Uncirculated set returns to schedule

I was looking at the U.S. Mint product schedule yesterday. I see that the 2013 uncirculated coin set goes on sale on the U.S. Mint website on June 4.

I was delighted to see this because the set’s temporary disappearance from the schedule had upset a number of people who emailed me in recent weeks to ask what might be going on.

This interest in trusty old mint sets, as they were usually called when I first began to buy them in the late 1960s, surprised me. I kind of figured that buyers were taking these sets more out of duty than of interest.

However, simple duty doesn’t usually impel people to send me emails to find out when the 2013 set will be offered.

It is good to see that one of the building blocks of numismatics still has a role to play in the life of collectors and has not been totally overshadowd by the many high-value precious metals issues.

Price of the 2013 uncirculated coin set is $27.95. Naturally, my memory kicks in and I have to compare it to the $2.50 price of the first mint set I ever purchased, the 1969 issue.

There are many more coins in this year’s set with far higher face value. The 1969 set was down right small in comparison with just three cents, two nickels, two dimes, two quarters and a half dollar in it.

I salute all collectors who still insist on getting a mint set each year.

Buzz blogger Dave Harper is editor of the weekly newspaper "Numismatic News."