As coin collectors, what do you think the Mint Director should do if he/she could?

RWB

?

crypto79

I would add an overdate and maybe limited runs of certin dates on the new dollar coins to drum up intrest and just stop making dollar bills.

rgCoinGuy

Find the best coin designers possible, first.

Second, be able to run the mint as a business.

Third, bring back making our own planchets, or if not, at least secure enough to meet demands.

tahoe98

....the director needs to influence the selection of more attractive coin designs.

Walmann

He should retire, along with some of the designs...

crypto79

I would also do away with all of the dead presidents on our coinage except for the dollar coin program and also do away with the motto too.

Bochiman

Here's a couple of things that I think are doable that would put him off on the right foot...

1) Understanding that there is a lot of chatter, and complainers, still try to get an idea of what would make a better experience to the average collector.....pick some of them out of a survey from items purchased from the mint's site, with their approval of course.
2) This "launch" in 1 location for new coins is BS. Even 2 locations, when they are both eastern US, is total BS!!! There are people on the West Coast!
3) Stop blaming congress and others. Yes, congress can mandate but how much is the mint director able to mold those mandates? This whole "Proof SAE" debacle could have been handled, in a positive way, by the mint director, is started earlier.
4) Stop going to each and every launch/release. If you aren't making things better, and that it is getting noticed, then it just looks self-aggrandizing (sic?).
5) Get ready of the SP mint set coins. They should be well-struck business strikes
6) In lieu of #5, make business strike coin rolls available and not for a huge markup (this "$8.95" for $1.00 of cents is a bit steep).

nycounsel

1. bring back the proof ASE and AGE
2. terminate production of:
(a) parks quarters
(b) half dollar
(c) Presidential dollars
(d) First Spouse gold
3. declare a 5 year moratorium on any new commemorative program
4. select a different reverse for the cent
5. offer rolls and bags at prices closer to face
6. require audited final mintage figures to be released no later than 6 months after production/sales cease
7. end contract with PBGS (shipping)

crypto79

<< <i>
2) This "launch" in 1 location for new coins is BS. Even 2 locations, when they are both eastern US, is total BS!!! There are people on the West Coast!
. >>



Yes, but not any that matter or make policy decisions. :&lt

PerryHall

<< <i>I would also do away with all of the dead presidents on our coinage except for the dollar coin program and also do away with the motto too. >>



Do you really think the Mint Director has this authority?

TwoSides2aCoin

If it were possible to take all of the Platinum designs that we've had so far and re-release them in silver or gold, that would be kind of nice. The reverse designs of those coins were magnificent and few get to see the beauty of the artist's work, while even fewer are given the opportunity to hold it in their hands. What's up with that ?

Rant over.

TwoSides2aCoin

Blame Walmann for my first post. He planted that thought

scotty1418

I think we need a stronger Mint director who is willing to take a chance on new designs.

I also think they should adopt a policy of selling/shipping business strike coins as they are with the dollar program - get a bag for face shipped or much lower than $9 for the $1 face of coins.

Barndog

kill the cent
discontinue dead people on coins, maybe over a five year period
represent Liberty artistically, as was done with early designs of coins
kill the half dollar
make $5 coins and kill the dollar coin

Buffalode

I would like to see more open two way communication between the Mint and the collecting public. Part of this would be to gain a better insight into what collectors want, part to explain clearly and honestly what is, or is not, within the Mint's control. Some actions have been taken along these lines but not enough in my opinion. The way it stands now, I think very few have a clear understanding of what the Mint really has control over, and what is controlled by legislation. I would like to see an open internet forum which allowed for two way interaction between the public and senior Mint officials. Insights gained there could be factored into plans for future Mint operations, and maybe even passed along to the lawmakers legislating the coins. I would really like to see something like this, but I think it is very unlikely.

LanLord

<< <i>Find the best coin designers possible, first.

Second, be able to run the mint as a business.

Third, bring back making our own planchets, or if not, at least secure enough to meet demands. >>

Agree with these as well as take the bull by the horns on replacing 25 year old designs. Legally, the decision is his to make, make a doggone decision! Cut the PC designs and make some coins that Americans would be proud to pull out of their pocket and say "This is our money!" !!!!

291fifth

End the production of all NCLT.

MrEureka

I'd like to see the U.S. Mint work with foreign mints on multi-national projects. For a timely example, consider a set of WWI commems, with one coin issued by each of the Allies.

19Lyds

Take his head out of his butt and "plan ahead" for proof gold and silver eagles!

There are about 300,000 collectors that have been disappointed at $37.95 each for the SAE's and who knows how much for the gold proofs. Literally millions in revenue blown away because somebody kept putting it off and putting it off!

And none of this baloney about legally minting to demand since in years past, the frigging proofs were dang near the first thing off the presses and both vesions were minted simultaneously.

cladking

One thing the mint director can certainly control is the quality of
the coins in circulation and with the current low mintages there
has never been a better time to do it. Get rid of the worn, bent,
and damaged coins in circulation. But replace them with better
quality and well made coins. New coins should mostly be near
gem quality or at least nice choice examples. Many countries use
higher relief and still have nice attractive coins.

It would be nice to see a lot of change coming from the mint but
some is just a gimme and improved quality and better relief are
among these.

Coinosaurus

Turn every single piece of paper and electronic document in their possession over to a team of archivists.

7over8

hire some people that could count the production correctly.

BaronVonBaugh

Do not start the sale of a popular item until you have a 100,000 (or the full run which ever is smaller) ready to ship.

The handling of the UHR really irritated me. I had my order in within the first 30 minutes and yet it was pass the FS
deadline when it finely showed up. I would rather see the sale date pushed back than go through that again.

Bear

Resign

sumnom

<< <i>End the production of all NCLT. >>



Amen!

sumnom

<< <i>

<< <i>End the production of all NCLT. >>



Amen! >>



Then again, the mint director doesn't have to authority to do so...

messydesk

Since the Mint Director's hands are bound by Congress in many ways, there's only so much he can do.

- Issue a high relief medal with the proof sets that is only available with the proof sets (they don't need Congress' permission for this).
- Retain all correspondence and records of designs in progress
- Encourage artistic lettering in coin design rather than the "WordArt" plug-in for the coin design wizard.
- Seek backing from the Treasury Secretary to carry out the promised "neo-renaissance of coin design"
- Strike a deal with PCGS and/or NGC to offer a certain number of pre-graded coins for sale
- Produce proof and commemorative coinage with a higher relief and sharper detail.
- Restore the cameo finish on proof coinage to the smooth, frosty finish, rather than the pebbly finish.
- Look at where other mints have been able to produce what collectors perceive as a superior product and learn from it.

I'm sure I could come up with more.

Longacre

Add a "public option" to coin grading and have the US Mint grade coins prior to being shipped to customers.

ambro51

Bring in a chemical engineer who can determine how and when the black pool spots are being created on Lincoln cents, if it is in the initial planchet prep or post mint strike rinse, and find a way to achieve the same desired results using something that will leave no residue.

How simple would that be?

You can get perfect older Lincolns for decades, without these black pool spots, and for the past few decades they have destroyed the overall perfection of the coin. And yes blah blah blah I know the mints purpose is to make circulating coinage, but imagine if every time you ate out, or your wifey put down the dinner plates, they had big black spots on them.

Its a situation which has pretty much ruined the collectability of modern Lincoln cents. It has been a blight on the new 2009 commeratives. It has probably cost PCGS and NGC thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars in lost submission fees since most knowing collectors wont even bother to submit modern Lincolns.

Res

Rolls of business strike dimes and nickels, (and cents and quarters when applicable)

jmski52

<< End the production of all NCLT. >>

lol.

OKbustchaser

<< <i><< End the production of all NCLT. >>

lol. >>



Why laugh? That is exactly what he SHOULD do if as was stated in the title of the thread he had the ability to. The mint does not belong in the investment bullion // coin collecting business. It's job is to produce a sufficent amount of coinage to facilitate everyday commerce.

PerryHall

<< <i>

<< <i><< End the production of all NCLT. >>

lol. >>



Why laugh? That is exactly what he SHOULD do if as was stated in the title of the thread he had the ability to. The mint does not belong in the investment bullion // coin collecting business. It's job is to produce a sufficent amount of coinage to facilitate everyday commerce. >>



So, who will produce proof sets, commems, ASE's, etc? And, who is forcing you to buy them? You may not be interested in NCLT coins but others are.

OKbustchaser

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i><< End the production of all NCLT. >>

lol. >>



Why laugh? That is exactly what he SHOULD do if as was stated in the title of the thread he had the ability to. The mint does not belong in the investment bullion // coin collecting business. It's job is to produce a sufficent amount of coinage to facilitate everyday commerce. >>



So, who will produce proof sets, commems, ASE's, etc? And, who is forcing you to buy them? You may not be interested in NCLT coins but others are. >>



No one is forcing me to buy them. No one is saying that a company which DOES belong in the hobby field shouldn't produce them for collectors/investors. But, regardless of what Congress seems to think it ISN"T the mint's job to do so.

PerryHall

<< <i>But, regardless of what Congress seems to think it ISN"T the mint's job to do so. >>



So, you think it's your job to decide what the mint should be doing rather than congress's job?

OKbustchaser

Absolutely!!!!

EDIT to add winkie.

ricko

Stop the minting of all PC coins and stupid commercialization (i.e. SHQ's) and get back to art on the coins. To hades with dead presidents, most were not anything special anyway. Real art work on coins would enervate the hobby and create something the country could be proud of among world coins. Cheers, RickO

JJM

I would try to run a profitable, cost effective buisness. Provide a top quality product.
Treat employees well, and listen to your customers...............

timcoin

I'm pretty darn happy with the Mint. I think they have done a bang-up job over the past decade making beautiful coins in virtually all price points. I'd like to see them try a circulating $2 coin and perhaps add a few more gold and silver distributors.

jmski52

Why laugh? That is exactly what he SHOULD do if as was stated in the title of the thread he had the ability to. The mint does not belong in the investment bullion // coin collecting business. It's job is to produce a sufficent amount of coinage to facilitate everyday commerce.

The Mint Director doesn't legislate and shouldn't. As I recall, it was Congress who legislated the creation of the American Eagle Bullion Programs, and the Mint Director is charged with following the dictates of Congress. The American Eagles have more legimacy than Proof Sets and Special Finishes, because they were legislated while Proof Sets and Special Finishes were not. What we do need is a Mint Director who isn't politically-motivated and spends his time actually focused on directing the Mint.

And regarding bullion coins, the term NCLT is simply a slur against Modern Bullion by someone who thinks he/she should be "entitled" to collector money because he/she can't stand the fact that he/she isn't wedged into the supply chain at an advantageous level. I think that's funny.

How this feeling of entitlement comes about is funny when you consider that collectors pay taxes just like coin dealers do. The real insult is that the Mint still uses a distribution network for regular bullion, which drives up the cost to bullion investors and puts a guaranteed profit into the pockets of a preferred dealer. If the Mint sells something to collectors, it should be selling it directly and not through a distributor network.

Elcontador

We need more interesting coins. Ie., Canada has an animal on one side of their circulating coins. We could do this with some Americana.
Ie., the Golden Gate Bridge, Mt. Rushmore, etc. We should change coin designs every 20 years or so. Get rid of dead presidents on coins.

Personally, I'd love to see one with Richard Gere on the obverse and a gerbil on the reverse, but I won't bet the farm on that one.

bigmarty58

Reinstate in-house US Mint gold, silver, and platinum planchet production. Contracting this very important step in the process has not been able to keep up with demand.

-Robert

HalfStrike

Article

For more than a year now, the U.S. Mint has been trying to lay the blame for inadequate coin output on the inability to get sufficient quantities of coin blanks from suppliers. For Silver Eagles, for example, the U.S. Mint has only three suppliers, one U.S. and two foreign. Sunshine Minting, the lone U.S. supplier contends it has the ability to produce a much larger volume of blanks if the U.S. government could assure a regular supply of the raw silver and gold. At least two other U.S. companies, including one whose subsidiary had previously supplied Eagle blanks to the Mint, have complained publicly that the U.S. Mint is dragging its feet at accepting their applications to supply blanks to the Mint.

TwoSides2aCoin

As a coin collector, I think the Mint Director should insist that production personnel screw up a little more often.