It was a busy week for me and the US Mint. While I was toiling to help another government agency from failing on one job, the Mint was demonstrating why it is the world’s largest manufacturer of numismatic items. So let’s look at the news…
On May 4, the Mint announced that it will begin to take orders for the Little Rock Central High School Desegregation 50th Anniversary Silver Dollars on May 15, starting at noon. This coin commemorates the historical significance of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School following the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision by the US Supreme Court. For more about this coin, read my article “Little Rock Central High Commem Design.”
The Mint quietly dropped the discussion of producing fractional American Buffalo 24-karat Gold Coins and extended the potential release date until June. It is suspected that the Mint may require congress to pass necessary legislation in order to authorize the production fractional Buffalo coins, although this has not been confirmed by the Mint. Uncirculated 2007 Buffalo coins can be purchased from dealers and on the secondary market.
Earlier this month, the Mint advertised that they would sell the First Spouse gold coins by the set at $1,675.95. But the Mint announced this week that they will begin to sell First Spouse gold coins individually started at noon on June 19, 2007 for the Martha Washington and Abigail Adams coins. Jefferson’s Liberty coin will be for sale on August 16 and the Dolley Madison coin on November 15. No set will be offered. Individual coins will sell for $429.95 as proof coins and $410.95 as uncirculated coins.
The Mint also announced that the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) will meet Tuesday, May 15, at the Philadelphia Downtown Marriott Hotel at 9 A.M. On the agenda is the design of the Congressional Gold Medal to honor the Dalai Lama as well as the proposed design for the 2008 American Bald Eagle Commemorative Coins.
Time to go take some pictures so I have some fun stuff to talk about.
All images from the US Mint.