Mint Stats: Holiday buying pushes sales figures

Sales of proof 2012-W silver American Eagle coins took a nice jump past the 800,000-mark this week, rising by 23,302 as holiday demand is beginning to make itself felt.

Collector attachment to the proofs is quite evident when comparing that sales number to the numbers of the 2011-W and 2012-W uncirculated versions. Buyers took just 280 more of the 2011 uncirculated coins and 827 more of the 2012 coins. That’s a decisive difference.

What little excitement there was for the 2012-W proof gold American Eagle coins centered on the half ounce. Buyers took 392 more of these, bringing the running total to 3,069 coins. Weekly sales of the ounce were 85 coins, the quarter ounce 67 coins and the tenth ounce 106 coins. Buyers took 54 more four-coin sets.

Perhaps the half ounce is favored this year as a holiday gift.

Demand for the 2012 5-ounce silver bullion coins is developing some regularity as El Yunque rose by 1,250, Chaco by 1,250 and Denali by 2,500. The other two saw no added demand this week.

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