May 24, 2021 | commentary, US Mint
The United States Mint, a federal bureau in the United States Department of the Treasury, issued a statement via social media regarding the failure of their systems to handle the ordering load for their most recent release:
COMMENTARY: Wash, rinse, and repeat.
We have heard this in the past and they have done nothing.
If the U.S. Mint is using a contractor to maintain their ordering system, the contractor must be terminated for cause.
Has the U.S. Mint addressed the failure of the Contracting Officer (CO) or Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR)?
It is time to address these failures to the Treasury Office of the Inspector General and other government oversight organizations.
May 24, 2021 | US Mint
I tried. I really tried!
I had logged in on three browsers on my computer.
I had logged in on the browser on my iPhone.
I had verified that my credit card was entered correctly in my account.
When I tried to purchase the 2021 Morgan Dollar with the CC privy mark, I was logged out, the system kept trying to verify my browser, their Cloudflare front end choked several times, and when I finally was able to order, I had to try the credit card process several times.
In short, business as usual for the United States Mint.
Bad gateway? When a website uses a content delivery network (CDN), such as Cloudflare, you receive the Bad Gateway (503) error when the CDN cannot refresh information from the server. In other words, the U.S. Mint’s servers were not able to keep up with the orders.
This was a hopeful sign!
I could not use my card on file. The system had problems processing. I have a password manager where I have my credit card entered and filled in the details. I entered the correct CVV TWICE! There should be no reason for the U.S. Mint to reject the proper CVV.
What? After eight minutes of trying to check out, at 12:18, I received a message that the system could not process my order. Why?
IT WAS SOLD OUT!
Open message to the U.S. Mint: Your incompetence is wearing on your customer’s nerves. It is time to contact the Treasury’s Office of the Inspector General, the House Financial Services Committee, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Development, and my representatives on the failure of a government agency to work in the public interest.
Apr 26, 2021 | coins, dollar, US Mint
EDITOR’s NOTE: The release schedule has changed. Please no not use this as a guide as to when to buy. Please visit the
U.S. Mint’s Product Schedule page for precise information.
Without announcement or other fanfare, the U.S. Mint added 2021 Morgan and Peace Dollars to the Product Schedule on the catalog website. The entries linked to their product pages where they buried critical details about the releases.
The pages noted a household limit of 25 coins. When collectors found out and complained, the U.S. Mint lowered the limit to 10 while claiming they are listening to their customers. The household limit is a controversy because of the low product limits placed by the U.S. Mint. Each of the 2021 Morgan Dollar options is limited to 175,000 coins, and the only Peace Dollar option is limited to 200,000 coins.
Why are the product limits so low?
It does not take a degree in marketing to read the numismatic media to understand that there will be a demand for these coins. The ANA pursued passage of this legislation beginning in 2019. Collectors in numismatic forums have discussed the coins. Yet, the U.S. Mint claiming that they are listening to their customers is tone-deaf when it comes to production to satisfy the market.
When a government agency has to do something not exactly the way the public expects, the agency will go about its business trying to generate as little publicity as possible. The U.S. Mint has tried to hide the low product limits and its callous disregard to the collecting community they claim to hear by ignoring the extreme demand these coins will have.
A government agency is supposed to serve the public. If the U.S. Mint is really listening, they will increase the product limits. Otherwise, this is David Ryder playing games at the collector’s expense and should resign as Director of the U.S. Mint.
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CC Privy Mark for the 2021 Morgan Dollar
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O Privy Mark for the 2021 Morgan Dollar
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2021 Peace Silver Dollar
2021 Morgan and Peace Dollars Specifications
| Denomination: |
$1 |
| Finish: |
Uncirculated |
| Composition: |
.999 Silver |
| Silver Weight: |
0.858 troy oz. |
| Diameter: |
1.500 inches (38.10 mm) |
| Edge: |
Reeded |
2021 Morgan and Peace Dollars Program Information
| Coin |
Privy Mark |
Release Date |
Production Limit |
Price |
| 2021 Morgan Dollar |
“CC” |
May 24, 2021 |
175,000 |
$85.00 |
| 2021 Morgan Dollar |
“O” |
May 24, 2021 |
175,000 |
$85.00 |
| 2021-D Morgan Dollar |
|
June 1, 2021 |
175,000 |
$85.00 |
| 2021-S Morgan Dollar |
|
June 1, 2021 |
175,000 |
$85.00 |
| 2021 Morgan Dollar |
|
June 7, 2021 |
175,000 |
$85.00 |
| 2021 Peace Dollar |
|
June 7, 2021 |
200,000 |
$85.00 |
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Mar 17, 2021 | celebration, coins, commemorative, silver, US Mint
The United States Mint released the Christa McAuliffe Proof Silver Dollar in a socially distanced ceremony where they presented the first coin to First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, honoring her lifelong dedication to teaching.
NASA selected Christa McAuliffe to be the first member of the Teacher in Space Program. The space agency would train teachers to travel to space and hold lessons from the space shuttle. Unfortunately, 73 seconds into the flight, the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated, killing all seven members aboard.
Jill Biden began her education career as a substitute teacher in 1975. She went to school part-time to earn her Master of Education, completing her coursework while pregnant with her daughter Ashley. After a few years, Biden returned to the classroom teaching English in a public high school. In January 2007, at age 55, she earned a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) before hitting the campaign trail for the Obama-Biden ticket.
Dr. Biden is a champion for education and plans to teach again this fall.
During the issuing ceremony, Biden said:
There’s a saying Christa loved and it’s inscribed on the coin that we unveiled today: ‘I touch the future I teach.’ And this coin, like her life, is a tribute to all educators, as Steve [McAuliffe] said. It’s a reminder of the incredible power we hold to write our history and to shape our future. And it’s a recognition of the obligation we have to keep working toward a time when all students have all that they need to thrive. So thank you to all the educators who touch the future.
The coin’s sale price includes a $10 surcharge paid to the FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics program to promote leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Credits: All images are courtesy of the U.S. Mint via social media.
Mar 10, 2021 | commentary, US Mint
Before the February 11th sale of the 2021-W American Silver Eagle Proof coins, the U.S. Mint allowed dealers to buy the coins in bulk. Coin World reports that dealers were able to purchase coins three-days in advance of the public sale.
The U.S. Mint had a product limit of 327,440 coins with a household limit of 99 coins. Since learning about this, it was surprising that coins available to purchase. The coin sold out in a few moments.
Speculators purchased as much as they could afford then listed their inventory on eBay. They are profiting from the U.S. Mint’s decision to serve the dealers rather than the collector. If you want to buy the coin on eBay, the average sale price of the coin issued at $73 is $110-140. It is a 33-percent to 48-percent increase over the issue price.
This eBay seller took a picture of the box the Eagles were shipped in. How do you feel about this?
For those who complain about coin designs and base-metal coinage as a threat to the hobby, what about the U.S. Mint’s action to shutout collectors from silver coins?
If the U.S. Mint serves the dealers, they do not serve the public and do not serve the hobby. If the approach is all about business, then what about the collectors?
When Rhett Jeppson started the U.S. Mint’s Numismatic Forum in 2016, the promise was to bring in different members of the numismatic industry to help guide the mint into the future for the benefit of the hobby. Jeppson was nominated to be the Mint’s Director but was never confirmed.
The U.S. Mint continued with the forms in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Reports of those meetings said that they were productive. It has not made an impact.
Since the Senate approved David Ryder as director, he has done little to make the U.S. Mint more responsive to the customer. The Numismatic Forums have ceased, and Ryder seems to favor creating collectible coins instead of getting the coins into collectors’ hands.
An example of what is wrong with Ryder’s approach is when there were ordering problems with the V75 American Silver Eagle. Instead of saying that the U.S. Mint will work on the issue, Ryder touts the collectibles he created.
What good is creating collectibles if the collector cannot purchase the coins?
The ever-changing quarter designs, privy marks, and other things people complain about will not hurt the hobby. Forcing the collector into the unregulated secondary market to buy newly issued coins will drive collectors away.
Feb 12, 2021 | commentary, US Mint
Just like that, it was over.
The knock on the door was a few moments before noon. It was a customer with an appointment to pick up an order. The door was open, the customer picked up their item and left. Before wiping down the table, I went back to the computer.
A tap on the keyboard brought up the password prompt to end the screensaver. When the screen cleared, the clock in the upper-right read 12:04. A quick click and there was the message, “This product is currently unavailable.”
Once again, a limited edition collectible out of reach of a collector. With the popularity of the American Silver Eagle Proof coins and only 327,440 to be off ered, the U.S. Mint set a “Household Order Limit” of 99. How many dealers with dedicated staff were able to purchase their 99 coin limit?
Instead of giving the collectors a chance, the U.S. Mint set the rules to favor the dealers and those whose work requirements took them away from the computer.
With all of the past problems and the tepid response from Director David Ryder, there is little hope that the U.S. Mint will fix these problems. Ryder either does not care about the collector or does not have the competence to fix the problems. Although the website worked, the policies favored the dealers and did nothing for the collectors.
It is time for Ryder to descend from his ivory tower to understand how the collectors are treated. If he refuses to do something about it, he should hand in his resignation to allow the president to appoint someone who knows what they are doing.
Jan 18, 2021 | coin design, coins, dollar, halves, legislative, quarter, silver, US Mint
The president has signed the last numismatic-related bill this past week. On January 13, 2021, the president signed the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (Public Law No. 116-330). It was the last possible day to sign the bill. If he did not sign it, the bill would be subjected to a pocket veto.
- H.R. 1923: Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020
Sponsor: Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
LAST ACTION: Signed by the President and became Public Law No: 116-330. — Jan 13, 2021
The law will require the U.S. Mint to redesign the quarters’ reverse through 2030, starting in 2022.
Prominent American Women Quarters
For the quarters issued between 2022 and 2025, “The design on the reverse side of each quarter dollar issued under this subsection shall be emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of one prominent woman of the United States.” The U.S. Mint will issue “up to” five quarters per year and confer with several groups to determine who receives the honor.
United States Semiquincentennial Coins
The United States will celebrate its seniquincentennial (250th Anniversary) on July 4, 2026. In celebration of the event, the law states that the U.S. Mint will issue the following coins:
- QUARTERS: 2026 quarters “with up to five different designs emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial.” One quarter must be design to be emblematic of the contribution of a woman or women.
- DOLLARS: orders the Mint to issue “$1 dollar coins with designs emblematic of the United States semiquincentennial.” These dollar coins will be issued in addition to the Native American and Innovation dollars.
Youth Sports Program
The law requires the U.S. Mint to celebrate youth sports with changes to the quarter and half-dollars to correspond to the Summer Olympic games of 2028 and the Winter games of 2030. This program will run from 2027 through 2030.
- QUARTERS: Up to five coins issued each year “shall be emblematic of one sport played by American youth.”
- HALF-DOLLARS: Up to five coins issued each year “emblematic of one Paralympic sport.”
- MEDALS: The law authorizes the U.S. Mint to create “medals with designs emblematic of the sport honored with the issuance of the coin.”
Medals for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles
The law authorizes the U.S. Mint “to design and manufacture medals for awarding at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California.” The law makes it the first time in the modern Olympics history that the U.S. Mint will create the games’ medals. Previously, the Olympic committees had a private vendor create the medals. According to the International Olympic Committee website, medals for the games played in the United States were created by the following:
| Year |
Games |
Location |
Minter of the Medals |
| 1904 |
Summer |
St. Louis |
Diege & Clust |
| 1932 |
Summer |
Los Angeles |
The Whitehead & Hoag Co. |
| 1932 |
Winter |
Lake Placid |
Robbins Company |
| 1960 |
Winter |
Squaw Valley |
Herff Jones |
| 1980 |
Winter |
Lake Placid |
Medallic Art Co. |
| 1984 |
Summer |
Los Angeles |
Jostens, Inc |
| 1996 |
Summer |
Atlanta |
Reed and Barton |
| 2002 |
Winter |
Salt Lake City |
O.C. Tanner |
Silver Bullion Coins
The new law allows the U.S. Mint to continue to make the five-ounce silver bullion coins that correspond to each of the quarter and half-dollar programs. Interestingly, the silver hockey-puck-sized coins appear to be popular and will continue to be available to collectors and investors.
Also added to the law is the ability to strike factional silver bullion coins with the same designs. It is uncertain if a half-ounce or quarter-ounce silver coin will sell, but we will find out.
Obverse of the Coins
George Washington will continue to appear on the obverse but “be designed in a manner, such as with incused inscriptions, so as to distinguish it from the obverse design used during the previous quarters program.”
The bill includes similar language for the image of John F. Kennedy on the 2026 Semiquincentennial half-dollar.
And now the news…
January 8, 2021
Coin collecting is viewed by many enthusiasts to be a form of modern day treasure hunting, as shops in South Beloit and Beloit continue to do well as collectors come seeking rare finds, or simply to make an investment in precious metals.
→ Read more at
beloitdailynews.com
January 11, 2021
The world’s finest Brasher Doubloon, the most legendary U.S gold coin ever produced, is heading for auction at Heritage this month. The 18th century coin is described as “arguably the world’s most famous numismatic rarity”, and is one of only seven examples known to exist.
→ Read more at
news.justcollecting.com
January 13, 2021
Ongoing excavations at a rural spot near the village of Újlengyel in central Hungary recently struck gold, both figuratively and literally. Archaeologists armed with powerful metal detectors found a buried treasure of approximately seven thousand silver and four medieval gold coins in Hungary, hidden centuries ago by unknown individuals.
→ Read more at
ancient-origins.net
January 14, 2021
Egypt: Archaeologists find coins with Cleopatra’s face on Thousands of objects including ancient coins, pottery and sculpture thousands of years old have been secured, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has confirmed.
→ Read more at
express.co.uk
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Dec 23, 2020 | coins, commemorative, dollar, US Mint
Colorized Basketball Hall of Fame Half Dollar Clad Coin (Image courtesy of the U.S. Mint)
Collectors of commemorative coins have until December 31 to purchase Women’s Suffrage Centennial Silver Dollars. They are available in proof and uncirculated finishes. Similarly, the Basketball Hall of Fame coins will also end next week. This program features a curved $5 gold coin, silver dollar, and clad half-dollar. It also means that the first colorized coins will also end.
Although I am not a collector of commemorative coins, I am a sports fan and enticed by the curved basketball coins. I ordered the Silver Dollar and the colorized clad half-dollar. I think the full-color half-dollar is better looking than just the colorized rim.
Following the 2018 American Innovation $1 Coin, the U.S. Mint began producing the coins as a reverse proof. The reverse proofs are enclosed in an individual folder with information about the coins and the innovation it honors. So that I can catch-up, I ordered the entire 2019 set. They have not released the South Carolina reverse proof coin honoring Septima Clark. When they do, I will order the complete 2020 set.
If you did not get what you wanted for the holidays or received gift cards, why not add something cool to your collection before the price doubles on the secondary market.
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Nov 14, 2020 | commentary, technology, US Mint
Following the debacle that became of the online ordering process for the End of World War II 75th Anniversary American Eagle Coins, the U.S. Mint issued a statement on social media. On Twitter, the U.S. Mint posted in a series of tweets that read:
When people complained, whoever is posting on their social media platforms commented:
The problem is that there have been problems for many years. Every time the U.S. Mint offers a limited edition coin, their website has problems meeting the demand, leading to an apology and a promise that they will resolve the system issues.
Searching this blog, you can find problems with the ordering process for:
What you will not find is a story where the ordering process went smoothly. You will not find a story where the U.S. Mint claims that they have fixed their ordering problems. And you will be able to find a story where the U.S. Mint explains how they plan to fix the problems.
From 2016 through 2019, the U.S. Mint has held a collecting forum in Philadelphia. Each year, the U.S. Mint has invited people from all areas of the industry to meet with them and discuss the future of the U.S. Mint’s products. The coronavirus pandemic prevented them from holding this year’s forum. After every forum, the U.S. Mint thanks the participants and promises to do better.
David J. Ryder at the hearing regarding his nomination to be the 39th Director of the U.S. Mint
Ryder is not a stranger to the U.S. Mint or the federal government. Besides working at the Commerce Department, he served in the Office of the Vice President for George H.W. Bush. Bush appointed Ryder as the 34th Mint Director during a Senate recess in 1992.
Before joining the U.S. Mint, Ryder worked for the Secure Products division of the Sarnoff Corporation. After purchased by Honeywell in 2007, he was Director of Currency for Honeywell Authentication Technologies. Ryder can lead an organization looking in the critical security of currency handling with worldwide influence, but he cannot manage the U.S. Mint out a technological paper bag.
As a former federal contractor, I understand that the contracting process is slow. The federal government acquisition process is fraught with checks, rechecks, oversight, and investigations that drive up a hammer’s price to thousands of dollars. But it is the same process to purchase a tool as it is to make a change to a fighter jet costing tens of millions of dollars.
The U.S. Mint has done some work on the website. Aside from changing the look, they replaced the content management system which manages the site. For the technologically savvy, they migrated from the original Drupal implementation to WordPress. The Coin Collectors Blog uses WordPress.
Although the transition to WordPress may provide the flexibility the U.S. Mint needs to manage the website, they have not met the critical need for customer engagement. Fixing customer engagement in a government agency requires the head of the agency to initiate that change. What has Ryder been doing?
Although the pandemic caused significant interruptions in everything, developers do not have to be on-site to develop software. A program can write programs from just about anywhere. Why were these processes not managed in the subsequent months?
I am asking Ryder to step up to his role and better manage the situation. I am not calling for the removal of Ryder. (POLITICAL ANALYSIS ALERT: Don’t read the rest of the paragraph if you do not like a frank discussion of politics as it affects the U.S. Mint). If Ryder leaves his position, President-elect Biden will likely never have an appointment voted on by the Republican-controlled Senate. We will be back to the nearly eight years of Acting Directors who do not have the authority to make necessary changes as the appointed director could.
Please, Director Ryder, fix the problem. Maybe you can listen to the collecting community. We have good ideas, and we are willing to help.
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Nov 5, 2020 | US Mint
DEAR U.S. MINT:
FIX YOUR WEB-BASED ORDERING PROCESS!
DEAR CLOUDFLARE:
YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO MANAGE TRAFFIC. THIS IS NOT A GOOD LOOK FOR YOU!!
Signed,
Very upset collectors
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How many times do I have to prove I am human?
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How is a human rate limited? Cloudflare, why are you not managing traffic?
What is this?
Get all the way to enter the credit card and then…
After making a work-related call, I decided to try one more time before going to complete my work for today and was able to order! Just a mear one-hour and 15 minutes after the coin went on sale!
SOLD OUT!
End of World War II 75th Anniversary American Eagle Silver Proof Coin
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