Mint Stats: Year winds down with a gold coin first

For the first time and the only week of the year, the Mint sold all three gold Centennial coins simultaneously. Actually, it was just one day, Dec. 15, but since…

For the first time and the only week of the year, the Mint sold all three gold Centennial coins simultaneously. Actually, it was just one day, Dec. 15, but since it is a weekly report, I can tell you that 8,834 gold Mercury dimes, 700 gold Standing Liberty quarters and 366 Walking Liberty halves were sold since last week’s column.

Holiday demand seems to be receding, but buyers carried away another 4,298 2016 Presidential proof sets, 10,817 clad 2016 proof sets and 4,762 2016 mint sets. These are very traditional purchases. They are often given as gifts.

Bullion coin buyers carried off 5,500 one-ounce gold Buffalo coins. They are .9999 fine compared to the .9167 fineness of the gold American Eagle.

Numbers will become more active when sales begin for 2017-dated bullion coins on Jan. 9. The Mint sells these coins only to its authorized purchasers, who in turn distribute them throughout the numismatic marketplace.

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