $1 Coin Cover on December 31. The latter two products should see some increased interest, as is generally the case for numismatic products featuring Lincoln.

Beyond numismatic products, the America the Beautiful 5 ounce Silver Bullion Coins will also be released before the end of the year. The United States Mint has reportedly begun striking the coins, although a release date and the premium level charged to authorized purchasers has still not been revealed. The US Mint plans production of 100,000 of each of the designs, which might prove a small number in comparison to demand.

The bullion coins are being struck in 5 ounces of .999 fine silver and have a diameter of 3 inches and thickness of approximately 0.16 inches. This compares to a diameter of 1.598 inches and thickness of 0.117 inches for the one ounce American Silver Eagle.

For shipment to authorized purchasers, the America the Beautiful silver bullion coins will come in plastic tubes containing 10 coins, with ten tubes packaged into a sealed plastic shipping container. This makes for 50 ounces of silver content per roll and 500 ounces per box. For comparison, Silver Eagles are packaged in rolls of 20 coins, with 25 rolls contained in a so-called Silver Eagle Monster Box, also yielding a bullion weight of 500 ounces per box.

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