This is a continuation of the timeline of events related to the U.S. Mint's Ultra-High Relief Double Eagle (UHRDE) gold coin. For the first part of this article, please see the UHRDE Timeline.
U.S. Mint Releases Statements About the UHRDE Events
February 20, 2009
- The U.S. Mint releases two statements which are posted here on the About.Com Coins site.
- The first statement admits that the Mint had dropped signature requirements for most orders in January 2009, but states that due to customer demand, it will work to restore the requirement. The Mint states that the Track Order feature was intentionally disabled due to faulty shipping information being provided on its Web site and promises restoration within a few days.
- The second statement acknowledges that the Mint is aware of alleged reports that customers have had their orders canceled because of a Web site issue and will look into the matter further. This statement says that the order tracking feature will be restored once all outstanding issues with it have been resolved.
February 24, 2009
- The Mint posts on its Web site that is has resumed shipping of the UHRDE coins, although it has never acknowledged that any had been previously shipped.
- The announcement indicates that there are production problems with the companion book, and to expedite orders, the Mint may ship the book separately.
February 25, 2009
- The Mint releases a statement which indicates that the Mint has emailed 45,000 customers about production issues with the companion book.
- Many customers indicate that they never received the email.
The UHRDE Coins Finally Ship In Large Numbers
Week of March 2 – March 6, 2009
- Many customers report receiving their UHRDE coins. Customers question why the Mint is not following its FIFO policy, as many customers who ordered on the second and third day have reported receiving their coins, but very few customers who ordered on the first day had received their coins yet.
March 4, 2009
- The Mint releases a statement saying that the Mint will resume signature requirements on all shipments of $300 or more in value, and most shipments containing precious metals. The signature requirement will be reinstated on March 13th. Reports immediately surfaced that some collectors had to sign for their UHRDEs, which were being shipped by overnight delivery, although most collectors still reported URHDEs being left on doorsteps without any notice at all.
March 5, 2009
- The Mint releases a statement to About.Com Coins which denies that there were any security issues with its Web site. However, the Mint also states that once the Track Order feature is reactivated, it will only be available to customers who have signed into their account on the Mint's Web site.
March 6, 2009
- The Mint releases a statement to About.Com Coins which acknowledges problems with their Customer Service phone system due to high demand for customers inquiring about order status.
- As part of the statement, the Mint states that the Track Order feature of the Web site will be reactivated that day.
March 10, 2009
- The Mint finally restores the Track Order feature, which requires the customer to log in to access it.
The UHRDE Defining Moment
U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy was quoted on March 28, 2008, as saying that the release of the UHRDE would be a “defining moment in American coinage.” Having received my coin on March 6, 2009, I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Moy. Unfortunately for many, the defining moment will also be associated with the fulfillment issues that accompanied the piece.
