25th Anniversary Silver Eagle Set on Sale October 27

The US Mint has confirmed that the 25th Anniversary Silver Eagle Set will go on sale October 27, 2011 with shipping expected to begin in late November. Unfortunately, there are still no pricing details available.

Some details of the offering were previously provided in a US Mint press release. The five coin sets will include one proof coin struck at the West Point Mint, one uncirculated coin struck at the West Point Mint, one uncirculated coin struck at the San Francisco Mint, one reverse proof coin struck at the Philadelphia Mint, and one bullion coin. As indicated elsewhere, the coins will carry the appropriate mint marks, with the exception of the bullion coin, which will not have a mint mark.

Through other product offerings or channels, the US Mint has already offered an uncirculated coin struck at West Point, a proof coin struck at West Point, and bullion coin. Based on available information, it seems that the two remaining coins will be unique to the 25th Anniversary Set.

From the press release, the Mint plans to produce “up to 100,000” of the sets with a household order limit of 5.

A lot of people are speculating on the price for the 25th Anniversary Silver Eagle Set. My guess would be above $300, maybe $320 to $350. In recent history, US Mint numismatic product prices tend to be higher than collectors expect. I might be wrong, but we will see.

It doesn’t always work to add up the prices of individual coins included within a multi-coin product. Back in 2006, the US Mint offered the 20th Anniversary Gold and Silver Eagle Set for $850. Later (and I believe concurrent with the offering) the one ounce 2006-W Gold Eagle and 2006-W Silver Eagle contained in the set were available individually for $720 and $19.95, or $739.95.

To provide some additional data, the 2006 20th Anniversary Silver Eagle Set containing an uncirculated coin, proof coin, and reverse proof coin was priced at $100 per set. At the time, the proof coin was priced individually at $27.95 and the uncirculated coin was later offered for $19.95. The market price of silver was around $12 per ounce.

At the end of the day (as long as the product limit remains 100,000 or less and the two potentially unique coins are unique), secondary market prices will be almost immediately significantly higher than whatever the US Mint issue price is.

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Comments

  1. Deke says

    Really looking forward to this set, but 100,000 mintage? The mint already has 3 of these coins available. Why water down even further the value of this set? Is the Mint going to print new coins for this set or just take the current offering and repackage? Whatever, I’m hooked.

  2. says

    Samuel,

    It’s impossible to predict if it will be gone in a few hours. The painted silver dragons took 2-3 days to sell out completely. Those were very strongly desired and there were only 10K of each. My guess is we could have 3-4 days at least before a sellout.

    But there are some wildcards. We don’t know what the flippers will do. We also don’t know exactly what effect the household order limit of 5 will have on the product – you could see a scenario develop where the flippers (and their friends and families) all order the maximum. There is also a chance of an AtB scenario where there’s a mad dash on the first day and then sales collapse immediately afterward.

    I am going to play it safe and pick it up immediately upon release though. I’m sure most of us will be doing the same.

  3. VABEACHBUM says

    I already had vacation time scheduled for the last week of October. At least I know what I’ll be doing on Thursday!!!

    If the Mint’s website survives the onslaught, which I think will be worse than the Washington First Spouse denial of service attack, I mean sale in 2007, I will be content to add one – just one – set to my collection. Given the perceived affordability and the increasing level of interest, they will go fast. Start to finish is likely to be less than 10 hours. Anyone willing to hazard lower??

  4. Matt says

    This will take AT LEAST a couple of days to sellout; No need to rush on the first day. I will wait until the second day to save myself the stress of ordering on Day1.
    In any case, I’m just getting 1 set. The 2012 Dragon typeset at 1500 sets only was a winner for me. Don’t know about the 25th Anv, these comes at 100K.

  5. Fosnock says

    I would say it will take 8 hours to go to wait list status, and only because the mint’s website will crash or slow to a crawl. The flippers will be chomping at the bit to get this item, especially with the price decrease

  6. Fosnock says

    Then again they said the same thing about the Lincoln Chronicle set and it took 30 hours to sellout but it had a 1 house hold limit (and a mintage of 50K), one thing for sure I would say it will not take a couple of days to sellout unless the mint lowers the household limit. FYI the 20th Anniversary Silver Eagle Sets had a household ordering limit of ten. A sell out occurred after approximately two weeks, but Silver Eagle bullion sales for that year were 10,676,522. Personally I want a set and will not take the chance of a early sellout. It only took me about an hour to get a Lincoln Chronicle set and a Hot Springs and it only took me that long because the website crashed. An hour of frustration is worth it knowing you got the item…then you realize you could have simply gotten up in the morning an ordered one but oh well at least you got a goods night sleep 🙂

  7. simon says

    My experience has consistently been that those who keep to the USMint parameters, and make the purchase get exactly what they want, and in a timely manner. Despite the many critics and criticisms the USMint always comes through and does it well.

  8. EvilFlipper says

    24 Hours? I give it 2-3… At most. Its a helluva lot cheaper than an ounce of gold. Or a half ounce. Or even a quarter ounce for that matter!

  9. samuel says

    I guess that people’s enthusiasm to this set should be lower than that to the Hotspring. So, I would say, it will be gone in 2-3 days.

  10. Dan says

    “My experience has consistently been that those who keep to the USMint parameters, and make the purchase get exactly what they want, and in a timely manner. Despite the many critics and criticisms the USMint always comes through and does it well.” they consistently send out defective coins. This is a major problem with the Spouse series. If you can see a flaw with the naked eye it is defective and lately ALL of the coins I have received have been defective. They certainly DO NOT do well.

  11. Clair Hardesty says

    Where did the picture come from? I ask because the initial press release atated that the set would be in a “highly polished, lacquered hardwood presentation case” and the box in the picture looks painted. Is this a guess or a photo from the mint? I think a sellout will take at least a few days. Silver Eagles are just not as popular as anything Lincoln.

  12. Tim says

    Agree with Clairon popularity difference, I too wonder where this blue is from after their initial article about a hardwood case. Silver looks great in blue but so would one similar to the UHR packaging. You can guarantee they are already made and ready.

  13. Coin Master says

    I will pass if it’s more than $300 per set. These will probably still result in a quick sell out either way though. The US Mint is too greedy though.

  14. Michael says

    “Where did the picture come from?”

    The US Mint provided this picture when confirming the release date.

  15. Leo S. says

    Michael

    I know this is off the 25th subject, but I have a question on the FS coins. The Taylor Proof has a mintage of 4787 vs. the Julia Tyler of 4830 yet the Tyler sells for considerably more than the Taylor. If rarity is the major factor in price, why the differance? APMEX sells the Taylor for 1364 and the Tyler for 1801.

    Leo

  16. Michael says

    It might simply be perception. The Julia Tyler has a lot of attention due to the low mintage for the uncirculated version. Some of this seems to carry over to the proof coin in a kind of halo effect. The same type of thing occurs for some commemorative coins.

    Another possible answer is “who holds the mintage”. The Julia Tyler went off sale somewhat unexpectedly (except to readers of this blog) so dealers may not have had a chance to order final quantities for inventory. The Margaret Taylor went off sale on the expected cycle, so final quantities could be purchased as needed. Possibly, there are fewer Julia Tyler proofs in dealer hands so they offer a higher bid and sell at a higher price.

    Personally, I really like the proof Margaret Taylor and proof Jane Pierce and think they are both under-priced compared to some others of the series.

  17. SunTzu says

    The question is whether to send them off to be graded. Its my understanding that once you open the box, you can’t send them in for the 25th Anniversary label because they all need to be sealed up together.

    So, do I keep them raw or graded.

    OR…do I buy one set and try to place a second order under a family member and then play “eenie meenie miney moe” as to which unopened box to send in to be graded!

    Whatever the case, this is going to be one HOT potato! It’s a lot of fun and really brings some excitement to our community. Look out ladies!

  18. Michael says

    If I buy three sets and want to open one, should I send the other two for slabbing? That is if I’m able to put an order in. Also do they go on sale at 12AM 0n the 27th or that noon?

  19. says

    Personally, I am disappointed in the blue “hardwood?” display box. I was hoping for something really special and this doesn’t cut it. To me, the best display box the Mint has done was the 2008 Double Prosperity set…and I was hoping for something just as attractive.
    I think I’ll try to do two orders…4 sets to be graded and 1 to keep in the OGP.

  20. Louis says

    As of now (and I tried to confirm this with the Mint but was told to stay tuned) we are allowed to order up to five per household, not per order. So I do not see any reason why one can not order 4 and then place a second order for one (to be graded), or whatever combination suits you, as long as all the orders add up to no more than 5 units.

  21. Leo S. says

    Michael

    Thanks for the answer. Guess I goofed up buying an extra Proof Taylor. Of course the way things are going with the newer issues, we will probably have a new low mintage Proof and Unc. soon and Taylor and Tyler will be in the dust bin.

    Leo

  22. Clair Hardesty says

    It is still possible that the blue case was a mock up for a photo shoot. You can’t tell if those are the 2011 coins either. Anyway, we have to take whatever they come in and remind ourselves that the packaging, while nice, has no effect on the value of the coins. For resale purposes, the anniversary label will probably add to what people will pay for the three non unique coins but they are not really worth more just because they came in that package. If I can talk the wife into letting me buy extra sets, I will probably just keep all but one unopened. There are still some 2006 sets out there in original mint packaging and a fair number of 2009 UHRDEs as well. They seem to bring a premium now, probably from people hoping to get an error or PL or such. If any sort of error sets show up, the unopened sets might gain value on the chance that they might be something special.

  23. HH says

    Wow! Silver Eagle 1 oz. silver bullion coins, what a new and novel idea! A 25 year old coin already, and it wasn’t even an original idea or design back then…..yawn.

    Anyone remember the days when collectors actually purchased US Mint products because they liked them, not to flip on Ebay the next day?

  24. Zeeman says

    What you guys think about the aftermarket price for those set? i like to collect but honestly donot mind making money if i can, specially with 5 per house hold limit.

  25. Michael says

    If I buy three sets I’d like to open one, keep one sealed for safe keeping, and have the other sent in unopened to get it graded. Sound like a good plan?

  26. Doug says

    It will be around $350 for a set. Currently, 5oz ATB is already about $230 so for 5 single 1oz of silver coins with a lot more cost to make it I expect it wil cost that much. Mintage of 100K set with each person can order 5 set which I would expect about 40K-50K orders which will make it to be sell out in less than 24 hours . Just my opinion.

  27. Clair Hardesty says

    I just saw a picture posted over on coincommunity.com from 09sep that is of a mint official, presumably from the original announcement that has the blue box so that was clearly part of a mock up put together for the press release. Since the actual release says that it will be a wood box, we can still hope that they will hold to what they said and that the blue box is just for show and tell. Of course, even the blue box looks to be a step up from the black plastic used for the 2006 set.
    Here is my guess at pricing (providing silver holds around $32): $59 for the proof, $51 for each unc (both are current prices), $83 for the reverse proof (in 2006, it accounted for about $26 more than the regular proof), and $45 for the bullion (my guess of what the mint would charge if they sold them individually, which I wish they would). That is a total of $295 for the coins so I am guessing a set price of $329 if it really comes in a nice wood box and a little less if they go with the blue thingy.
    I thought that congress wrote the bullion law in a way that prevents the mint from selling the bullion coins any way but through APs but unless they are repurchasing them for this product, that must not be true or they found a way to interpret the law to allow its inclusion in a set. I would like to see the bullion coins offered with a COA and capsule directly from the mint (especially if you ), I think it would sell well at $45, after all, people do pay $40 for $25 rolls of golden dollars.

  28. stephen m. says

    The blue box is made from the ever so rare Blue Wood tree from the mountains of north Ga. All i want is one.

  29. mookem says

    “All five coins will be mounted in one custom-designed, highly polished, lacquered hardwood presentation case accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.”

    This was the description included in the press release and this is what they should sell the set in.

  30. David says

    Question: If I send this set in an unopened shipping box for grading (for instance to PCGS), do they actually remove the coins from the wooden presentation box and slab each of them, or do they slab the entire the wood box? Just curious how the coins look when returned from PCGS. Thanks for your comments!

  31. Brad says

    The Mint has added the 25th Anniversary Silver Eagle Set to the list of “Upcoming Products”. From that page, it does confirm that the San Francisco coin will have the “S” Mint Mark, and the ordering limit is still slated to be 5 per houshold.

    With those things considered, I really do think that these sets will be a one-day sellout. Enough people will buy the 5 set limit that this is extremely likely.

  32. Brian says

    > Question: If I send this set in an unopened shipping box for grading (for
    > instance to PCGS), do they actually remove the coins from the wooden
    > presentation box and slab each of them, or do they slab the entire the wood
    > box? Just curious how the coins look when returned from PCGS. Thanks
    > for your comments!

    The coins will be individually slabbed (some third-party-graders may slab the five coins together — we will have to wait and see what will be offered). You’ll be able to request that the wood box be sent back to you. The third-party-grading company may charge additional postage to do so.

  33. EvilFlipper says

    I give it 2 hours. I dont know if i want to send it in to be graded. Thats a lot of extra dough for more plastic wrapping… Unless i get some ms 70’s. And I dont think flipping right away would be a great option either. I do however think the majkrity of sales will be purchased in lots of five. You gotta be crazy not to get 5 at a time. I think aftermarket pricing in the short term is gonna be dependent on how many sets get sent in for grading initially. That might squeeze availability on feebay and other dealers due to the couple of weeks turnover time. Another issue that might crimp market entry is if people hold on to it waiting to see if any serious errors come forth. I think there are a lot of factors favoring this set. Are there any estimates on how many hardcore silver eagle collectors are out there. I am a proof lover myself and this being the second reverse proof is mighty tasty!!! Which also is another thong to consider… How many sets will be broken up just for the reverse proof ?

  34. Fosnock says

    I revise my estimate on the sellout. Based on Hot Springs sales number alone these will sellout in 12 hours…The ATB Hot Springs had 20,426 orders in 12 hours all you need is 20K orders of 5 to reach the 100K mintage.

  35. Michael says

    “I thought that congress wrote the bullion law in a way that prevents the mint from selling the bullion coins any way but through APs but unless they are repurchasing them for this product, that must not be true or they found a way to interpret the law to allow its inclusion in a set.”

    I am not aware of anything in the law that prevents them from selling American Eagle or American Buffalo bullion coins directly to the public. (However, the law specifically requires ATB bullion coins to be sold via authorized purchasers.)

    On a few past occasions, the US Mint has sold some bullion coins incorporated into special products. Two that I remember are the 2008 American Buffalo Celebration Coin and the 2003 Legacies of Freedom Set, which included the 2003 bullion Silver Eagle.

  36. Tom says

    Anyone else notice that the newly listed product page for the 25th anny ASE set doesn’t have mintage info??? I wonder if the mint may mint more that 100K sets?

  37. bob says

    The page says shipping will be in LATE NOVEMBER… so dont expect anyone to get sets quickly after ordering.

  38. says

    “Shipping is expected to begin in late November 2011.”

    What on earth? Why do they need a full month to BEGIN to ship the product? Do they not have the hardwood boxes produced yet? Does anyone else remember this kind of delay for big ticket items? Maybe the Lincoln set?

  39. Michael says

    For the 2009 UHR, the product page initially said allow 6-9 months for delivery.

    More recently, the Sept 11 Medals went on sale in June and didn’t ship until September.

  40. EvilFlipper says

    Yeah i remeber the uhr debacle. I had to wait three months!! Waited 6 weeks for the 888 set as well.

  41. Clair Hardesty says

    The new product page shows the blue box and still says “All five coins are encapsulated and packaged in a single custom-designed, highly polished, lacquered hardwood presentation case and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.” so either they did in fact mean blue lacquer or they are still using a placeholder image (wouldn’t be the first time). I also notice the lack of a stated mintage limit, could be significant, after all the 2006 set limit was set at 250,000 and the buzz this time is way more intense. I still don’t think enough people who will be trying to get this set can afford the $1500+ to cause a first day sellout, even if the limit really is 100,000 sets. Right now, I think it is more likely that they will take orders for at least a week (or some other set time) and mint enough to fill those orders. The late November shipping could be a hint at that or a hedge on the box build. Too bad, with all this hype, that Denver won’t be represented.I wouldn’t mind a higher limit, the 2006 reverse proof still demands quite a price and this one (and the S unc) most likely will to, even if they mint 250K.

  42. Clair Hardesty says

    By the way, if you want you can buy your 5 sets on EBay for the low,low price of $5000 (and of course another $20 for shipping).

  43. ken says

    anyone else annoyed? Price – we can’t tell you, shipping date – a month after you order…

    It’s possible these will sell out before anyone ever receives them in hand.

  44. Samuel says

    Regarding the $5000 thing, I heard people bought the 2010 5-coin ATB BU set for more than $3000 a couple of weeks before I got that from APMEX for $1000 a set.

  45. DCDave says

    Unless the economy turns around, I don’t think folks will be paying big premiums in the aftermarket. Even during the peak of the ATB hype, the super-high priced slabs never sold and never will. Careful on how you spend your money. You’d be better off buying some AAPL, S or NFLX. That said, I will likely be in for 5 sets (no friends and family plan for this one). Oh, I’m skipping the numismatic 2011 Ps, even at the newer lower pricing. I think the 2010s actually look nicer.

  46. EvilFlipper says

    I dont think the mintage will go over 100 k. Thats a lot pricewise although leaving it out of the website info is suspicious. The only way they make more is to make more money. If silver goes down the losses on their silver holdings pile up and people are even less interested. Plus we are close to the end of the year….but they did leave it out. Hmmmmmmmm….i dunno im in no matter what. Lets hope silver goes even farther down from here. But not too far!!;)

  47. Bill says

    I long for the days when I was a lad and could go to a bank and cash my
    pay check and ask the teller for a handful of silver coins…

    I predict that day will return in the next ten years.

    Hi Ho Silver away…

  48. Two Cents says

    I too find it curious that the Mint has omitted the mintage limit for the 25th Anniversary Set in its product description. I wonder if they are thinking of changing the 100,000 maximum mintage. With the ordering limit of 5 per household, it would potentially take only 20,000 orders to sell out the set.

    Another alternative would be to have NO mintage limit, but have a time period in which orders will be accepted — perhaps by the end of the year. That would allow collectors to order the sets without fear of a sell-out. Flippers and dealers, by the way, would still make money by slabbing their sets and reselling them (especially the so-called First Strikes or Early Releases).

    As points of reference, the 2006 20th Anniversary Silver Set had a maximum mintage of 250,000 with a limit of 10 per household. (If I remember correctly, the sets sold out in a couple of weeks.) The 2009 Ultra High Relief gold coin had no mintage limit, but had an initial ordering limit of 1 per household; eventually the ordering limit was eliminated, but a deadline of Dec. 31, 2009 was imposed (final mintage was 115,178).

  49. Two Cents says

    Bravo Tom, on being the first to get a price for the 25th Anniversary Set. I hope it’s not a typo on their Product Index website, but it does match their ATB silver price — both contain 5 ounces of silver.

  50. Zeeman says

    i think the price is fair, i was thinking it will be more than that, hey MATT can you order me 5 stes since you are not ordering any

  51. Clair Hardesty says

    If the $229 price is real that is a true bargain. The page it links to still says price to be determined so it might be an artifact of a copy. It seems hard to believe that they would price the set the same as a single 5oz coin especially considering the reverse proof. If that price holds, I will go ahead and order 5 sets even if the blue box is all I get. Now, if silver will just resist any increase before we all place our orders. If they actually have priced it and silver goes up it could go off sale before it goes on sale.

  52. Wylson says

    Hopefully they release the reverse proof as a single going forward and an uncirculated set that contains the “S”. That would put a wrench in everyone’s plan.

    I think the $229 is a placeholder, like the 2008 price that was listed forever for the 2008w ASE.

  53. says

    $229.95….I don’t think so…do the math. Proof $59 + 2 uncs $102 + bullion $35 = $196…that would mean the reverse proof and packaging is only $34.

    I think they may of made a typo and meant $329.95….but time will tell

  54. says

    I agree, $229.95 seems too good to be true. This has got to be a typo or something. We’ll see what happens when they list the actual price on the actual page. Not that I will cry if $229 is the price…

  55. Ikaika says

    Although there is much debate now on the packaging and the pricing of the 25th Anniversary ASE set, one thing is guaranteed folks:

    The US Mint website will crash on October 27th at 12:00pm EST.

  56. ARSSJCA says

    Keep in mind that the 5 oz coins are currently priced @ $229.95 after originally being priced @ $279.95 when silver was hovering around $40 an oz. The Mint charges a pre-determined premium over melt value on the precious metal strikings. Although there are 5 coins struck for this set versus a single strike for the 5 oz coin, the 5 oz coin has been difficult and more time cosuming to produce. I don’t see the 5 coin anniversary set bringing a premium increase above what is reasonably charged for other Mint products. Only the silver market value at the time of sale will affect the issue price.

    On another note, I see these coins are not sealed in the Mint packaging to keep them from mixing with the same coins being released in other offerings. This will keep the grading services from designating the coins as coming from the Anniversary Sets. Just like in 2006, the coins will have to be sealed in the shipping cartons in order for that to happen. There will be a premium for the sealed packages so don’t open them if you want those labels on your graded coins or the premiums which sealed packages will no doubt bring.

  57. Clair Hardesty says

    Only one of the coins in the set is bullion, the others are numismatic specimens. Westminster Mint currently sells the 2011 bullion coin for about $36 (good price), the mint sells the proof for $59 and the uncirculated W for $51. Even if we assume the S uncirculated coin is also $51 (reasonable) and the reverse proof is also $59 (not reasonable, it should cost more) we get a total of $256. If we only give them $10 for a lacquered hardwood box we get to $266. I don’t ever remember the mint selling a set for less than the sum of the individual coin prices. Sometimes the set price is a lot more, occasionally so much more that the sets just don’t sell (2005-2008 American Legacy sets). IMO, the $229 price is either a typo ($329, $299…) or was left over from a the entry that was copied to make this one. It is too far from the release date for the mint to set a hard price, I don’t think the real price will be announced until next Thursday (20sep2011) at the earliest.

  58. Broooster says

    I don’t see this selling out in the first couple of hours. The mint can only take orders so fast, and considering they take their phones off the hook, and with their computer issues, it could just be a very long day for us.

  59. Gary says

    I would rather the Mint package them in a cheap display box and save me money…Its really just all about the coins!! $229 would be a dream come true!!

  60. Hidalgo says

    Despite what anyone says about the sets selling out early or late (in a few days), I am going to purchase the set as soon as I can. You know what folks say — you snooze, you lose. Better to try for 2 hours and get one set than wait 2 days and get none….

  61. jim says

    jimmy says:
    October 15, 2011 at 9:07 am
    the packaging is lousy. worth $5.00 only.

    Dont buy one!!!!!!! I will take 5 sets for sure. $229.95 or $329.95

  62. auxmike says

    I just bought 5 bullion ASE’s for $190 shipped. $229 WOULD be sweet!
    I wonder what the reverse proof will cost on Ebay since I don’t really find the others worth buying.

  63. John C says

    Nice post Clair, I totally agree. My price guess would be in the $325 – $350.00 dollar range. Why, because they can get it and they know it, unless of course they are trying to make amends for the 2009 proof silver eagle screw up.. I also firmly believe that this will sell out in a few hours as long as the site can handle it. Barring any problems on the site I would say that it is almost impossible not to sell out in a day. Here is my reasoning why.

    1. Silver eagles are collected world wide and collectors from around the whole world will be lining up for this.

    2. The first ever s mint mark silver eagle

    3. The 100k mintage….Are you kidding me with two coins in this set that will have that total mintage. The 2006 reverse proof has a mintage of 250k and worth about $200 and the 1995 w has a mintage of 30k and worth $3000. you do the math and guess what a 100k mintage will be worth in the hugely popular silver eagle set. Conservatively my guess is $500 to $600 each.

    $. This is hands down the best product the mint has released as far as a product that will actually make a mint customer some money. The 95w silver and gold set was a big winner but you had to buy an ounce of gold to get it. This is the first time I can ever recall that the mint is putting out a high demand product with a low mintage. Remember in 2009 when Moy could of released a hundred thousand or so of the proof eagles but decided not to because he wanted everyone to be able to buy one. Well for once the mint is actually making a true low mintage product and I can only cross my fingers and hope that I will be able to get through. By the way I know that 100k is a large number but there will also be a large demand due to the large collector base of this series.Ok I’m done ramblin now.

  64. says

    Why can’t the US Mint let us pre-pay with credit card now, and that
    would releive the mass of phone calls on October 27th, and all the Mint
    would do is send them to end of November

  65. mookem says

    Larry and Jim:

    I don’t really see the logic in your plan and agreement. Wouldn’t the day they allow us to pre-pay our cards become the new mass phone calls day?

    Personally I think they should have a lottery draw for collectors of items with low mintages. This would also thin out the flippers’ friends and family purchases.

  66. vaughnster says

    I think a lottery system is a bad idea. It would be a disaster and is not needed. Look, the Lincoln Chronicles had a mintage of 50,000 and took over 24 hours to sell out, at 1 per household. You know that several thousand used the “friends and family” plan to acquire more. These sets were only $55 each. We’re talking about the 25th Anniversary set that’s at least 5 times more money. At 5 per household that’s about $1500 you have to shell out as compared to $275 for 5 Lincoln Chronicles. Anybody who wants the sets should have no problem getting them within the first day. There has been ample publicity and lead up to the sale date and in this information age there is no reason serious collectors or flippers wouldn’t know about the limited mintage. I’m sorry, but some Mint offerings aren’t available for long amounts of time and you have to be on top of things. Ordering on the Internet is alot easier than waiting in line outside for a day for a limited amount of iPad’s at Best Buy and yet there’s no complaints about not having a lottery system.

  67. Two Cents says

    Another alternative would be to have NO mintage limit, but have a time period in which orders will be accepted — perhaps by the end of the year. That would allow collectors to order the sets without fear of a sell-out. Flippers and dealers, by the way, would still make money by slabbing their sets and reselling them (especially the so-called First Strikes or Early Releases).

    I find it curious that the Mint has omitted the mintage limit for the 25th Anniversary Set in its product description. I wonder if they are thinking of changing the 100,000 maximum mintage.

    As points of reference, the 2006 20th Anniversary Silver Set had a maximum mintage of 250,000 with a limit of 10 per household. (If I remember correctly, the sets sold out in a couple of weeks.) The 2009 Ultra High Relief gold coin had no mintage limit, but had an initial ordering limit of 1 per household; eventually the ordering limit was eliminated, but a deadline of Dec. 31, 2009 was imposed (final mintage was 115,178).

  68. 100K says

    The 100K question.

    Why is the mintage of 100K missing?
    Maybe now there’s no limit on the mintage and the Mint can continue selling into 2012?

  69. stephen m. says

    A lottery system, in my opinion, would cause to many bad vibrations among collecters. I remember in 1970 the draft started a lottery system and i was one of the first to win. That and a quarter ounce gold piece that i managed to win at a coin show as a door prize is it for 62 years. I’ll take my chances the way things are.

  70. Brad says

    Stephen M.,

    If I had been alive and 18 in 1970, the draft is probably the only lottery I would have ever won, too! At least you came home, though!

    Yeah, I have no problem taking my chances with the normal sales method either. If you want this stuff, you have to be willing to get in there and fight for it. I’ve NEVER come away empty-handed on any of the hot items from the Mint that I’ve tried for, but I’ve always been there right at the starting minute on release day to fight.

  71. Brad says

    Samuel,

    No, I pretty much only buy from the U.S. Mint. The only exception to that was when I bought the Great Britons John Lennon 5 Pound silver coin.

  72. vaughnster says

    I’m guessing that the Mint won’t post the price of the 25 Year Anniversary ASE set Wednesday morning when they usually make any price changes in their precious metal coins.

  73. VABEACHBUM says

    Jimmy – not too sure about the prices you’re referencing. Currently, the Mint is selling the Mount Hood and Gettysburg ATB-P coins for $229.95 each, plus shipping. Unless we see some upswings in spot silver over the next 8 weeks, we can expect to see similar pricing for the upcoming Glacier and Olympic issues.

    The pricing for the bullion issues can vary from $175 to $195, depending upon either the AP providing direct retail sales or the 3rd party retailer who has added their mark-up.

  74. Brad says

    I’m more curious as to why the hinted-at production limit of 100,000 sets was not included on the preliminary product page. Are we all going to be duped? The Mint might say “Gee, there’s so much demand for these, let’s make 200,000 more sets!” I’d like to think they wouldn’t do that and further anger the collector base, but you just never know anymore.

    Regardless of mintage, there’s no way the Mint will be “giving” these away at that $229.95 price on the product index page. That has to be a mistake.

  75. Two Cents says

    Me, I’m still hoping for a 5-ounce silver 25th Anniversary American Eagle coin. It would look great in a 3-inch size, and it would be a fitting tribute to this popular coin. I’d buy several at $229.95, the same as an ATB 5-ouncer.

    As for the planned 25th Anniv. Silver Set with 5 different one-ounce coins, I am disappointed in the color choice (dark blue?) of the wooden box. I certainly hope that the actual box has more of a brown finish like the mahogany of the Ultra High Relief gold coin.

    I’m also not impressed with the arrangement of the coins. It doesn’t show much imagination to just lay them out one after the other in a straight line. A better choice would be to arrange them in a pentagon shape with the words “25th Silver Anniversary” in the middle. Or in a cross shape, Or arranged in three rows with two coins in the first row, then one in the second row, and the remaining two in the last row. Anyway, something more imaginative than five in a row.

    No matter what the box or arrangement is, though, I will still buy the set. Just saying that it could have been planned better.

  76. Two Cents says

    Here is some info on the 25th Anniv. Silver Set from the Oct. 31 issue of Coin World:

    According to Oct. 12 statements from Tom Jurkowsky, Director of the Mint’s Office of Public Affairs, mintage of the set is confirmed at 100,000. All of the coins for the set, including the unique Reverse Proofs and “S” mintmarked Uncirculateds, have already been minted and placed in plastic capsules. The coins will be assembled into the sets at the San Francisco Mint at the end of October, and shipment is expected to commence in late November.

    Regarding the individual coins, the “W” Proof , “P” Reverse Proof, and the “W” Uncirculated (burnished finish) coins were struck in late August and September. The “S” Uncirculated (burnished) coins were struck in Sept. and Oct. The bullion coins included in the set are the ones minted at the San Francisco Mint (with no mintmark).

    Jurkowsky said that for the Reverse Proof coins, “The entire die face is brilliantly polished using hand and auto-polishing techniques, the flat field area on the die is then textured using a laser finishing system and the detail and artwork remain polished. The dies are then coated with chrome-nitride that is applied using a physical vapor deposition process.”

    Not mentioned was the set’s price, except to say that “pricing will be set as close as possible to the release date and is subject to change throughout the life of the program.” As for the so-called “custom-designed, highly-polished, lacquered hardwood presentation case,” Coin World used the image from the Mint’s website, so nothing new on that.

  77. Clair Hardesty says

    This is actually important news. This means that sealed sets sent in for grading will be able to have the bullion coin labeled as coming from the San Francisco mint, making them more valuable than they would be if they were from West Point or if their origin was unknown. While San Francisco bullion coins are not unique to this set, at least for this year they are far less common than West Point coins.

  78. VA Bob says

    Clair – loads of ASE sealed monster boxes from the San Fran mint went to the TPG’s. I agree there is less than West Point, but as for more of a premium, only time will tell if that holds. It’s kind of like tap water and Perrier, they both look the same in a glass. For those in which this is a “must have” they aren’t that hard to get. Now if you can get the 25th Anniversary label on there, that’s good. Of course if you can get the whole set in a multi-holder with a 70 grade, you really in there. It will be hard for lightning to strike 5 times. Personally, I tend to stay away from coins that rely on the packaging to let you know what it is, but it seems to be the craze for a section of the collectors. Mine will remain OGP, not too concerned about anything other than nice eye appeal. Then again I’m not selling. Good luck on a nice set(s).

  79. VABEACHBUM says

    I like the way you think, VA Bob. All I’m hoping for is a very nice, complete set w/ the OGP and COA – just like the rest of my modern coins. Years from now, I’ll be interested to see just how many sets of 5 single slabs or multi-slabs get separated from the rest of the packaging.

    Based on the comments from you and from Clair, I do have to wonder how the TPGs will label the 25th Anny Set Bullion (w/out the S) coin. Because it will be unique to the set and the slabs will most likely will have a special label, I don’t think the TPGs will reference the “S” at all. Rather, the identification will be very similar to the current bullion labels: “25th Anniversary Set, 2011 Eagle S$1, MS-69.” The combination of the special label without any particular Mint mark (2011 W, 2011 W, 2011 P, 2011 S) will have to be the bullion coin from the San Francisco Mint.

  80. Clair Hardesty says

    I don’t know how many sets I will be able to buy but I do know that I will not be sending them in for grading and slabbing in the near term at least. All of the label proliferation of recent years and my personal experiences have seriously put me off TPGs. I will open and enjoy one set for sure but may keep any others I am able to purchase sealed in their mint shipping boxes to maintain their resale value. If I am able to afford five sets, I would have to consider sending all of the sets in for grading in the not too unreasonable hope that I could then put together a set of MS/PR70 coins, something which will most likely have significant value. Even then, I think I would remove a set (the lesser coins probably) to return to their original capsules for my personal collection. I like raw coins to the extent that I usually buy two each of the annual sets that are sealed (like the uncirculated sets) so I can break the coins out of one set for photographing and direct viewing without the intervening plastic.While the bullion coin in the anniversary set will have no mint mark and should not be described as a “2011-S” on the label, the TPGs might mention San Francisco as they will for coins delivered in sealed monster boxes that come from the SF mint. While I personally am a steadfast believer in buying the coin and not the label, there people out there who will pay a premium for the three non unique coins that are labeled as having been part of an anniversary set and if they want to give me their money I will probably let them.

  81. simon says

    I’m amazed to hear so many valuable and positive comments about coins in OGP. I have myself eschewed TPGs, after some very negative experiences with PCGS. All my purchases these last few years are original USMint purchases in OGP, which I appreciate a lot more than the bland TPG packaging. In addition there is nothing better than having a perfect coin in OGP – I have a 100X microscope, and always scan my USMint purchases right after I receive them. Many of them have one – to – none small tick, and perfect edges, which would qualify them as TPG 70s. I have no plans to have any of my coins now or in the future handled by any TPG agents.

  82. Silver Sam says

    Thank you all for your recent insights. I plan to buy 5 sets, but as I understand, I will have to buy one set that I want graded individually so that it will be in a sealed mint mail packaging. I would then have to purchase the other four sets in another order for me to keep as my own for sale down the road, but not able to get a TPG seal as 25th anniversary no????

    Please advise and thanks.

  83. VA Bob says

    VABEACHBUM – If I were a betting man, I’d venture to say I believe the TPG WILL mention the San Fran coin on the label. Not into the plastic or labels myself, but for those that do the San Fran w/ 25th Anni, FS, MS70 might be the “real” winner in the bunch. Most have their eye on the reverse proof, but I’m inclined to believe the UNC “S” will have fewer 70 grades. Again, pity it would have to stay in the slab to prove it.

    Clair- I believe it will boil down to how the Mint ships them. I’m thinking all sets in one box. Are they individually sealed (tamper resistant)? If no, I’m pretty sure that if one opens the outermost shipping box, they are not eligible for FS after the cut-off date. In fact, since some of the coins have all ready been released, any open box will be ineligible. If you want to send some in and keep some OGP, it would probably be best to submit separate orders. Pity one can’t take a peek to see if they are wasting their time/money. It’s a risk, but it could pay off.

    Simon – OGP, always been my favorite.

    Silver Sam – I believe your plan is sound if you are buying multiple sets and want some graded some OGP. I’m reasonably sure the mints going to put all ordered sets in one box, with no way for the TPG’s to know if these have been “seeded” with existing coins or combined to save money once opened. Better to split your order and take a chance IMO. There will only be a one shot chance for these.

  84. Silver Sam says

    VABob, Simon, Clair, all others,

    Thanks for your valuable comments on this board. There all enlightning and so useful.

  85. Clair Hardesty says

    Because these sets will sell out and most likely in less than one week, any sealed set should be eligible for FS or ER designation, it is just a matter of where the TPGs set the submission dates. There will be no question that a sealed set was purchased in the first month even if the packaging lacks a legible date. Hopefully the TPGs won’t take anyone’s money to affix FS or ER labels to these coins. Of course, the three non-unique coins will have to be delivered to TPGs in mint sealed packaging to qualify for 25th anniversary set labeling. I actually think that there is a good chance of some very high quality coins being delivered in these sets. It appears from mint comments that all of the coins, even the non-unique ones, were minted specifically for inclusion in the anniversary set. To me that says that the press operators knew that the coins were destined for something special and even the bullion coins may have received at least some extra attention. Also the heavy involvement of the staff of the San Francisco mint, where most of our proof coins originate, may lead to higher than normal quality. Only time will tell but I have some hope. I will be most interested in seeing the TPG grade distributions. I guess I will try to order one set after another and pay the extra $4.95 per set to guarantee that I get individually sealed sets.

  86. vaughnster says

    Clair–

    I can only speak through my dealings with PCGS and they will gladly take your money for First Strike designation, which is a hefty $18 per coin. I don’t think they’ll waive that fee. So it will cost $160 per 5 coin set to have PCGS grade them as First Strike coins. The only way that would be worth it is if they all come back as 70’s. That’s going to be the risk since you can’t open the package to inspect the coins! Even without the FS designation it will still cost $70 to have the five coins slabbed. Oh, and don’t forget about insured delivery charges both ways!! This might be a set better off left in the OGP and if you wanted to resell at one point, have a couple still sealed in the US MInt shipping box. The TPG’s are licking their chops on this upcoming release!!

  87. Two Cents says

    I have been trying to find out, with no success, the answer to the following:

    If a sealed Mint mailing box with five 25th Anniversary Silver Sets is sent to PCGS or NGC for grading, and the grading services offer multiple-coin holders, will they pick and choose the highest-graded coins into the holders? For example, if there is one different PF/MS70 coin in each of the five sets with the remainder of the coins in PF/MS69, will they slab all five different PF/MS70 coins into one multiple-coin holder, and the other PF/MS69 coins in the other four holders?

    Or will they grade the sets one set at a time, and insert the coins into the multiple-coin holder as a set, regardless of the grade.

    My thinking is that they will grade the sets one at a time, creating one slab with a hodge-podge of graded coins. Or do they have an extra fee for doing what I just described? If so, it may be worth it to pay the fee to get a single multiple-coin holder with all coins in the highest-possible grade, maybe with all being PF/MS70 (though it would be highly unlikely that the uncirculated coins would grade that high). If so, it would be better to order all five sets at one time and receive them in one sealed box for submission to PCGS and NGC.

    I remember seeing one of the home-shopping networks selling sets of the State Quarters and 2009 Lincoln Cents in multiple-coin holders from either PCGS or NGC, in which all coins were graded PF70. At the time, I thought they were pretty lucky to get all of the coins in the ultimate grade in one holder. Of course, the prices were ridiculously high.

    I have sent emails to the grading services, but have not had a reply. I would like to hear from any collectors out there that have personal experience with their multiple-coin holders.

    Thank you, everyone here is a valuable resource, and I always look forward to reading your insightful comments.

  88. Silver Sam says

    I have never set in coins for grading.As regards this 25th anniversary set, I intend to send in one sealed set in original mint mailer. Can I have an address for either PCGS or NGC?, and do you send a check to include fee and insurance/shipping charges from them back?, or does it require a money order etc?

    Thanks for any input!

    Ignorant Silver Sam

  89. vaughnster says

    Silver Sam,

    You need to sign up as a member first to be able to submit coins for grading. PCGS memberships run from $50-$300 a year.The higher fees offer some free submissions. It is quite involved sending in coins the first few times until you get the hang of it. Good luck.

  90. Two Cents says

    Silver Sam,

    Go to their websites for the info you seek:

    PCGS – pcgs.com
    NGC – ngccoin.com

    There is also ANACS (American Numismatic Association Certification Service) – anacs.com

    For PCGS grading, you can also go thru an authorized PCGS coin dealer, who will do the submission for you. You pay all fees, including shipping, to the dealer and he takes care of the rest. More info is on their website.

  91. Clair Hardesty says

    I just looked back at my mint receipts and this set is priced $2.30 less than I paid for five uncirculated W SAEs when they first came out (before the recent price reduction). In that light, this set is a huge bargain. Also, if we look at five year charts for gold & silver spot prices, where they are today is right in line with those charts with the recent surge sticking out as an anomaly. To me that says that it will take some major game changing event to drop the spots significantly for the long haul and that, coupled with the numismatic uniqueness of this set makes it a reasonably low risk investment. It is about as close to a sure thing as you get in the coin world. I strongly urge that no one pay for FS or ER labels, not only because I don’t like them in general but because buyers will know that all of the sets qualified for the label and there is nothing special about coins that have it. I don’t think it will ever return the money paid out. Conversely, getting the 25th anniversary set label on the non unique coins will probably increase their value in the marketplace compared to coins that lack the label, even though there will be no difference in the coins themselves so it is probably worth it to keep your sets sealed if you have any plans of slabbing them. All information I have seen says that you need to put in five orders if you want to get five individually sealed sets. If anyone has any more positive information about that please chime in.

  92. Silver Sam says

    Clair,

    You among others provide so much insight into this forum. Thanks for the time and effort you make!

  93. says

    I’m thinking of send a set in for grading too. I’ll have to find out the percentage of coins that came back as MS70 from the 20th Anniversary Silver Eagle set to help make my decision.

  94. Colton says

    Just wanted to address one comment made earlier, the 2006 20th anniv did not sell out in 2 weeks. They went onsale in August and I’m showing orders through October so definately not 2 weeks. There was not the same flipper base in 2006 compared to the present, and individual sealed sets from 2006 peaked at 900 each and sealed boxes of 10 hit 9K. These should not be compared to any other mint products such as the ATb’s becuase there is no defined collector base for those items…Apples and oranges.

  95. Steve says

    For all of posts that thought this would take a few days to sell out, I knew it would be quick, this is Silver Eagles that we are talking about, do you know how many people collect these, it’s also the 25th Anniversary set with a low mintage of 100,000, this set has Two coins only availible in this set, how many more clues to a few hour sell out do you need. With a million collectors out there common sence would tell you that they would be sitting on line ready to push the order button right when they went on sale, I got my order in 4 hours into the sale and just recieved it on 11-15.

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