Mint Stats: Know a good gimmick for 5 oz?

Sales are beginning to slow already for the Olympic 5-ounce uncirculated collector silver coin. The rate collectors are buying them has fallen by half. This week’s number of 2,739 brings the ongoing total to 8,662. About all that can be said is this seems to match the sales pace set by the Gettysburg and Glacier pieces that went on sale prior to the Olympic coin, but all three are lagging the demand that pushed the 2010 issues to four sellouts and one near sellout. Will the Mount Hood coin ever reach its 27,000 sellout number? At this week’s sales rate of 189, the sellout won’t likely occur in calendar year 2011.

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Can anything be done to revive the excitement for the 5-ounce coins? Perhaps the Mint will create a second anniversary set in 2012 with all reverse proofs in it. A gimmick? Of course. Is it likely? I wouldn’t bet on it. But sales of the 2012 5-ounce uncirculated collector coins might very well fall below the 2011 results if no changes are made at all.

Bullion Eagle sales have slowed, too.