I rarely post in these threads, but I really want to thank @BackroadJunkie and everyone else who posts here for constantly reminding me of the mint's offerings. Among other things, I collect modern mint commems and these threads are very handy.
I rarely post in these threads, but I really want to thank @BackroadJunkie and everyone else who posts here for constantly reminding me of the mint's offerings. Among other things, I collect modern mint commems and these threads are very handy.
@Mark said:
USM065450XX
I rarely post in these threads, but I really want to thank @BackroadJunkie and everyone else who posts here for constantly reminding me of the mint's offerings. Among other things, I collect modern mint commems and these threads are very handy.
Yes, big time thank you to @BackroadJunkie !!!
+2
Q: Are You Printing Money? Bernanke: Not Literally
I love the design's continuing narrative idea from the obverse to the reverse. Very inspirational and educational.
These will make great gifts for the younger members of the family.
Came home at 4p to check out the pages of new posts on today's new issue and found only eight ....eight posts not pages since the release four hours ago. ..hmmmm
A limited edition American Legion Proof Silver Dollar and American Veterans Silver Medal Set will be available later this year. The set features a 99.9% silver medal that will only be available in this set. Mintage is limited to 10,000 units! Be among the first to own these silver treasures.
Thanks. I signed up to text alerts which I have never done, for anything, before. A test I hope works better than the email alerts that seem to come late on the day of release or the next day. Worthless.
@Kudbegud said:
Thanks. I signed up to text alerts which I have never done, for anything, before. A test I hope works better than the email alerts that seem to come late on the day of release or the next day. Worthless.
The text alerts work great. I’ve been signed up for many of them. You’ll receive a text 3 hours before the item is available.
NPD1078
I have completed positive sales and purchses from the following members: jclovescoins, dpoole, dmarks, guysmiling, Ducky1100 , piecesofme, ericj96 ,Classof67, ModernCoin, MrOrganic, 53BKid, nychad10, GUINZO1975, derryb (3 times), PinkFloyd
First post here. I just wanted to thank everyone for the wealth of information about these new issues and the ones in older threads! I ordered the three piece and the Unc coins yesterday.
About the Artists. There are typos in the below articles.
—————
Clad Half Dollar
Coin countdown: Meet Richard Masters, American Legion commemorative coin artist
BY: Matt Grills Mar 11, 2019
Richard Masters’ work for the U.S. Mint is a marriage of his interest in art and his boyhood hobby of coin collecting. A former professor of art at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Masters has designed 21 coins and five medals, including the 2009 Bicentennial Lincoln Cent (Log Cabin), the 2011 Sacajawea gold dollar reverse and the 2017 America the Beautiful Effigy Mounds (Iowa) quarter reverse.
His latest is the American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative silver half dollar, which goes on sale at noon Eastern on March 14.
“I submitted designs for all three coins,” Masters says. “As it turned out, my two designs for the half dollar were selected, which were the boy and girl saying the Pledge of Allegiance as well as the U.S. flag. I really like that design. The American Legion had stressed the importance of having artists look at the organization’s Four Pillars. Two of the four, Americanism and Children & Youth, sort of fused together for me.
“I had this idea of children pledging allegiance; we did that growing up, and I remember quite vividly that one of our duties as older boys was to go out every morning and hoist the flag. That was a really memorable experience for me, and so the flag is seen from the children’s point of view on the ground.
“One of the finishing touches is that the little girl is wearing her father’s or grandfather’s old American Legion cap. It implies that even at a young age children can start learning about patriotism and having pride in their country. Those early impressions … stick with you for the rest of your life.”
Coin countdown: Meet Patricia Lucas-Morris, American Legion commemorative coin artist
BY: Matt Grills Mar 10, 2019
Patricia Lucas-Morris’ drawings are known for their incredible detail, from illustrations for children’s books to technical work for Boeing Co. For more than 40 years, she has produced artwork for collectors nationwide, mostly in graphite.
More recently, Lucas-Morris has contributed coin and medal designs for the U.S. Mint through its Artist Infusion program, including the reverse side of the American Legion commemorative silver half dollar, which goes on sale at noon Eastern on March 14.
“The most important part is the crossed flags, the U.S. flag and the American Legion flag,” Lucas-Morris says. “My original design had the arch, which is there now and is actually a detail from the Arc de Triomphe. I wanted something symbolic of France, and of course the next thing would be the fleur-de-lis, so that’s where I went with that. I did the reverse for the silver coin, and Paul Balan did the obverse. I think his design is absolutely gorgeous.”
Her father served in the Army during World War II as a paratrooper, and her mother in the Women’s Army Corps in Georgia, where she worked in a hospital. “My daughter recently married a retired Marine,” Lucas-Morris says. “I also have various uncles who were in the service.”
Coin countdown: Meet Paul Balan, American Legion commemorative coin artist
BY: Matt Grills Mar 8, 2019
Before immigrating to the United States in 2001, Paul Balan worked as a painter and sculptor in his native Philippines. Now he is pushing his artistic talents in new directions, doing coin and medal designs for the U.S. Mint’s Artistic Infusion program. Two of which he’s particularly proud are his designs for the upcoming American Legion commemorative coins, which go on sale March 14.
Balan designed the heads side of the silver dollar, which features the American Legion emblem surrounded by oak leaves and a fleur-de-lis, a nod to its 1919 founding in Paris. He also designed the tails side of the gold piece, which depicts a soaring bald eagle and smaller American Legion emblem.
“For me, what is appealing is that it’s not really a symmetrical balance, but it’s balanced in terms of visual impact,” Balan says. “The design is not overpowering the emblem. For the silver dollar, I wanted to put something on both sides to make it look heraldic. So I incorporated the oak, a symbol of strength and solidarity. I also incorporated the fleur-de-lis, because The American Legion was established in France. On the other coin, I used the eagle, which symbolizes honor, valor and bravery.
“This design is dedicated to those who fought for our freedom and security, and it is something I’m very proud of. I did it for our heroes and for those who sacrificed their lives. It is truly a tribute to them. The project was quite challenging, but the coin is one of my favorites I’ve designed.”
@BackroadJunkie said: Any precious metal shipment is automatically upgraded to expedited, which means UPS signature ground.
I'm not sure that is still the rule. None of my Apollo came that way. The American Legion shipments, both with Gold, are coming Priority Mail Signature. We are lucky they listened and don't ship stupid post on regular orders for HI & AK. They now normally come Priority Mail but only require a Signature if PM is in the order.
I believe, correct me if I'm mistaken @Hemispherical, to get UPS delivery you have to pay for the upgrade. Did you upgrade shipping when you checked out yesterday @Hemispherical ?
@Kudbegud said: @BackroadJunkie said: Any precious metal shipment is automatically upgraded to expedited, which means UPS signature ground.
I'm not sure that is still the rule. None of my Apollo came that way. The American Legion shipments, both with Gold, are coming Priority Mail Signature. We are lucky they listened and don't ship stupid post on regular orders for HI & AK. They now normally come Priority Mail but only require a Signature if PM is in the order.
I believe, correct me if I'm mistaken @Hemispherical, to get UPS delivery you have to pay for the upgrade. Did you upgrade shipping when you checked out yesterday @Hemispherical ?
@Kudbegud Yes. Paid the extra for next day. I have done it before but never actually had it shipped and delivered next day. I think it was @jmlanzaf who said it best... there were only 10 of us who ordered. LOL!
Probably much more than that but we’ll see in next weeks Mint’s stats.
@Kudbegud said: @NPD1078 - Thanks. So you got a text at 9 am EDT yesterday? The only text you got?
@Hemispherical - You have them in hand already? From a Mint gift store?
Yes i received the text ( and email i signed up for that as well ) 9 am EST. The US Mint will only send you one text for each item you signup for.
NPD1078
I have completed positive sales and purchses from the following members: jclovescoins, dpoole, dmarks, guysmiling, Ducky1100 , piecesofme, ericj96 ,Classof67, ModernCoin, MrOrganic, 53BKid, nychad10, GUINZO1975, derryb (3 times), PinkFloyd
@Kudbegud said: @BackroadJunkie said: Any precious metal shipment is automatically upgraded to expedited, which means UPS signature ground.
I'm not sure that is still the rule. None of my Apollo came that way. The American Legion shipments, both with Gold, are coming Priority Mail Signature. We are lucky they listened and don't ship stupid post on regular orders for HI & AK. They now normally come Priority Mail but only require a Signature if PM is in the order.
I believe, correct me if I'm mistaken @Hemispherical, to get UPS delivery you have to pay for the upgrade. Did you upgrade shipping when you checked out yesterday @Hemispherical ?
It's still in the FAQ's:
Expedited Shipping
...
Orders with Merchandise valued at $300 or more with a budget or standard delivery option chosen will receive a complimentary upgrade to signature-required Ground Shipping. Gift Wrap and Shipping and Handling charges are not considered part of the Merchandise total.
Shipments containing any gold or platinum United States Mint collectibles with a budget or standard delivery option chosen will receive a complimentary upgrade to Expedited Shipping.
Your Apollo 11 gold didn't come signature ground? Mine did...
Well, lol, then it's supposed to arrive with a day or two. That's what you're paying for. (The Mint claims two days, but I suppose it depends on when UPS picks it up...)
My answer was directed to Kudbegud. Any PM order should be shipped expedited by default...
Well, lol, then it's supposed to arrive with a day or two. That's what you're paying for. (The Mint claims two days, but I suppose it depends on when UPS picks it up...)
My answer was directed to Kudbegud. Any PM order should be shipped expedited by default...
Agree. But normally (usually), they never actually shipped the next day. Usually shipped on Monday with arrival on Tuesday. All is good.
Still trying to figure out how many more of the clads to get.
Really want to get that silver/veteran set, too. Have a few people who would enjoy having it.
Adding the 3 coin Proof set numbers to the individual Proof coin sales:
3 coin set + proof gold = 4,432
3 coin set + proof dollar = 13,365
3 coin set + proof half = 10,770
Not great numbers. About in line with the other service organization commems of late. (i.e. Boys Town, Lions Club, etc.)
The Coin and Medal set will probably be the only sellout of the group. Well, maybe the 3-coin, since they're usually the preferred way to buy the proofs if you're going in...
Adding the 3 coin Proof set numbers to the individual Proof coin sales:
3 coin set + proof gold = 4,432
3 coin set + proof dollar = 13,365
3 coin set + proof half = 10,770
Now comes the fun part... When the HHL gets lifted and the major dealers start buying bulk..
Those are the numbers I'm interested in
NPD1078
I have completed positive sales and purchses from the following members: jclovescoins, dpoole, dmarks, guysmiling, Ducky1100 , piecesofme, ericj96 ,Classof67, ModernCoin, MrOrganic, 53BKid, nychad10, GUINZO1975, derryb (3 times), PinkFloyd
So how how do these numbers look at first blush? Consistent with the other organization-celebration coins like Lions Club, etc? Given promotional costs like, say, the mailing I received, it makes me wonder if the Mint can actually start losing money on slow-selling coins.
I do like these okay, especially the gold obverse. But the dollar is just something I’d rather see in hand before spending $50 on it.
@planetsteve said:
So how do these numbers look at first blush? Consistent with the other organization-celebration coins like Lions Club, etc? Given promotional costs like, say, the mailing I received, it makes me wonder if the Mint can actually start losing money on slow-selling coins.
I do like these okay, especially the gold obverse. But the dollar is just something I’d rather see in hand before spending $50 on it.
The Mint has overpriced the dollars especially when now considering less than $16/oz. silver. When silver was $32/oz. they had the same $50-$60 silver dollar price. Their marketing/labor/management costs have gone up too much relative to their cost for blanks. This data can be seen on their annual reports.
As far as compared to recent Boy's Town or even Breast Cancer, these sales numbers don't seem that different to me (considering it has been only a week) as actual demand for commemoratives is very low. The Apollo was different because it was curved and many people were betting on a flip, (that other than the set with the Kennedy) only lasted a short while, so they are stuck with a lot of coins (if they even received them yet) and did not want to make the same mistake with Legion's.
And yes, the Mint does lose money even with seigniorage on several items, like cents, nickels, low mintage spouses, last couple year's platinum bullion, etc.
@planetsteve said:
So how how do these numbers look at first blush? Consistent with the other organization-celebration coins like Lions Club, etc? Given promotional costs like, say, the mailing I received, it makes me wonder if the Mint can actually start losing money on slow-selling coins.
I do like these okay, especially the gold obverse. But the dollar is just something I’d rather see in hand before spending $50 on it.
It's hard to tell, since it depends on the day the commem goes on sale vs. a weekly sales report, but it looks to be about inline with Lions Club, Boy's Town, etc. Not as bad as Civil Rights, though.
I think I read someplace in this thread that it was commem fatigue after the Apollo commems. Nope. Service Organization commemoratives just do bad (in general). Ask the Girl Scouts about that. They were up against 5-Star Generals.
According to their annual report, they didn't recoup the operational costs in either 2017 or 2018. That means one, or both organizations for the last two years got stiffed.
The critters in congress needs to rethink what they pass for the Commemorative Program. Yeah, wishful thinking...
@BackroadJunkie said:
I think I read someplace in this thread that it was commem fatigue after the Apollo commems. Nope. Service Organization commemoratives just do bad (in general). Ask the Girl Scouts about that. They were up against 5-Star Generals.
>
2013-W Girl Scouts Silver Dollar
37,462 Uncirculated
86,355 Proof
2013-W 5-Star General's Silver Dollar
34,638 Uncirculated
69,283 Proof
Comments
USM065450XX
I rarely post in these threads, but I really want to thank @BackroadJunkie and everyone else who posts here for constantly reminding me of the mint's offerings. Among other things, I collect modern mint commems and these threads are very handy.
Yes, big time thank you to @BackroadJunkie !!!
POST NUBILA PHOEBUS / AFTER CLOUDS, SUN
Love for Music / Collector of Dreck
@Mark said:
USM065450XX
I rarely post in these threads, but I really want to thank @BackroadJunkie and everyone else who posts here for constantly reminding me of the mint's offerings. Among other things, I collect modern mint commems and these threads are very handy.
Yes, big time thank you to @BackroadJunkie !!!
+2
I knew it would happen.
Got email conformations for both orders.
USM06545xx
20 mix of proof and uncirculated half dollars.
I love the design's continuing narrative idea from the obverse to the reverse. Very inspirational and educational.
These will make great gifts for the younger members of the family.
Came home at 4p to check out the pages of new posts on today's new issue and found only eight ....eight posts not pages since the release four hours ago. ..hmmmm
As I said above there is no need to rush for these. Mintages way too high for demand. Some may be experiencing Apollo burnout on reentry.
Now there are 9 posts
National Commemorative Medals of the U.S. Mint:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/medals-tokens/national-commemorative-medals-united-states-mint-1940-present/alltimeset/195526
Agree with @Goldminers. Burnout and some still waiting on their encapsulated Apollos.
Whats next? Found it, “Explore and Discover Coin set.” LOL
Shipped with tracking number.
Must be a mistake... PFSWeb has never been this quick.
Holy Carp, my order shipped too...
POST NUBILA PHOEBUS / AFTER CLOUDS, SUN
Love for Music / Collector of Dreck
So did my Unc 3 coins. Not the 3 coin Proof set yet.
They only had like 10 of the things to ship.
Got the 3 coin set shipping email.
A sign that they were not swamped with orders. Ordered in the morning, shipped in the late afternoon.
Coin and Medal Set
A limited edition American Legion Proof Silver Dollar and American Veterans Silver Medal Set will be available later this year. The set features a 99.9% silver medal that will only be available in this set. Mintage is limited to 10,000 units! Be among the first to own these silver treasures.
Scroll down:
https://catalog.usmint.gov/interests/american-legion-100th-anniversary/?cm_mmc=external site--redirect--legion-_-legion%20LP
Thanks. I signed up to text alerts which I have never done, for anything, before. A test I hope works better than the email alerts that seem to come late on the day of release or the next day. Worthless.
The text alerts work great. I’ve been signed up for many of them. You’ll receive a text 3 hours before the item is available.
I have completed positive sales and purchses from the following members:
jclovescoins, dpoole, dmarks, guysmiling, Ducky1100 , piecesofme, ericj96 ,Classof67, ModernCoin, MrOrganic, 53BKid, nychad10, GUINZO1975, derryb (3 times), PinkFloyd
First post here. I just wanted to thank everyone for the wealth of information about these new issues and the ones in older threads! I ordered the three piece and the Unc coins yesterday.
Quick pic of the three coin set. Glare, smudges, and the bad pic are my fault.
About the Artists. There are typos in the below articles.
—————
Clad Half Dollar
Coin countdown: Meet Richard Masters, American Legion commemorative coin artist
BY: Matt Grills Mar 11, 2019
Richard Masters’ work for the U.S. Mint is a marriage of his interest in art and his boyhood hobby of coin collecting. A former professor of art at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Masters has designed 21 coins and five medals, including the 2009 Bicentennial Lincoln Cent (Log Cabin), the 2011 Sacajawea gold dollar reverse and the 2017 America the Beautiful Effigy Mounds (Iowa) quarter reverse.
His latest is the American Legion 100th Anniversary Commemorative silver half dollar, which goes on sale at noon Eastern on March 14.
“I submitted designs for all three coins,” Masters says. “As it turned out, my two designs for the half dollar were selected, which were the boy and girl saying the Pledge of Allegiance as well as the U.S. flag. I really like that design. The American Legion had stressed the importance of having artists look at the organization’s Four Pillars. Two of the four, Americanism and Children & Youth, sort of fused together for me.
“I had this idea of children pledging allegiance; we did that growing up, and I remember quite vividly that one of our duties as older boys was to go out every morning and hoist the flag. That was a really memorable experience for me, and so the flag is seen from the children’s point of view on the ground.
“One of the finishing touches is that the little girl is wearing her father’s or grandfather’s old American Legion cap. It implies that even at a young age children can start learning about patriotism and having pride in their country. Those early impressions … stick with you for the rest of your life.”
https://centennial.legion.org/headlines/22734/coin-countdown-meet-richard-masters-american-legion-commemorative-coin-artist
—————
Silver Dollar Reverse
Coin countdown: Meet Patricia Lucas-Morris, American Legion commemorative coin artist
BY: Matt Grills Mar 10, 2019
Patricia Lucas-Morris’ drawings are known for their incredible detail, from illustrations for children’s books to technical work for Boeing Co. For more than 40 years, she has produced artwork for collectors nationwide, mostly in graphite.
More recently, Lucas-Morris has contributed coin and medal designs for the U.S. Mint through its Artist Infusion program, including the reverse side of the American Legion commemorative silver half dollar, which goes on sale at noon Eastern on March 14.
“The most important part is the crossed flags, the U.S. flag and the American Legion flag,” Lucas-Morris says. “My original design had the arch, which is there now and is actually a detail from the Arc de Triomphe. I wanted something symbolic of France, and of course the next thing would be the fleur-de-lis, so that’s where I went with that. I did the reverse for the silver coin, and Paul Balan did the obverse. I think his design is absolutely gorgeous.”
Her father served in the Army during World War II as a paratrooper, and her mother in the Women’s Army Corps in Georgia, where she worked in a hospital. “My daughter recently married a retired Marine,” Lucas-Morris says. “I also have various uncles who were in the service.”
https://centennial.legion.org/headlines/22729/coin-countdown-meet-patricia-lucas-morris-american-legion-commemorative-coin-artist
—————
Silver Dollar Obverse / $5 Gold Reverse
Coin countdown: Meet Paul Balan, American Legion commemorative coin artist
BY: Matt Grills Mar 8, 2019
Before immigrating to the United States in 2001, Paul Balan worked as a painter and sculptor in his native Philippines. Now he is pushing his artistic talents in new directions, doing coin and medal designs for the U.S. Mint’s Artistic Infusion program. Two of which he’s particularly proud are his designs for the upcoming American Legion commemorative coins, which go on sale March 14.
Balan designed the heads side of the silver dollar, which features the American Legion emblem surrounded by oak leaves and a fleur-de-lis, a nod to its 1919 founding in Paris. He also designed the tails side of the gold piece, which depicts a soaring bald eagle and smaller American Legion emblem.
“For me, what is appealing is that it’s not really a symmetrical balance, but it’s balanced in terms of visual impact,” Balan says. “The design is not overpowering the emblem. For the silver dollar, I wanted to put something on both sides to make it look heraldic. So I incorporated the oak, a symbol of strength and solidarity. I also incorporated the fleur-de-lis, because The American Legion was established in France. On the other coin, I used the eagle, which symbolizes honor, valor and bravery.
“This design is dedicated to those who fought for our freedom and security, and it is something I’m very proud of. I did it for our heroes and for those who sacrificed their lives. It is truly a tribute to them. The project was quite challenging, but the coin is one of my favorites I’ve designed.”
https://centennial.legion.org/headlines/22702/coin-countdown-meet-paul-balan-american-legion-commemorative-coin-artist
—————
$5 Gold Obverse
Chris Costello
AIP Artist
Cannot find a specific article for this artist and the $5 Legion Gold.
His previous works are listed here.
https://www.usmint.gov/learn/artists/aip-chris-costello
@NPD1078 - Thanks. So you got a text at 9 am EDT yesterday? The only text you got?
@Hemispherical - You have them in hand already? From a Mint gift store?
@Kudbegud
I was NOT expecting anything (as usual from the Mint for a week) until my UPS notifications starting lighting up.
First time I ever had an AM next day delivery from the Mint that arrived the next day.
Even required ID verification... all kinds of firsts.
Any precious metal shipment is automatically upgraded to expedited, which means UPS signature ground.
I got a tracking number for my 2019 Proof ASE 27 minutes after they went on sale.
Well, it was a sub, but still..,.
My 2019 Proof ASE has shipped!
@BackroadJunkie said:
Any precious metal shipment is automatically upgraded to expedited, which means UPS signature ground.
I'm not sure that is still the rule. None of my Apollo came that way. The American Legion shipments, both with Gold, are coming Priority Mail Signature. We are lucky they listened and don't ship stupid post on regular orders for HI & AK. They now normally come Priority Mail but only require a Signature if PM is in the order.
I believe, correct me if I'm mistaken @Hemispherical, to get UPS delivery you have to pay for the upgrade. Did you upgrade shipping when you checked out yesterday @Hemispherical ?
@Kudbegud Yes. Paid the extra for next day. I have done it before but never actually had it shipped and delivered next day. I think it was @jmlanzaf who said it best... there were only 10 of us who ordered. LOL!
Probably much more than that but we’ll see in next weeks Mint’s stats.
Also, the gold HHLs have been lifted.
Just to play it safe with the product limit of 7,500 I placed an order for the 3 coin set separate from the individual uncirculated coins.
Yes i received the text ( and email i signed up for that as well ) 9 am EST. The US Mint will only send you one text for each item you signup for.
I have completed positive sales and purchses from the following members:
jclovescoins, dpoole, dmarks, guysmiling, Ducky1100 , piecesofme, ericj96 ,Classof67, ModernCoin, MrOrganic, 53BKid, nychad10, GUINZO1975, derryb (3 times), PinkFloyd
It's still in the FAQ's:
...
Your Apollo 11 gold didn't come signature ground? Mine did...
@BackroadJunkie Mine was next day air with signature. Selected the max shipping method.
Well, lol, then it's supposed to arrive with a day or two. That's what you're paying for. (The Mint claims two days, but I suppose it depends on when UPS picks it up...)
My answer was directed to Kudbegud. Any PM order should be shipped expedited by default...
Agree. But normally (usually), they never actually shipped the next day. Usually shipped on Monday with arrival on Tuesday. All is good.
Still trying to figure out how many more of the clads to get.
Really want to get that silver/veteran set, too. Have a few people who would enjoy having it.
@NPD1078 - Thanks for the info
@BackroadJunkie - No it didn't and neither is the new American Legion gold. Both Priority Mail with Signature.
FIRST DAY SALES
Just out in "Coin Update"
news.coinupdate.com/first-day-sales-of-2019-american-legion-coin-products/
Adding the 3 coin Proof set numbers to the individual Proof coin sales:
3 coin set + proof gold = 4,432
3 coin set + proof dollar = 13,365
3 coin set + proof half = 10,770
Total by metals:
Gold Unc: 972
Gold PF: 906
Gold Set: 3526
Total: 5404
Limit: 50,000
Silver Unc: 4678
Silver PF: 9839
Silver Set: 3526
Total: 18,043
Limit: 400,000
50C Unc: 5454
50C PF: 7244
50C Set: 3526
Total: 16,224
Limit: 750,000
Plenty left but the three-coin set has a PL 7500 and 3526 has been sold. This might go unavailable soon.
Thanks @Kudbegud for the numbers.
Edit to add. Projected Silver/Vet Medal Set PL 10,000.
Advertisement outside the hobby.
Even though it was a standard PR Newswire, Market Watch picked it up and posted.
https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/the-us-mint-recognizes-100th-anniversary-of-the-american-legion-with-release-of-commemorative-coins-2019-03-14
Not great numbers. About in line with the other service organization commems of late. (i.e. Boys Town, Lions Club, etc.)
The Coin and Medal set will probably be the only sellout of the group. Well, maybe the 3-coin, since they're usually the preferred way to buy the proofs if you're going in...
Now comes the fun part... When the HHL gets lifted and the major dealers start buying bulk..
Those are the numbers I'm interested in
I have completed positive sales and purchses from the following members:
jclovescoins, dpoole, dmarks, guysmiling, Ducky1100 , piecesofme, ericj96 ,Classof67, ModernCoin, MrOrganic, 53BKid, nychad10, GUINZO1975, derryb (3 times), PinkFloyd
There will be almost no bulk purchases on these.
MCM has a pre-sale.
Delivered just now. 7:30 pm. Yeah, kinda late. Perfect !
Numbers from the Mint:
2019 AMERICAN LEGION GOLD PROOF 1,239
2019 AMERICAN LEGION GOLD UNC 1,199
2019 AMERICAN LEGION SILVER PROOF 13,799
2019 AMERICAN LEGION SILVER UNC 6,134
2019 AMERICAN LEGION CLAD PROOF 9,146
2019 AMERICAN LEGION CLAD UNC 7,039
2019 AMERICAN LEGION 3-COIN SET 4,512
(I'll create a table later when I have time.)
Proof $5 total ~ 1,239 + 4,512 = 5,751
Proof $1 total ~ 13,799 + 4,512 = 18,311
Proof $0.50 ~ 9,146 + 4,512 = 13,658
They may not make the surcharge minimum for a funds sharing.
March 17 sales numbers courtesy of the US Mint.
3-coin on backorder to 11 Jun.
So how how do these numbers look at first blush? Consistent with the other organization-celebration coins like Lions Club, etc? Given promotional costs like, say, the mailing I received, it makes me wonder if the Mint can actually start losing money on slow-selling coins.
I do like these okay, especially the gold obverse. But the dollar is just something I’d rather see in hand before spending $50 on it.
The Mint has overpriced the dollars especially when now considering less than $16/oz. silver. When silver was $32/oz. they had the same $50-$60 silver dollar price. Their marketing/labor/management costs have gone up too much relative to their cost for blanks. This data can be seen on their annual reports.
As far as compared to recent Boy's Town or even Breast Cancer, these sales numbers don't seem that different to me (considering it has been only a week) as actual demand for commemoratives is very low. The Apollo was different because it was curved and many people were betting on a flip, (that other than the set with the Kennedy) only lasted a short while, so they are stuck with a lot of coins (if they even received them yet) and did not want to make the same mistake with Legion's.
And yes, the Mint does lose money even with seigniorage on several items, like cents, nickels, low mintage spouses, last couple year's platinum bullion, etc.
National Commemorative Medals of the U.S. Mint:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/medals-tokens/national-commemorative-medals-united-states-mint-1940-present/alltimeset/195526
It's hard to tell, since it depends on the day the commem goes on sale vs. a weekly sales report, but it looks to be about inline with Lions Club, Boy's Town, etc. Not as bad as Civil Rights, though.
I think I read someplace in this thread that it was commem fatigue after the Apollo commems. Nope. Service Organization commemoratives just do bad (in general). Ask the Girl Scouts about that. They were up against 5-Star Generals.
According to their annual report, they didn't recoup the operational costs in either 2017 or 2018. That means one, or both organizations for the last two years got stiffed.
The critters in congress needs to rethink what they pass for the Commemorative Program. Yeah, wishful thinking...
You think a 1 commemorative program per year might be better ???
That way it is, having 2 programs kinda spreads out my budget a bit thinner.
>
2013-W Girl Scouts Silver Dollar
37,462 Uncirculated
86,355 Proof
2013-W 5-Star General's Silver Dollar
34,638 Uncirculated
69,283 Proof
National Commemorative Medals of the U.S. Mint:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/medals-tokens/national-commemorative-medals-united-states-mint-1940-present/alltimeset/195526
Prices of the gold has gone up.
3-coin Set: $501.50
PF: $431.00
Unc: $421.00