July 2010

MINT UPDATES PRODUCT RELEASE DATES

The United States Mint announced its schedule of product release dates June 29 for most remaining 2010 numismatic products. "Regular" proof sets and uncirculated coin sets should go on sale before the end of July. Among products due out later in the year are rolls of the remaining two 2010 Presidential dollars (James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln), as well as bags and rolls for the remaining three parks quarters (Yosemite National Park, Grand Canyon National Park and Mt. Hood National Forest). The Mint sells new quarters and dollar coins to the public at a steep premium above face value. All of the dates are tentative and subject to change, and the beginning of sales sometimes precedes actual shipping by several weeks. The full schedule is posted on the Mint's web site.

Notably absent from the schedule is any encouraging news about proof and burnished uncirculated silver and gold American Eagles. Collectors of these popular coins were disappointed (in some cases, outraged) last year when none were produced. Although it has not yet ruled out striking the coins this year, the Mint continues to maintain that all available silver and gold blanks are necessary for bullion coins required by the law that first authorized American Eagle coins.

There is also still no scheduled release date for silver versions of the 2010 parks quarters. Required by a provision of the same law that established circulating commemorative quarters for National Parks and other notable sites in each of the 50 states and six other jurisdictions, each of these coins will be three inches in diameter and contain five ounces of .999 fine silver. They're not included on the product release schedule because they will not be sold directly to the public. Instead, they'll be distributed through the Mint's authorized bullion purchasers, as with bullion versions of gold, silver and platinum American Eagles.

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