First Spouse bottom found?

I have written from time to time about the declining mintage figures of each successive issue of First Spouse gold coins.

The excitement of three consecutive rapid sellouts that started the program was replaced by a sense of boredom.

Without that motivation of being able to buy a new issue for a quick sale at a higher price on eBay, many buyers simply vanished, reducing the core demand to tried and true collectors.

How tried those true collectors are could be seen in combined sales totals dropping from 40,000 to hardly more than 6,000.

But look. Abigail Fillmore might just mark the turning point. Sales of 2,228 uncirculateds and 4,211 proofs total a combined 6,439. This is higher than the 6,084 for the prior Margaret Taylor issue.

Sure the difference is not large, but sales have started to rise all the same.

With Mary Todd Lincoln coming up as the final First Spouse coin of the 2010, that will help reinforce any growing uptrend.

Certainly, if this series has found its bottom, then better times lie ahead.