Andrew Johnson Presidential Dollar Rolls

Today February 23, 2011 at 12:00 Noon ET, the United States Mint will begin sales of the Andrew Johnson Presidential Dollar Rolls. This will represents the 17th issue in the ongoing Presidential Dollars series.

The Andrew Johnson Dollars were already released into circulation on February 17. This represents a change from the typical procedure, whereby the US Mint has coordinated the release date for numismatic rolls with the official circulation release date.

The obverse of the coin features a portrait of Andrew Johnson designed and sculpted by Don Everhart. The inscriptions include "Andrew Johnson", "In God We Trust", "17th President", and "1865-1869". On a reverse is an image of the Statue of Liberty also designed by Everhart with the inscriptions "United States of America" and "$1". Incused edge lettering includes the date, mint mark, and "E Pluribus Unum".

Rolls offered by the Mint will contain 25 coins from either the Philadelphia or Denver Mint. The design of the wrapper has changed from previous releases, following the US Mint's newly adopted branding.

The rolls are priced at $39.95 each, which represents a $4 increase from last year's releases. Prices have been increased for nearly all 2011 numismatic products.

Sales of the US Mint's Presidential Dollar Rolls have been in a general downtrend for the past several years, with the notable exception of the release featuring Abraham Lincoln. It seems fairly likely that the downtrend will resume with the release of the Andrew Johnson Presidential Dollar rolls.

The series seems to be continuing to experience some collector attrition, the price increase may serve as an additional deterrent, and some collectors might be willing to wait and see if this issue is eventually added to the Direct Ship Program. The US Mint recently made all of the 2010 releases available through the program, which allows the coins to be purchased in quantities of $250 at face value. The Millard Fillmore Direct Ship Dollars are already shown as no longer available.

Coin Update News: US Mint Sales Report

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2011 Presidential Dollar Proof Set

The United States Mint will begin sales of the 2011 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 12:00 Noon ET.
Each set includes proof versions of the 2011 Presidential Dollars featuring Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, and James Garfield. All of these coins were previously released in January within the full 2011 Proof Set, as well as the 2011 Silver Proof Set.

The coins are housed in a single plastic lens within an outer cardboard box featuring the US Mint's new branding. The four coin sets are priced at $19.95 each, which represents a $4 increase from the cost of last year's set.

In previous years, the Presidential Dollar Proof Sets have been released many months prior to the full annual proof sets. This was likely done purposely to provide an incentive to buy the separate component sets-- coins could be acquired much earlier in the year. Without this incentive and with the difficult to justify $4 price increase, it seems likely that sales of the 2011 Presidential Dollar Proof Set will be way down from last year.

The 2010 Presidential Dollar Proof Set had sold 224,426 units within the first three days of availability. The most recent figures indicate that sales have reached 519,553. Will this year's set manage to reach even half these levels?

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Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln Dollars Added to Direct Ship Program

The US Mint has just added all four 2010 Presidential Dollars to the Circulating $1 Coin Direct Ship Program.

Accordingly, rolls of the Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollars can be obtained directly from the Mint at face value.
The Direct Ship Program was created as a means to proactively comply with the requirement of Public Law 109-145 to remove barriers and improve circulation of the $1 coin. Under the program, businesses or individuals are able order quantities of $250 worth of dollar coins directly from the Mint at face value with no charge for shipping. The purpose of the program is to compliment the existing Federal Reserve Banks distribution system by allowing the public to order smaller quantities of coins directly, so the $1 coins can more easily introduced into circulation.

In order to prevent abuses of the program, customers are required to agree that they will comply with the intended purpose of the program and not immediately deposit the $1 coins at a bank. Also, a 4-box ($1,000 face value) limit for every 10 day period is imposed.

In the last fiscal year, the US Mint distributed $90.7 million of the $1 coins through the Direct Ship Program. This accounted for 21.9% of all $1 coin shipments for the year.

Based on reports from readers and personal experience, the Presidential Dollars obtained from the Direct Ship Program are of similar or identical quality to those obtained through the US Mint's premium priced numismatic rolls.

The US Mint currently offers numismatic rolls of Presidential Dollars for Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, and Lincoln at a price of $35.95 for each 25-coin roll. Effective for the 2011 releases, the cost of each 25-coin roll will be $39.95.

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Abraham Lincoln Presidential $1 Coin Cover

The US Mint will release the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar Coin Cover on December 30, 2010 at 12:00 Noon ET. This will represent the final numismatic product release of the year.

The product will follow the same format as the previous releases of the American Presidency $1 Coin Cover series. Two 2010 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollars from the first day of mintage at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints will be mounted on an illustrated display card. The 44-cent Flag postage stamp is canceled with the postmark "November 18, 2010, Springfield, IL" representing the official circulation release date.

The sets are priced at $15.95 each and carry a maximum production limit of 37,000. This is 5,000 units greater than the limit set for the other 2010 releases, in anticipation of higher demand for the Lincoln set.

Back when the American Presidency $1 Coin Cover series began in 2007, the production limits were set at 50,000 units and sell outs were achieved for at least the first three releases. Since that time, sales have softened, and the US Mint has dropped the product limits.

So far, the 2010 releases have sold 21,653 (Millard Fillmore), 19,808 (Franklin Pierce), and 17,908 (James Buchanan). It's almost certain that the Abraham Lincoln cover will see higher sales, but a sell out might be difficult to achieve.

Last Opportunity Products

On December 30, 2010 at 3:00 PM ET, the US Mint will conclude sales for three prior year products.

Sales will end for the 2009 District of Columbia & U.S. Territories Quarters Proof Set, which originally went on sale nearly two years ago. To date, sales have reached 635,423. The sets are available at the original price of $14.95 for the six coin set.

The presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Sets for James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor will also conclude. Each of these sets is priced at $8.95. Last reported sales for the sets are 9,889 (Polk) and 8,746 (Taylor), however the US Mint has not provided updated numbers for these products in several weeks.

Coin Update News: Latest US Mint Sales Report

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2011 Presidential Dollars Images and Release Dates

The line art images and release dates for the 2011 Presidential Dollars are now available from the United States Mint. Next year's coins will feature the former Presidents Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, and James A. Garfield.

This will represent the fifth year and nearly the half-way point for the series. Under the current law, Presidential Dollars are issued for any former President who has been deceased for at least two years. The series continues until all eligible Presidents have been honored.

The legislative requirement that each design of the series must be available through the Federal Reserve System has kept mintages for each release relatively high, despite a growing stockpile of coins within Treasury vaults.

Many collectors report being able to acquire rolls of each new issue from their bank at face value. The Federal Reserve provides banks and financial institutions with a special ordering period surrounding the circulation release date during which unmixed quantities of newly issued coins can be ordered. Such procedures are not in place for the America the Beautiful Quarters.

The obverse design and release date for each of the 2011 Presidential Dollars appears below. The reverse of each coin features the image of the Statue of Liberty designed and sculpted by Don Everhart that has been used for each release of the series.



Andrew Johnson Presidential Dollar
Designed and sculpted by Don Everhart
Release Date: February 17, 2011


Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Dollar
Designed and sculpted by Don Everhart
Release Date: May 19, 2011


Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Dollar
Designed and sculpted by Don Everhart
Release Date: August 18, 2011


James Garfield Presidential Dollar
Designed and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill
Release Date: November 17, 2011

Hopefully, this will be the last Mint News Blog post until next week, so I can spend some time with my family. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to readers and their families! Thank you for your readership and comments throughout the year.

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Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar Rolls

The US Mint will begin sales of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar numismatic rolls today November 18, 2010 at 12:00 Noon ET. Featuring one of the most well known Presidents, the current release should attract more attention than this year's earlier releases.
The obverse of the Abraham Lincoln Dollar features his portrait as designed and sculpted by Don Everhart. Surrounding inscriptions indicate "Abraham Lincoln", "In God We Trust", "16th President", and "1861-1865". The reverse of the coin, also designed and sculpted by Everhart, features an image of the Statue of Liberty common to all issues of the series. Inscriptions include "United States of America" and the denomination "$1". The edge of the coin includes the motto "E Pluribus Unum", the date, and the mint mark.

The US Mint is offering 25-coin rolls of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar from either the Philadelphia or Denver mint. Coins are packaged in specially designed wrappers featuring the US Mint logo, President's name, mint of origin, and face value of the contents. Each roll is priced at $35.95 plus shipping and handling.

Numismatic products featuring Lincoln have typically been strong sellers for the US Mint. Last year, the 2009 Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Silver Dollars and Lincoln Coin and Chronicles Set were quick sell outs. The 2009 "Birthplace" Lincoln Cent Two Rolls Set was an unexpected quick sell out, despite the high premium to face value.

This year's Lincoln products include the following:

2010 "Preservation of the Union" Lincoln Cent Two Roll Set
2010 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar Rolls
2010 Mary Todd Lincoln First Spouse Gold Coins
2010 Mary Todd Lincoln First Spouse Bronze Medal
2010 Lincoln Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set
2010 Abraham Lincoln Presidential $1 Coin Cover

Of these products, only two will contain stated product limits, while the remaining products are unspecified or open ended. The Mary Todd Lincoln First Spouse Gold Coins have a limit of 20,000 across both options. The 2010 Abraham Lincoln Presidential $1 Coin Cover would also have a limit, although it has not been specified yet. Other releases of the series for this year have been limited to 32,000 units.

Tomorrow, November 19, 2010 at 10:00 AM ET, the official launch ceremony for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar will be held. This will coincide with the 147th anniversary of the delivery of the Gettysburg Address. The ceremony will take place at President Lincoln's cottage on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C.

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James Buchanan $1 Coin Cover

Today September 30, 2010 at 12:00 Noon ET, the US Mint will release the James Buchanan Presidential Dollar Coin Cover. This will represent the fifteenth release for the American Presidency $1 Coin Cover series.

The cover incorporates two 2010 James Buchanan Presidential Dollars from the first day of mintage at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. The coins are mounted on an illustrated display card with a 44-cent postage stamp. The postmark on the cover is "August 19, 2010, Lancaster, PA", which coincides with the official circulation release date of the coins.

The covers are priced at $15.95 each plus shipping and handling. A product limit has been established at 32,000 covers.

The Presidential Dollar First Day Coin Covers have experienced a gradual decline in orders as the series moved forward. The first release featuring George Washington had sold out of the entire 50,000 maximum production. As sales have declined, the production limit was adjusted lower for subsequent issues.

Previous releases from William Harrison (9th) to Franklin Pierce (14th) remain available for sale on the US Mint's website.

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Tyler, Polk, and Taylor Added to Direct Ship Program

Today, the United States Mint added some new options to the Direct Ship Program. Three out of the four releases for the 2009 Presidential Dollars featuring John Tyler, James K. Polk, and Zachary Taylor are now available.

The Direct Ship Program allows individuals or businesses to order $1 coins in quantities of $250 at face value with no charges for shipping and handling. The purpose of the program is to facilitate the introduction of the coins into circulation. Some coin collectors have ordered boxes of $1 coins through the program to search the coins for errors or high grade examples and then spend the rest into circulation.

The last time the US Mint added new options to the Direct Ship Program was in early January, when 2010 Native American Dollars and 2001 Sacagawea Dollars were added. Both of these options still remain available along with Presidential Dollars for George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Andrew Jackson. With today's addition of John Tyler, James K. Polk, and Zachary Taylor, there are now ten different design options available through the program.

On a related note, I wrote an article about $1 coins that was published today in the Washington Post. Many others have written about the lack of public adoption and the growing stockpile at the Federal Reserve Banks. In my article, I explore exactly why the Federal Reserve Banks are forced to order the coins, which in turn compels the US Mint to produce them in such unnecessarily high numbers, and also the odd fact that production of $1 coins accounted for more than 60% of the US Mint's profit last year.

Here's the article: Why does the Mint keep pumping out $1 coins when few are buying in?

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James Buchanan Presidential Dollar Rolls

Sales of the James Buchanan Presidential Dollar Rolls will begin at the United States Mint on August 19, 2010 at 12:00 Noon ET.

This will represent the fifteenth release in the ongoing series of Presidential Dollars. The obverse of the coin features a portrait of James Buchanan designed by Phebe Hemphill. Inscriptions include "James Buchanan", "In God We Trust", "15th Presidency", and "1857-1861". The reverse of the coin features a rendition of the Statue of Liberty designed by Don Everhart with inscriptions "United States of America" and "$1". The motto "E Pluribus Unum" along with the date and mint mark appear on the edge lettering of the coin.

The United States Mint will offer 25-coin rolls from either the Philadelphia or Denver Mint. The circulation quality coins are packaged in US Mint branded wrappers which indicate the issue, face value, and mint of origin. The rolls are priced at $35.95 each.

The final mintage of the James Buchanan Dollar is already known, despite the fact that the coins have not yet been released. The US Mint has indicated final coin production of 36,820,000 coins at the Philadelphia Mint and 36,540,000 coins at the Denver Mint. This combined mintage of 72,360,000 represents the lowest mintage for a Presidential Dollar to date.

Presidential Dollar rolls for the last four consecutive releases still remain available for sale at the US Mint. The latest available sales figures indicate the James K. Polk Rolls have sold 41,036 (P) and 39,511 (D), the Zachary Taylor Rolls have sold 38,421 (P) and 36,739 (D), the Millard Fillmore rolls have sold 36,228 (P) and 34,760 (D), and the Franklin Pierce rolls have sold 31,570 (P) and 31,348 (D).

Coin Update News: 2011 First Spouse Gold Coin Designs

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Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollar Coin Cover

Today July 1, 2010 at 12:00 Noon ET, the United States Mint will release the Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollar Coin Cover. This will be the second release of the year and the fourteenth release overall for the American Presidency $1 Coin Cover series.

The cover will include two Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollars from the first day of mintage at the Philadelphia and Denver Mint facilities. These will be mounted on a display card within an illustrated envelope. The 44-cent Flag postage stamp is postmarked May 20, 2010, Hillsborough, NH, representing the circulation release date for the coins.

The Franklin Pierce Coin Covers are limited to production of 32,000 and priced at $15.95 each.

While it may partially be the impact of the slower summer months, I have been noticing that the US Mint's subsidiary-type products have been experiencing sharp sales declines.

The most recent example is for the Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Sets. The set featuring Franklin and Jane Pierce sold only 1,340 units in the opening sales period. This compares to initial sales of 2,362 for the previous set featuring Millard and Abigail Fillmore. The second previous set featuring Zachary and Margaret Taylor had debuted with sales of 2,702.

The two most recent Presidential $1 Coin Covers had recorded initial sales of 17,833 for the Millard Fillmore cover released on April 2, 2010 and 18,705 for the Zachary Taylor cover released December 30, 2010. It will be interesting to see how much of a decline is experienced for the Franklin Pierce cover. Dropping sales are likely an indication that some US Mint customers are getting bored of the current product line up or dismayed by this year's higher pricing.

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Changes to US Mint's Direct Ship Program

A few weeks ago, the US Mint made some changes to their Direct Ship Program. This program has been tweaked many times as the Mint seemingly tries to preserve the utility of the program, while limiting the potential for abuses.

The Direct Ship Program was introduced in June 2008 as a way for businesses and individuals to obtain circulating dollar coins directly from the US Mint. The purpose of the program was to remove barriers and improve circulation of the dollar coin. In the most recent fiscal year, the US Mint reported distributing an astounding $85.2 million worth of coins through the program, representing 18.6% of the total dollar coin shipments.

Abuses of the product came to light in late 2009, when some mainstream publications ran stories about frequent fliers who were using the program to earn miles and other rewards on their credit cards. These individuals would order thousands of dollars worth of coins with their credit cards and then immediately deposit the coins into a bank account. The purchase and deposit would net to zero, as rewards and miles accrued.

The US Mint responded by cutting off some of the known offenders and adding bold messages to their product pages explaining the intended purpose of the program. Further, a message was added that: By clicking “Add to Cart” I agree that I understand, and will comply with, the intended purpose of the Program.

An article in the LA Times had also stated that purchases through the program would be coded as cash advances, so as not to earn rewards. However, I have subsequently confirmed that this is not correct. Orders are treated as regular credit card purchases.

The most recent change to the program has been to restrict orders based on time period, rather than cumulatively. A 4-box limit ($1,000 face value) now applies for every 10-day period across any and all Direct Ship orders. Before the change, the cumulative limits of 50 boxes of Native American Dollars and 2 boxes of Presidential Dollars were in place. Exemptions could be requested under both the old and new limits.

The US Mint currently has available 2001 Sacagawea Dollars; 2010 Native American Dollars; 2007 Presidential Dollars for George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison; and 2008 Presidential Dollars for Andrew Jackson.

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Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollar Rolls

The US Mint will begin sales of the Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollar Rolls later this week on May 20, 2010 at 12:00 Noon ET. This will represent the second release of the year for the series.

Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and served from 1853 to 1857. The obverse of the coin features his portrait with inscriptions indicating his name, "In God We Trust", "14th President", and "1853-1857". The obverse was designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Charles Vickers. The reverse features the image of the Statue of Liberty designed by Don Everhart used for all coins of the series. The date, mint mark, and "E Pluribus Unum" appear on the edge of the coin.

Similar to other recent Presidential Dollar releases, the US Mint will offer 25-coin rolls from either the Philadelphia or Denver Mint. The coins are wrapped in US Mint branded wrappers which indicate the President, mint of origin, and face value of the contents. The rolls are priced at $35.95 each.

In a post from last week, a reader reported already receiving rolls of Franklin Pierce Dollars from the bank, even though the public release date for the coins is May 20, 2010. There have also been several rolls listed for sale on eBay described as "in hand."

Presidential Dollars are the only series that banks currently have the ability to order from the Federal Reserve in unmixed quantities as new coins are released. A special ordering period extends three weeks before the public release date and two weeks after. Officially, the banks are not authorized to release the coins to the public until the release date, but some are either unaware or disregard this condition.

On May 20, 2010 at 10:00 AM ET, the US Mint will also be hosting a launch ceremony for the Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollar. This will take place on the grounds of Pierce Manse located at 14 Horseshoe Pond Lane, Concord, NH. A coin exchange will be available after the ceremony.

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2010 Presidential Dollar Uncirculated Set

The United States Mint will begin sales of the 2010 Presidential Dollar Uncirculated Coin Set on April 13, 2010 at 12:00 Noon ET. This set will likely be a popular seller since it will include the first released 2010 P& D Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollars.

Each set will include the 2010 Presidential Dollars featuring Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln from the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. The eight coins will be presented in an illustrated folder with biographical sketches and quotes for each president.

Even though the US mint product page makes no mention, it seems reasonable to expect that the coins included in the set will feature the satin finish, which has been used for coins included in US Mint issued Uncirculated Coin Sets since 2005. The Mint has previously confirmed that they will continue to use the finish in 2010, despite rumors to the contrary. Also, I have just received the Millard and Abigail Fillmore Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set and can confirm that the Millard Fillmore Dollar has the satin finish.

The 2010 Presidential Dollar Uncirculated Sets are priced at $18.95 each, which represents a $3.00 price increase compared to last year's set. There are no household ordering limits.

The previously released 2010 Presidential Dollar Proof Set, which marked the first release of the 2010 Proof Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar, debuted with sales nearly three times the level seen for the prior year set. I expect that the 2010 Presidential Dollar Uncircualted Set will see a similar strong opening.

Later in the year, the eight coins featured in this set will also be included in the 2010 Uncirculated Mint Set. This set presents a better relative value, priced at $31.95 for 28 coins, but there will likely be many collectors willing to buy the separate set to get the 2010 Presidential Dollars earlier.

On a separate note, the first coin image for one of the America the Beautiful Quarters is finally available. Until now, the US Mint had only provided the line art images of each coin, even at the special unveiling ceremony held last month. Here's a look at the Hot Springs Quarter:

Today on Coin Update News: 2009 Gold Eagle Final Mintage

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Millard Fillmore Presidential Dollar Coin Cover and Other Updates

Today April 2, 2010, the US Mint released the Millard Fillmore Presidential Dollar Coin Cover. This represents the thirteenth release for the American Presidency $1 Coin Cover series.

Each cover includes 2010-P & D Millard Fillmore Dollars from the first day of production at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. The coins are mounted on a display card placed within an illustrated envelope. The envelope has a 44-cent Flag postage stamp with a special cancellation and postmark of February 18, 2010, East Aurora, NY. This was the first day the Millard Fillmore Dollar was released into circulation.

The covers are priced at $15.95 each. This represents a $1.00 increase from the price level for previous covers in the series. The US Mint has raised prices for a large number of products this year.

The maximum production for the Millard Fillmore Dollar Coin Covers has been set at 32,000. This is a 20% reduction from the limit of 40,000 used for last year's covers. The covers released during 2007 carried maximum production limits of 50,000.

US Mint Product Schedule Updates

The US Mint has provided specific release dates for a number of upcoming products. This includes the 2010 Lincoln Cent Two Roll Set, which will be released on April 8, 2010. This set had been expected at the end of March. Pricing and release details are still unknown. The comparable 2009 Lincoln Cent Two Roll Sets were priced at $8.95 each. The sets for the Professional Life and Presidency designs still remain on sale.

In the month of May, the US Mint will release the 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set on May 13 and the Quarters Silver Proof Set on May 27. These sets will be priced at $14.95 for the regular clad set and $32.95 for the silver set.

On May 20, 2010, the Franklin Pierce Presidential Dollar Rolls will be available. This corresponds with the circulation release date for the 14th coin in the Presidential Dollar coin series.

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Presidential Dollar Products No Longer Available

Sales recently ended for a few of the US Mint's Presidential Dollar products. This includes last year's annual Proof Set and the bags and rolls for the James Monroe Dollars.

The 2009 Presidential Dollar Proof Set is no longer available. This set first went on sale February 10, 2009 priced at $14.95 each. The set contains the four different Presidential Dollars for that year featuring William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, James K. Polk, and Zachary Taylor.

The set has sold 627,925 units as of the last available weekly sales report. This is lower than the final reported sales for the 2008 set, which came in at 860,172.

I had actually expected sales of this set to end on February 11, 2010 when sales of the 2010 Presidential Dollar Proof Set began. Recently, it had been the US Mint's practice to end sales for the previous year's annual set offerings once the current year version went on sale. Does this signify that the practice will no loner be used?

Another group of products which recently moved to "sold out" status are the 2008 James Monroe Dollar 25-coin rolls and 250-coin bags from the Philadelphia or Denver Mints. These products went on sale way back on February 14, 2008 as the fifth release of the Presidential Dollar series.

The last reported sales for these products were 50,652 of the 25-coin (P) rolls, 49,399 of the 25-coin (D) rolls, 1,053 of the 250-coin (P) bags, and 565 of the 250-coin (D) bags.

An interesting aside related to the James Monroe Dollars- shortly before the circulation release and start of bags and rolls sales, tens of thousands of the dollar coins had been struck on copper-nickel clad planchets intended for quarters were discovered. The errors were found during the coin wrapping process by a private contractor of the US Mint. According to US Mint statements, all of the errors were collected and returned to the US Mint. To date, there have been no reports of any of the Monroe Dollars struck on quarter planchets ever surfacing.

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Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar

Today, the 2010 Presidential Dollar Proof Set that I ordered from the US Mint arrived, providing the first view of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar in hand.

I don't typically order the separate Presidential Dollar Proof Set. I usually wait for the full annual proof set to be released, which provides a better value. However, this year I decided to order the set to get an earlier look at the Lincoln Presidential Dollar. I think that many people had the same idea.

As mentioned in the Coin Update weekly sales report, the 2010 Presidential Dollar Proof Set sold 224,426 units in the debut sales period from February 11 to February 14, 2010. This is almost triple the number of 2009 Presidential Dollar Proof Sets that were sold during the opening sales period. Last year's set sold 82,168 units in the period from February 10 to February 16, 2009.

Many people called 2009 "the year of Lincoln", but there will be plenty of Lincoln related coins and products available this year as well.

The next product should be the 2010 Lincoln Cent Two Roll Set, expected to be released during the month of March. The 2010 Presidential Dollar Uncirculated Set will follow in April. This set will contain the satin finish versions of the 2010-P and 2010-D Lincoln Presidential Dollar.

The full annual clad Proof Set, Silver Proof Set, and Uncirculated Mint Sets will be released during the July/August/September period. These sets will debut the 2010-S Proof Lincoln Cent and 2010-P and 2010-D satin finish Lincoln Cents, along with the proof and satin finish versions of the Lincoln Dollar, previously released in the component Presidential Dollar Sets.

The release of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar for circulation is currently scheduled for November 18, 2010. On this date, the US Mint would begin sales of 25-coin rolls of the circulation strike versions of the coins. I also anticipate that the Mint will host a launch ceremony around this date, with a coin exchange available following.

In the month of December, the Mary Todd Lincoln First Spouse Gold Coin and Medal will be released. Other Lincoln products to be released in December will include the 2010 First Spouse Four Medal Set, containing the Mary Todd Lincoln Medal, and the Abraham Lincoln Dollar Coin Cover. Lastly, the Lincoln Presidential Dollar and First Spouse Medal Set is also expected around this time, although the product doesn't currently appear on the schedule.

It will be interesting to see how the US Mint treats the release of some individual Lincoln products. For example, the Presidential Dollar First Day Coin Covers have recently had production limits of 40,000, which would be an easy sell out. Will the Mint raise production for the Lincoln release or perhaps impose a low household limit?
On a final and related note, another coin featuring Abraham Lincoln arrived in my mail box today. It is a 75 pesetas coin issued by Equatorial Guinea in 1970 with a portrait of Lincoln. My Standard Catalog of World Coins says that the coin contains .4818 oz silver and had a mintage of 4,390. The portrait bears a strong similarity to the 2010 Lincoln Presidential Dollar. Both appear to be based on the same photograph that can be found here.

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Misdated 2010-D Zachary Taylor Presidential Dollar Error

A new type of error has been discovered for the Presidential Dollar coin series. A Zachary Taylor Dollar was found with the date "2010-D" appearing on the lettered edge, rather than 2009. The Zachary Taylor Dollar was the fourth release of the Presidential Dollar series for the year 2009.

The error coin was first reported by Coin World and has been authenticated by NGC. The NGC holder indicates "2009 D $1 Zachary Taylor with 2010 D Edge Letter Mint Error" and is graded MS 64. This represents the first time that the an edge-lettered US Dollar has been reported with the incorrect date.

Earlier in the Presidential Dollar series other types of errors involving the edge lettering were discovered. The most widespread error occurred when thousands of George Washington Dollars were released without the edge lettering. Changes in Mint procedures made the occurrence of missing edge lettering much less frequent for later coins of the series. Other error types have also included doubled edge lettering and lettered blank planchets.

The misdated Zahary Taylor Dollar error coin was discovered by collector Gary D. Laird. He found the coin in a roll of 2010-D Native American Dollars purchased through the US Mint's Direct Ship Program. Rolls of this year's Native American Dollars were first offered through the program on January 4, 2010.

The latest issue of Coin World reports that the US Mint has recalled 700,000 2010-D Native American Dollars that had been designated for the Direct Ship Program, following the discovery of the error. These coins were at the coin wrapping company.

If you have any 2010-D Native American Dollar Rolls from the US Mint's Direct Ship Program- keep an eye out for this new error type. So far only one misdated Zachary Taylor Dollar error is known to have been discovered.

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Millard Fillmore Presidential Dollar Rolls

The United States Mint will begin sales of the Millard Fillmore Presidential Dollar Rolls on February 18, 2010 at 12:00 Noon ET. One week earlier, the 2010 Presidential Dollar Proof Set had gone on sale, which contains the proof version of the coin.

The obverse of each Millard Fillmore Dollar features his portrait along with the inscriptions "Millard Fillmore", "In God We Trust", "13th President", the years of his term "1850-1853". The reverse of the coin features a rendition of the Statue of Liberty with "United States of America" and the denomination "$1". Both the obverse and reverse were designed by Don Everhart.

The US Mint is offering 25-coin rolls from either the Philadelphia or Denver Mint. These rolls are packaged in custom US Mint wrappers that indicate the President, mint mark, and face value of the contents. The rolls are priced at $35.95 each, the same price as last year's Presidential Dollar rolls.

The two previous roll offerings featuring James K. Polk and Zachary Taylor remain available for sale on the US Mint's website. The latest available sales figures indicate the Polk Rolls sold 39,476 (P) and 38,220 (D) while the Taylor Rolls have sold 36,108 (P) and 34,627 (D).

Coin Update News has the full US Mint Sales Report. This represents the first report in two weeks, as figures were not issued last week.

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2010 Presidential Dollar Proof Set

The US Mint will begin sales of the 2010 Presidential Dollar Proof Set on February 11, 2010 at 12:00 Noon ET. This set will contain proof versions of the Presidential Dollars featuring Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln.

The four coin sets will be priced at $15.95 each. This represents a $1 increase from the price charged for the 2009 set. The product page can be found here, although ordering options won't be available until the start of sales.

The release date of the 2010 Presidential Dollar Proof Set comes one week before the launch ceremony and circulation release of first coin featuring Millard Fillmore.

If you plan on purchasing all of the 2010 proof coins issued by the US Mint, it has invariably been a much better bargain to wait for the release of the full annual set. The cost of acquiring the separate Presidential Dollar Proof Set and Quarters Proof Set is usually around the same price as purchasing the full 2010 Proof Set, which will contain 14 proof coins.

On the other hand, the separate sets do provide the opportunity to obtain the some of the coins earlier, as the 2010 Proof Set won't be available until July/August. Additionally, in some cases the separately packaged sets have gained secondary market premiums unrelated to the coins. This has occurred for some of the prior year Presidential Dollar Uncirculated Coin Sets, but not to any significant extent for any of the Presidential Dollar Proof Sets, which are sold in higher numbers.

When sales of this year's Presidential Dollar Proof Set begin, it is likely that the US Mint will end sales of the 2009 set. The set is currently available on the US Mint's website priced at $14.95. As of the last weekly sales report, the US Mint recorded sales of 622,391 units.

Today on Coin Update News: Collecting First Day Coin Covers

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Zachary Taylor Presidential Dollar Coin Cover

The United States Mint will release the 2009 Zachary Taylor $1 Coin Cover tomorrow December 30, 2009 at 12:00 Noon ET. This will represent the final release of the year for the American Presidency $1 Coin Cover series.

The cover will include two Zachary Taylor Presidential Dollars from the first day of production at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. The coins are mounted on an illustrated display card with a 44-cent Flag postage stamp. The postmark will be November 19, 2009, Louisville, KY to mark the circulation release date for the coins.

The covers are priced at $14.95 each with a production limit of 40,000. The US Mint product page can be found here.

Sales of the Presidential Dollar Coin Covers have shown a general decline since the first releases of 2007. That year, the US Mint sold a high of 50,000 for the George Washington cover and a low of 44,466 for the James Madison cover. For 2008, the high was 36,138 for the James Madison cover and the low was 25,476 for the Martin Van Buren cover.

All of the previously released 2009 Presidential Dollar coin covers are still available for sale at the US Mint. The last reported sales figures are 26,983 for William Henry Harrison, 23,679 for John Tyler, and 21,492 for James K. Polk.

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