When the Elizabeth Monroe First Spouse gold coins went on sale Feb. 28, for the first time in the program, the prior offering had not sold out.
The result is collectors are being treated to two half-ounce gold coin designs that are selling at two vastly different prices.
The new proof Monroe piece is priced at $619.95 each and the uncirculated coin is priced at $599.95.
Both prices represent an increase from the prior Dolley Madison design. However, Dolley is still on sale.
You can buy the proof for $529.95 and the uncirculated for $509.95. Both prices are $90 less than the Monroe pieces. How long this relative bargain can last probably depends on what the world?s commodity markets do to the price of the underlying gold bullion.
The metallic value is roughly $483.50 as this is written and the Mint has shown a reluctance in its other programs to price its coins below bullion value.
However, should bullion stop rising, and supplies last, it will be the Mint?s policy to keep the First Spouse coins on sale for a year, a spokesman said.
On other bullion-related issues, the 2007-W silver uncirculated Eagle coin that had been on and off sale repeatedly since December is now permanently off sale. See the Mint Statistics column on Page 18 for the final number.
Also, the tenth-ounce 2007 proof gold Eagles took their final bow as well, joining all the other proof gold sizes in going off sale.
Because of the soaring cost of platinum, the two-coin 10th anniversary platinum American Eagle set is currently unavailable even though hardly more than half have been sold.
Would-be buyers are awaiting repricing and a return of them to the market along with the other platinum Eagle offerings. The uncirculated 2007-W gold Eagles were still on sale as this is written.
