Proof five ouncers?
Kudos to Mint Director Ed Moy for attending the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money in Boston even briefly. My condolences go to him and his family on the loss of his mother just beforehand.
I am sure that individuals who asked for his autograph at the Mint booth and who attended the public forum on Saturday morning would feel as I do had they known the circumstances.
We are getting closer to seeing the five-ounce, three-inch diameter America the Beautiful silver coins, but we still do not know a starting date for sales.
Moy said that they are still working on questions of price, distribution and quality.
Though it is called a bullion coin, Moy said they were trying to find some flexibility regarding distribution. That’s another way of saying the Mint would like to sell directly to collectors.
The Mint also would like to see proof and uncirculated collector versions, but there may not be enough time between now and year end to make that a reality.
An order of 500,000 planchets has been placed and each of the five designs will see 100,000 made in sequence.
To divide these mintages between proof, uncirculated and bullion coins would knock the figures down to roughly 33,000 each and another Mint goal is not to create an instant rarity.
It is possible that this year will not see proof and uncirculated pieces, but next year will, making the idea of complete sets for the 56-design program rather an eclectic mixture.
Stay tuned.
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