Lincoln roll total rises at moderate pace

If there was just one statistic on this page and it was the Formative Years two-roll Lincoln cent set, that would probably satisfy the vast majority of readers. The set is certainly commanding wide attention among collectors. This week the sales increase is not as dramatic as last week’s number, but an increase of 22,771 sets is nothing to sneeze at.

Is demand falling back to a more routine level as collectors perhaps decide that the offering will not sell out in 13 days as the first roll set did? That might be a stretch. Interest in the Lincoln cents seems to still be at a very high level. We will have to wait for next week’s numbers to see if a new sales pattern is being established. The Mint is catching up on deliveries. New orders are promised a mid-June shipment, as compared with mid July just days ago.

Speaking of a new sales pattern, the Mint has reported that in the early weeks of May not all of the American Eagle one-ounce coins on hand were purchased by authorized purchasers. This could be a short-term aberration. But it means that it becomes important to keep in mind that sales numbers are not mintage numbers, so we cannot jump to the conclusion that the Mint is slowing its production pace.

The John Tyler dollar rolls appear at right this week. The initial numbers are quite high. This is interesting in that it might show that there is a substantial ongoing interest in rolls of Presidential dollars. Lincoln isn’t the only game in town.