Got a Question for the U.S. Mint?
Do you have a burning question that you have always wanted to ask the U.S. Mint, but could never figure out who to go to? Maybe you have a question that you have asked the Mint in the past, but that you didn't get a satisfactory answer to. Here's your big chance to ask the Mint whatever is on your mind! An executive at the Mint has agreed to field some questions from About.com Coins site readers, but to keep things manageable, there are a couple of stipulations. First of all, they can only take ten questions, so they don't get overloaded with a time-consuming chore. Secondly, they reserve the right to provide a "no comment" type of answer if they feel the question is inappropriate, or violates security rules relating to coin production or Mint policies. Other than these two modest caveats, anything goes, so ask away!
I will be accepting questions in two ways - via the comments section on this blog post, and via email to coins.guide@about.com. Ideally, I'd love to require that the questions all be posted here publicly, but we've had trouble with the spam filter being a little too hungry in the past, and eating stuff that it shouldn't have consumed. So please try posting your question here first, and if it doesn't show up, email it. Next week, I'll compile them into a list and forward them to the Mint executive, and we'll work together to select the ten that they will answer. It might take them a few weeks to get everything responded to, since some questions might require a fair bit of research, but I'll post the responses from the Mint as I get them, and maybe we'll all learn a little more about the mysteries of coin manufacture at the U.S. Mint!
Why is every cent produced by the US Mint covered with black pool spots? Does the Mint intend to address this problem before the special commerative Lincolns come out next year?
Has there ever been an error reported for a 1965 nickel accidentally struck from a silver planchet? I found a 1965 nickel whose edge has drag lines and looks like it was sheared from a larger planchet (probably a quarter). The thickness is completely uneven tapering from thin to thick one end to the other. It is at the upper weight limit for a nickel (just under 5.1 grams). The luster and appearance of the metal appears to be silver. I’ve never seen a nickel (with the exception of war nickels) that has this appearance. I’ve also never seen an error like this reported so I’m skeptical. Can you recommend an inexpensive test for determining if the coin really is silver?
Why is the 2008 clad proof set more expensive than the silver set?
I’ve been collecting the 50 States Quarters Greetings From America Portfolio.
Since the Mint has changed it’s fulfillment operation, they did a big hurry-up on their 2008 coins.
The Greetings pages have always been kinda late coming out because they
wait till the last quarter is issued to release the set. However, if I purchased a proof set, I got the set without that stipulation. Also, in the past, they had left-over product from previous years of the Greetings Portfolio. Therefore,
I was not in a big hurry to go on line to get my yearly installment.
The 2008 set was available in Nov 2008 and no longer available by June.
At this point, I’ve invested several years of dutifully collecting each edition. I am not having much luck in finding this 2008 edition, but I found other people searching for it as well. I found the whole set for sale, but I have
everything but this. I found a dubious web site offering the set for $45. (original selling price was $29.99) The U S Postal Service was partner with the Mint, but they don’t have the 2008 set either.
I’ve also missed-out on getting my 2008 proof set.
Isn’t wonderful that the Mint gets people collecting this stuff and then just decides to cut-off selling and melt the rest?
I want to know where I am going to get my 2008 for my Portfolio?
I’ve been collecting coins for a dozen years – and it just hit me: Can I spend a proof coin for goods & services? It never even crossed my mind! I know they are specially made for collectors & sold directly from the mint – BUT: I came across several 1976S JFK Proofs that are really scratched up and was wondering if it is legal to use them at the store? Thanks, Matt
Comments
My question: Why didn’t the U on the reverse of the 08 gold eagle and platinum eagle coins change to the new type, that was made to the 08 silver eagle coin. Wny do some coins display the new type U, like the bald eagle coins in clad and their gold coins, not on the silver bald eagle, where the U is the same as it was for 07. There is some cofusion as to what is correct, and what might be an error.
Second question: Is there a mifesto of shipping for the 1895 morgan silver dollars, that were reported to be struck, but never showed up in circulation. Is that in the federal archives? Or can that information be found in the library of congress?
Thank you!
coiny
Will we see the 2008 Platinum Eagles up for sale by the mint again this year?
Will the Mint fix their poor shipping packaging? In the last few years any of my orders of 5 or more items have been shipped in a 11×6x4 box with air bags. Due this type of packaging, Gold, Silver Eagles boxes come open, coins out of case, proof sets have damaged corners! This is the worst type of packing I have received in my 40 years of ordering items from the US Mint! I have written to the Mint and the reply has been they would! Still same old shipping problem! If an item is damaged, only way to return it is return the complete order not just the one damaged item! Can this policy be changed?
My second question, it should read manifesto. Like in shipping.
Thank you!
coiny
Questions for US Mint:
I agree – in the past couple of years the handling and packaging of the coins I receive from the Mint, have gone down hill. I wish they would take some pride in their work and at least pack the coins so they don’t shift around!
Also, I have asked several banks in the greater Phoenix Arizona area for rolls of 2008 uncirculated penneys. None is to be had. Will the Mint be selling the new 2009 penney designs next year through the web site?
Will the new 2009 Sacagawea designs be issued for circulation and available at local banks, similiar to the presidential dollars? If not, why not? You have my vote to do this.
When will the 2008 50 State Quarters Greetings From America Portfolio be available? It is not on the 2008 scheduled products listing. PS: the mint should be a better job and populating and keeing this list update.
thanks
Hi, can we find out mintages for the state quarter spoon series. We can find mintage and sales figures for pretty much everything else. Thanks
Is there any plans to stop the use of the penny after 2009?
This would be more of a suggestion than a question:
Change the type of name attached to the American Eagle for more clarity. Most dealers sell the bullion & un-circulated AE under the same name. That’s confusing & you may end up paying much more for an AE if you’re not careful. I think some dealers even use this to their advantage.
1- Bullion AE (no mint mark)
2- Un-Circulated AE (W mint mark)
3- Proof AE (W mint mark)
Thanks…
This is like getting 3 wishes from a Genie. Let’s not waste the 10 questions by asking things that we can already answer ourselves.
For the question about 2009 Sacagaweas, YES they will be available through banks since they will be required by law to mint as many as they do for each of the Presidential dollar coins each year. Distribution info should be available on the Federal Reserve coin distribution website.
For the question on eliminating the one cent coin, the Mint will not be able to answer that because they are required by law to mint one cent coins to meet the demands of commerce. Only legislation can change that. The Mint does not sponsor legislation, only your representatives in the House and your Senators can do that.
For a good question, how about this: Will there be any attempt to declare Susan B Anthony dollar coins as “uncurrent” and withdraw them from circualtion? There was talk about doing so to eliminate one of the “Barriers to Circulation” for the Golden Dollar coins (Presidential and Sacagawea). Possible methods mentioned in the past included having merchants and regulat citizens sort them out and turn them in to banks who could then ship them back to the Fed for processing back to the Mint OR there could be optical sorters deployed to sort the coins optically.
http://www.frbservices.org/operations/currency/commemorative_coin.html
How will the collector of bullion proofs be protected from the mint drastically decreasing prices during a production year?
Why doesn’t the mint make all of the coins in the Silver Proof sets silver? To me is it ludicrous to refer to the set as a “Silver” proof set when half of the coins are clad proof. The mint should be allowed to mint silver versions of each just for the Silver Proof sets.
I spose we can leave a comment too, beside a question for the mint. How about taking some of the confusion out of the mint web site. By seperating coins into there respective classes, as is done with gold american eagles, platinum and silver. Also be more specific about the contents as dan said, i ended up buying clad proof clad sets, when i believed i was buying the silver 14 coin sets. I kept the sets, i would have prefered to spend more wisely and bought something i really wanted. Not to many people have money to waste. I know i should have been more diligent my self. I just happened to make an easy mistake. I bet i’m not the only one.
Thanks for listening!
coiny
drei3ree, I doubt the mint will protect you from downside risk when making a speculative investment.
BTW, the Platinum Eagles are back online and much cheaper! I’m going shopping.
I am trying to find 2008 pennies to use on wedding favors I am making. I have tried 2 banks. Where can I buy them??
Miss Susan Headley,
NGC has settled the issue regarding labeling coins issued by US Mint as “FIRST STRIKE”, but the other leading company namely PCGS is still bent on continuing labeling slabbed coins with first strike. We all know the truth about this issue. I think the US Mint should finally make a final comment regarding this issue so as not to mislead the numismatic society and those who love the hobby for the sheer pleasure it brings.
Thank you and God Bless
Hi again! I have another question: Question number 3.
Why is the mint so secretative about trial coins? I’ve read it takes the fredom of information act, to get information about trial coins that have been struck at the U.S. mint. If these coins aren’t being released into circulation at any time. Is it really that sensitive of a matter, that it needs to be kept from the public? Does the mint keep records of all the trial coins they strike. Would there also be drawings or photographs depicting the trial coins that the public could see?
Thank you again!
OK, I’ve got a good question for the Mint regarding the “barriers to circulation” of Golden Dollar Coins (both Presidential and Sacagawea). I spend them everywhere and there is very little “resistance” to them, EXCEPT at Costco. Almost every time I spend them at ANY warehouse (there are dozens of them in the Los Angeles and Southern California region and I’ve been to MANY), before my items are bagged or boxed, the cashier screams “SUP on x” (where “x” is their register number). When the Supervisor comes over, while I’m still standing there, they tell the supervisor “can you take these and get me dollars”. I then say “those ARE dollars”. The Supervisor then says “we are no allowed to use those.” The conversation then deteriorates are I attempt to ask them, as politely as possible, if this is a corporate policy or a store policy or if it’s just a habit they got into. I try to explain that many customer love getting the dollar coins in change since they can collect a few and use the rest in vending machines at work or on the local toll roads (yes, we have them in Orange County). This is one of the most frustrating things I’ve encountered and it’s been going on for YEARS. I’ve got one single cashier who is rational about dollar coins and he requests that I use his line at one Costco warehouse because he likes to use the dollar coins as change. I think that there is an urgent need for the US Mint to do some serious outreach/training/SOMETHING with Costco. And it would be nice if there was a way to report directly to someone at the Mint or to someone (Senators or Representatives?) who are working on removeing the barrieres to circulation.
And how about an effort to get the change dispensers at checkstands to dispense dollar coins? There are thousands of self check stands and even most of the human checkstands have automatic change dispensers (like the “telequip” brand).
Hello again! Last question. Is there any truth to the rumor, that has been circulating on the web, regarding the possible confiscation of gold bullion, as has been stated it has already been signed into law, as of Jan. 1 2006. It is writen into the patriot act. With the page number, and the column the law resides in.
Thanks once again!
coiny
I have a 1991 quarter that is in three pieces due to missing material between the face and back of the coin. The notches all around the quarter are not there. I had the coin magnified 200 times and there is no apparent marks that would be visible from a cutting tool. Also the coin sets on top of another quarter perfectly. My question is how could that happen to a coin, and who would I talk to to find out how rare it is? thanks.
Thank you to everyone who submitted questions for the U.S. Mint. I have been collecting them all and will close the question period on Nov. 15. Updates will appear in my weekly About Coins newsletter and on my November 12, 2008 at 12:35 pm