So I called the mint today about the Franklin dollars...

brccoins · January 20, 2006 6:40AM

I called to have the hold taken off my order and asked how sales of the the Benjamin Franklin dollars have gone. I was expecting them to tell me that they did not release that information. Insead I got the exact sales figures for each of the 4 coins! If you haven't already placed your order I strongly advise you do so now because there are only about 25,000 of each left. They've sold 75% in 3 days!

fc · January 20, 2006 6:41AM

if they sell out, will they make more?

Hyperion · January 20, 2006 6:44AM

I think they're congressionally mandated to hold to the total limit, what, like 250k across all coin types ?

flaminio · January 20, 2006 6:44AM

<< if they sell out, will they make more? >>

If they did, it would take an act of Congress. They are authorized for only a certain amount, and no more.

HonoluluDude · January 20, 2006 6:46AM

<< I called to have the hold taken off my order and asked how sales of the the Benjamin Franklin dollars have gone. I was expecting them to tell me that they did not release that information. Insead I got the exact sales figures for each of the 4 coins! If you haven't already placed your order I strongly advise you do so now because there are only about 25,000 of each left. They've sold 75% in 3 days! >>

Did they say how much of the Chronicles are left?

Bailey1977 · January 20, 2006 6:55AM

I purchased one of each.

coinblue1 · January 20, 2006 6:59AM

A dealer on the CCE is trying to buy them at $40 each.

brccoins · January 20, 2006 7:05AM

The chronicles are half sold out. The maximum is 100,000 across all 4 types.

INXS · January 20, 2006 7:18AM

Thanks for sharing

JDelage · January 20, 2006 7:18AM

My hunch is that we'll find a lot of them at cost on Ebay soon...

bluedog · January 20, 2006 9:19AM

It's kind of early for April fool's jokes, no?

BoggledMind · January 20, 2006 9:31AM

75% in THREE DAYS? Jeez Louise, is it going to beat out the 2001 Buffalo dollar?

Glad I got my order of 1 of each in...

Heywood · January 20, 2006 11:31AM

Although I am a collector for these ( rather than speculator) I would guess that most of the purchases are by people hoping for a sell out so they can hype how rare they are, and sell when the price spikes. When the market realizes that there are plenty to go around, the price pressure will receed.

Most people are saying "I'll take 2, one to keep and one to sell when the price spikes" -
Well if everyone that realy wants one buys two, where is the secondary market?

Topcoin · January 20, 2006 1:56PM

If it was the mints customer service company they have no idea.

LeeG · January 20, 2006 8:59PM

I bought one Proof of each type.

blastpak · January 20, 2006 10:49PM

I just bought one of each. Ship date is 4/30.

Conder101 · January 21, 2006 12:03AM

<< If they did, it would take an act of Congress. They are authorized for only a certain amount, and no more. >>

Or unless the Sec of the Treasury raises the mintage like he did for the Marine dollar. Or was there something spcial in the Marine Corps dollar legislation that allowed him to do that?

TheRaven · January 21, 2006 1:43AM

I believe he did that before the coins went one sale however.....

tincup · January 21, 2006 2:10AM

I guess I would not be surprised if they in fact were selling that quickly.... when you consider that there are 6 different options and a max mintage of (was it 400,000?) between all options.....

I'm sure they will reserve 50,000 proofs for the Legacy set.... and reserve the full 50,000 UNC for the Chronicles sets..... then that would leave 300,000 for the remaining 4 options. Divided up roughly equally, that would be around 75,000 or so for each option. Those could go very quickly....

Yes, probably a lot of jumping on the band wagon just to speculate.... but regardless, could be some limited mintages as a result of the many options.

Then again.... rumor has it that Lucy has been trying to corner the market on these!!

Bikingnut · January 21, 2006 2:17AM

Maximum mintage will be 500K for the entire series, 250K of each.

flaminio · January 21, 2006 2:19AM

<< Or unless the Sec of the Treasury raises the mintage like he did for the Marine dollar. Or was there something spcial in the Marine Corps dollar legislation that allowed him to do that? >>

Did that happen? I thought the Marines dollar was authorized for 600,000, and that's how many were made.

Topcoin · January 21, 2006 2:23AM

It was raised before release to 600,000. I believe it can't be done after release.

Conder101 · January 21, 2006 2:28AM

Yes that happened. It was authorized for 500,000 and then before they went on sale some people were able to convince the Sec of the Treasury that it would be a runaway sell out, so he used his authority to raise the mintage figure to 600,000. If he could do it for one, why not another. The legislation allows them to be struck until the end of the year, so until then he could raise the mintage. (Of course there will be people crying foul because they bought with the expectation that there would only be 500K.) But I don't think they would do it after they declare it to be sold out, but you never know. They've done strange things in the past. Th 99 clad proof sets were sold with a strict limit of two sets per person, and they jumped on the secondary market. Then after awhile they decided you could now ordr as many as you wanted and crashed the aftermarket. The 99, 00, and 01 proof sets were all sold out. Then they started selling the three sets together at one price. Last years Legacy set was supposed to be 100,000 sets. Then after they went on sale they dropped the mintage so they could sell more individual proof coins because that option was almost sold out. As long as they ae still being sold I could very easily see them raising the mintage.

ddink · January 22, 2006 12:19PM

Condor, it's my understanding that SecTreas can only increase the mintage if a special interest group (like the people getting the money) can provide compelling evidence of demand BEFORE the coins' issue date. It's my understanding from reading what happened with the Marine coins that once they go up for sale, the mintage can no longer be raised (though the distribution across lines--i.e. proof to uncirculated or Legacy) can be changed, the actual "design limits" of 250k per cannot be exceeded.

anoldgoat · January 22, 2006 12:50PM

I think recent history should tell us a lot here. There wildlife dollars are selling near issue price even with thier low mintage. And although it's way to early to tell I think the Marine commem can hold up because of interest beyond collectors. I just don't see the interest for this issue beyond commem collectors.

Mike

TheRaven · January 22, 2006 12:58PM

Benjamin Franklin is a rather popular figure with the entire country, so I don't know if your statement is 100 accurate for a Franklin issue.....

JustGotRipped · January 22, 2006 1:16PM

I am hoping to get mine before I go to paris in April. They love him over there.

Bochiman · January 22, 2006 1:26PM

<< I am hoping to get mine before I go to paris in April. They love him over there. >>

You are thinking about Ben Franklin and not Jerry Lewis, right?

JustGotRipped · January 22, 2006 1:35PM

Is there a Jerry Lewis Commem....

Bochiman · January 22, 2006 2:12PM

<< Is there a Jerry Lewis Commem....

>>

Gawd, I hope not

JustGotRipped · January 22, 2006 2:15PM

I have a funny feeling these will sell out quickly...dont know why just think it.

aficionado · January 23, 2006 1:01AM

Doesn't Coin World or Num. News give first day sales figures?

Who's got the news??

mhammerman · January 23, 2006 1:40AM

Yeah...I got 3 of the founding father proofs. I couldn't resist the fugio cent reverse. Nice looking coin and when paired with the marine commem, they speak well of some of the new issues.

Steve27 · January 23, 2006 1:45AM

For the Mint: "The "Scientist" coin is limited to 250,000 units across the proof, uncirculated and Coin & Chronicles options." "The "Founding Father" coin is limited to 250,000 units across the proof, uncirculated and American Legacy Collection options."

ttown · January 23, 2006 1:49AM

<< For the Mint: "The "Scientist" coin is limited to 250,000 units across the proof, uncirculated and Coin & Chronicles options." "The "Founding Father" coin is limited to 250,000 units across the proof, uncirculated and American Legacy Collection options." >>

Isn't the Chronicles and Legacy sets limited to 50k each. So that would make 200k each for the proofs and Unc with the Proofs usually having quite a bit more mintage than the UNC's.

gemini12398 · January 23, 2006 3:35AM

I think it depends upon how many chronicle sets are ordered. It means a max of 50K chronicle sets to be produced if ordered by buyers as opposed to 50k made, regardless if sold or not, right? I would imagine that goes for all the coins. Am I right?

David

coinblue1 · January 24, 2006 2:12AM

What does it mean when the Mint says your order is in process? I have two orders, one says your order is on hold and the other says your order is in process.

GAT · January 24, 2006 7:43AM

coinblue1................Your older on on hold means that somethings wrong like your credit card being rejected or the shipping address doesn't match the billing address. You must call the 1-800 number to resolve it.

If these coins were 75% sold out on Friday why are they still available today, four days later? I believe you have to take anything a Mint rep says with a grain of salt.

LanLord · January 24, 2006 8:00AM

Only thing I know about them is their status currently shows shipping 4/30

ddink · January 24, 2006 8:27AM

GAT: The marine coins sold 200k in the first two days, and sold about 30k a day for the next week. Then 20k, then 15k, and so on until they finally sold out. The mint normally sees orders decrease exponentially after the first 48 hours.

That said, I called a mint rep today and she said she had no idea how many had been sold. I then called the office of public affairs, and they had not even calculated the numbers yet (though they were supposed to give me a call back later today since they always add up totals on Tues). Since the Office of Public Affairs doesn't even add all the orders up until Tuesdays, and since the mint rep I talked to didn't have any "real time" tracker or anything that kept up with sales, I venture to guess that the OP either misunderstood the mint rep, the mint rep misunderstood him, or the mint rep was clueless. I hope that they are 75% sold out though, that would be spiffy

bluedog · January 24, 2006 9:24AM

Isn't knowingly spreading false information a violation of the forum's TOU, if not an offense actionable by the Attorney General of the State of California?

Conder101 · January 24, 2006 10:04AM

<< Condor, it's my understanding that SecTreas can only increase the mintage if a special interest group (like the people getting the money) can provide compelling evidence of demand BEFORE the coins' issue date. It's my understanding from reading what happened with the Marine coins that once they go up for sale, the mintage can no longer be raised >>

Can you show me any law that says he can't do it? (Something that says he can raise the mintages unless they have already gone on sale. Frankly can you show me the law that says he CAN raise the mintages above what congress legislates. It was a suprise to me when he did it for the Marine dollar. I didn't know he had such a power. Remember the Marine dollar was the first time it has ever occured. There may not be any written rules about what he can or can't do with regards to the mintages of the Commems.

JustGotRipped · January 24, 2006 10:31AM

Without reauthorization from congress..I odnt think any additional coins can be made, if the number is limited by statute....I could be wrong though.

Fountainhead · January 24, 2006 10:35AM

<< Your order on on hold means that somethings wrong like your credit card being rejected or the shipping address doesn't match the billing address. >>

Not necessarily. It probably means the Mint has decided to to "expedite" your order: they check with the credit card company first, and require a signature upon delivery. As the Mint is perpetually backed up nowadays, this means your "Mint-expedited" order will arrive in two to three weeks, whereas if you had chosen to "expedite" it, rather than accept the "FREE UPGRADE", your order could arrive in 7-10 days!

Conder101 · January 24, 2006 10:13PM

<< Without reauthorization from congress..I odnt think any additional coins can be made, if the number is limited by statute....I could be wrong though. >>

Then 100,000 Marine dollars need to be returned to the mint. There is either some way to increase the number via a law I am not aware of (which is quite possible, with the number of laws this country has no one can know all of them.) or the marine dollar was increased via an authority that didn't exist and everyone is just turning a blind eye to it because it brought another 3 million dollars into the Treasury.

coinblue1 · January 24, 2006 11:25PM

Thanks all; I like everyone will just sit back a wait for that knock on the door.

Bochiman · January 25, 2006 1:27AM

Conder, and others, it was in the NN and CW....they may have quoted the authorization that does this.
It can be done, as stated already, if the petitioning organization of the coin can show that the intial mintage wouldn't be enough and there is more demand.
That can be done with polls, etc.

Higashiyama · January 25, 2006 1:43AM

Why does Congress set limits on the numbers produced? Shouldn't the program encourage as wide distribution was possible?

ddink · January 25, 2006 8:19AM

Higa: putting limits on items increases collector demand. Many people (speculators mainly) who purchased USMC coins would not have bought them had they been unlimited. It's likely that the sales figures would have been FAR lower without sales limits.

HonoluluDude · January 27, 2006 1:07AM

Per Numismatic News...

FRANKLIN COMMEMS HALF GONE

2006 Benjamin Frankling Scientist commemorative silver dollar If you're thinking about buying
the new Benjamin Franklin commemorative silver dollars from the U.S. Mint, better think fast.

Over half of the Franklin commemoratives were sold as of Jan. 25, after six days of sales.

Sales figures from the U.S. Mint for the uncirculated and proof versions of both the "Scientist"
and "Founding Father" examples showed that a total of 260,000 were sold by that date.

2006 Benjamin Franklin Founding Father commemorative silver dollar In addition,
30,000 Benjamin Franklin Coin & Chronicles Sets had been purchased as well.
The set, limited to 50,000, includes an uncirculated "Scientist" silver dollar and an intaglio print.

So altogether, the total of Franklin commemoratives sold was 290,000 out of a maximum of 500,000.

The Mint is using rounded figures at this time. Spokesman Michael White said the Mint
uses rounded figures at the beginning of a program because orders come in so fast.

INXS · January 27, 2006 9:46AM

Sold Out!!!!!!!!!!!

So I called the mint today about the Franklin dollars...

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