Revisiting the 2016 Centennial Gold Coin set for 2026

HalfDime

In 2016 the US Mint released the Centennial gold coin set that had three coins, a Mercury Dime Centennial Gold Coin that was the first of three 24-karat gold coins the Mint issued to commemorate the 100th anniversary of three classic coin designs first issued in 1916. The coin features Adolph A. Weinman’s original “Winged Liberty” design. The release of the Standing Liberty Quarter celebrated Hermon A. MacNeil’s original “Standing Liberty” quarter design. The Walking Liberty Half Dollar celebrated Adolph A. Weinman’s original “Walking Liberty” half dollar design.

The 2016 Mercury Dime Centennial Gold Coin had a mintage limit of 125,000 coins and an initial household order limit of 10.

The United States Mint began accepting orders for the 2016 Standing Liberty Quarter Centennial Gold Coin on September 8. There was a household order limit of one for this product, while mintage was limited to 100,000 units.

The United States Mint began accepting orders for the 2016 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Centennial Gold Coin on November 17. The total number of Walking Liberty Half Dollar Centennial Gold Coins minted was limited to 70,000 units, with orders limited to three per household.

So where did sales end up for these three coins?

Mercury Dime: 124,885 coins
Standing Liberty Quarter: 91,752 coins
Walking Liberty Half Dollar: 64,441 coins

So the Mercury Dime hit the mintage limit minus returns, the quarter came up short by a small amount, and the half dollar by a little less. But all three sold very well at the time.

I had passed on this set based on the high mintages, and didn't even buy any to flip. Historically these numbers are very high, and would not make for great long-term appreciation other than the price of gold itself. But surprisingly these three coins do command prices over melt after almost nine years of maturity. This shows the power of the classic coin designs with modern coin buyers.

This leads to the 250th anniversary gold coins the mint will be releasing next year. So far they have announced this will include five gold coins (called Best of the Mint):

The five 2026 gold coins are:
A tenth-ounce gold coin using the designs from the 1916 Winged Liberty Head silver dime.
A quarter-ounce gold coin using the designs from 1916 Standing Liberty silver quarter dollar.
A half-ounce gold coin using the designs from the 1916 Walking Liberty silver half dollar.
A 1-ounce gold coin using the designs from the 1804 Draped Bust, Class I silver dollar.
A 1-ounce .9999 fine gold coin using the designs from the 1907 Saint-Gaudens, Roman Numerals (MCMVII), High Relief gold $20 double eagle.

Is this deja vu? It appears to be a reissue of the 2016 gold Centennial set, but includes two more coins. A Draped Bust one ounce gold, and a St. Gaudens 1 ounce gold as well.
Does the mint know this is mostly a reissue?????
They must, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

Anyway, we have the same coins that were already released, so there is a track record. I expect high mintages again but lower sales perhaps. Now people may want to buy the 2026 coins and also buy back the 2016 coins to make two coin gold sets of the ones they like the most.

For those that only want unique, they may opt for the 1 ounce Draped Bust gold.
St. Gaudens buyers will prefer that one to the others.

Anyway I found this interesting and wanted to share it, so it looks like a reissue and two extra coins, all in gold. Sales will do well, but they may only do about half of the 2016 coins. I was wrong before though, so maybe I get this one wrong as well. Either way the coins will be beautiful, and if the 2016 coins are any indication, they will hold value above melt years later (I will predict this, final mintages will be below the 2016 coins for all five issues). The St. Gaudens is technically also a reissue, as it has already been released in 2009, and had a final mintage of 114,427. So four out of five are reissues.

PS If the mint really wanted to do a set of the most iconic designs, a set of five native head gold would have outsold these. They should have considered the coins already released when planning for this perhaps.

psuman08

I agree with your assessment and wonder why they are doing the same designs. An Indian set would have been cool.

oldabeintx

Odd. Different finishes perhaps? There are a number of early designs that might be more popular. Reminds me of Hollywood, rehashing movies, bad sequels. Lack of imagination.

johnny9434

I'd like to see something on the sequential like the 1926 one, just saying 😉

erscolo

I passed on the 2016 issues and will pass on the 2026 issues. Easy decision. Now if they were to come up with a new classic style design, that might be different. No chance of that however.

Cranium_Basher73

I still wish they would do a $20 Liberty Head. We already have the obverses of the St. Gaudens and Walking Liberty that have been used for the past 40 (almost) years.

Coinlearner

Still have my Standing Liberty gold. Will have to see what the designs look like and the price before deciding. Those designs never seem to get "old" and may bring in more people to the hobby with proven designs.

originalisbest

I guess the HR Saint might be a little different if approx the size of a $20 double eagle, more or less; remember the '09 Bullion Saint replicated the small size and extra thickness of one of the Saint ultra HR patterns, if I am recalling correctly (don't own one, wish I did.) The 1804 dollar design in gold I predict will be pretty popular if done nicely -- I am anticipating a seemingly ridiculous premium price from the mint.

Twobitcollector

It would be nice if they would do 1907 $20 J-1776/1905
https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1907-20-j-1776-1905/62238

jmski52

A cool $10,000 is my cost estimate for this set. Things are getting much worse, and the Mint isn't helping.

U1chicago

I recall the 2016 Mercury had a bump in price after selling out (going out of stock). Not long after, the prices started falling and in the years after you could buy them for under issue price. In 2017, I bought a 70 on eBay for less than issue price. The increase in gold and the post-2020 bump in the coin market has helped these regain a premium above issue price.

oih82w8

I like my @dcarr antiqued silver one ounce pieces, especially since gold is out of my reach.

rte592

I have the dime and quarter in 70.
The half I couldn't justify spending what the market was bringing so I waited... Now I still wait as the selling cost has gone up another 30/40% for the matching label to make a 3 coin set.

7Jaguars

I was appalled by the mintages but sprung for all three and got an extra "dime". I really loved the designs however, and along with the gold Kennedy half have really appreciated them. Favorite? Probably the walker. A redo? I wish they would not. I have no interest in another HR Saint but might spring for the draped bust dollar - won't fight for it if a blood bath is developing though.

GRANDAM

I hope they make the dime with Full Bands this time.