Sellouts and year-end deadlines

Unless a large purchaser steps forward in the next few days, it would appear that sales of the 2009 Ultra High Relief Saint-Gaudens $20 gold piece will end with a whimper rather than a bang.

In the week ending Dec. 20, buyers took an additional 1,887 pieces to bring the cumulative sales total to 110,681. That’s not bad for an average week, but if there were potential buyers made anxious by the Dec. 31 sales cutoff, they are not showing it.

For comparison, look at the proof 2009 one-ounce gold Buffalo coin. Buyers took 922 of those coins during the same week to bring the cumulative total to 41,553.

Fractional gold American Eagles have sold out. The 2009 half-ounce number is 110,000 coins, the quarter-ounce total is 110,000 coins (yes, the same) and the tenth-ounce number is 270,000.

Buyers who are waiting for 2010 bullion coins can take not that the Mint expects to begin accepting orders for the 2010 silver American Eagle Jan. 19, some three week’s later than what has been customary for each new date.

However, market demand in 2009 was anything but customary. Some 27,843,000 is the current running total for sales of the popular silver coin.

It also appears that the four-coin 2009 Lincoln proof set has sold out at 201,107.

The Mint has a list of products that go off sale Dec. 31. On this list are the Jefferson and Madison Presidential dollar rolls and bags. Any interested buyers have had almost three years to get them, so nobody can claim a lack of opportunity.