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Does the US Mint lie or are they incompetent or just slow?
renman95
Posts: 7,037 ✭✭✭✭✭
If you look at the Mint's numbers on circulating coins for halves and golden dollars for 2008 (through May), the mintages for the two denoms are 0.
And yet, they have been for sale for quite a while.
They have finally changed the pic for the reverse of the 2008 W ASE to reflect its description after several months.
The L. Adams and D. Madison spouses were off by nearly $100 (on the half ounce) for months...now the same.
Platinum uncs due out June, no July?...
P-dollar errors....nuff said.
Wisconsin quarter errors were done during a lunch break.
47,000 ASE's errors/types were released and collectors find their coins already picked through at the "fullfillment center."
Statehood quarters now include territories.
P-dollars "In God We Trust" will be placed on one of the coins surface and yet the 2009 Sac will have it on the edge.
I would say they are guilty of a combination of all three at different times.
Ren
And yet, they have been for sale for quite a while.
They have finally changed the pic for the reverse of the 2008 W ASE to reflect its description after several months.
The L. Adams and D. Madison spouses were off by nearly $100 (on the half ounce) for months...now the same.
Platinum uncs due out June, no July?...
P-dollar errors....nuff said.
Wisconsin quarter errors were done during a lunch break.
47,000 ASE's errors/types were released and collectors find their coins already picked through at the "fullfillment center."
Statehood quarters now include territories.
P-dollars "In God We Trust" will be placed on one of the coins surface and yet the 2009 Sac will have it on the edge.
I would say they are guilty of a combination of all three at different times.
Ren
0
Comments
<< <i>Does the US Mint lie or are they incompetent or just slow? >>
YES, YES and YES!!!
BST successful dealings with:MsMorrisine, goldman86
<< <i>Does the US Mint lie or are they incompetent or just slow? >>
D. All the above
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
Camelot
<< <i>A businessman is running the place.
hardly, if a businessman were running the mint you'd have your ordered product within 24 hours of accepting the order, their website would have been upgraded the first time it choked during an order frenzy and the morons that answer their phones on the customer service lines would be collecting unemployment.
All of the above,
<< <i>
<< <i>A businessman is running the place.
hardly, if a businessman were running the mint you'd have your ordered product within 24 hours of accepting the order, their website would have been upgraded the first time it choked during an order frenzy and the morons that answer their phones on the customer service lines would be collecting unemployment. >>
Exactly!
<< <i>Does this borderline talking politics?
What isn't when you're talking about
And it's a good thing that the pol........ don't ... ... Mint, wait, they do.
Ren
When I go to the page it still shows $509 and $529 for the Dolly Madison gold and $599 and $619 for the E. Monroe and L. Adams gold...
But yes, the Mint is slightly incompetent IMO. Too many new products too quick.
commoncents123, JrGMan2004, Coll3ctor (2), Dabigkahuna, BAJJERFAN, Boom, GRANDAM, newsman, cohodk, kklambo, seateddime, ajia, mirabela, Weather11am, keepdachange, gsa1fan, cone10
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Does a bear go doodoo in the woods?
Their product offerings have gotten to the rediculous point where proof sets now have 14 coins and come in two different metal alloys and Uncirculated Sets contain 28 Coins and keeping up with demand has proven nearly impossible given the constraints of current laws. This does not even address commemoratives and all the different Eagle coins currently available.
They have always produced error coin with either unexpected die varieties or mis-minted coinage.
For the amount of work that they do, I think they do a pretty good job and I think the frustrations displayed by many folks is simply a reflection of the "want it now" mentality of so many that simply do not understand and never will understand that with any large manufacturing operation, which the US Mint is, mistakes can and do happen.
This is what makes the coin collecting hobby so interesting.
As for missed or screwed up orders, just read these forums on how screwed up and missed a simple eBay transaction or BST transaction can turn!
Nuf said by me.
The name is LEE!
Ren
that's why those are the next best places to look for erroids, if that wasn't mentioned earlier
<< <i>"P-dollars "In God We Trust" will be placed on one of the coins surface and yet the 2009 Sac will have it on the edge."
that's why those are the next best places to look for erroids, if that wasn't mentioned earlier
"erroids"
I love that term...are those errors found in the nether-regions.
Ren
<< <i>
<< <i>A businessman is running the place.
hardly, if a businessman were running the mint you'd have your ordered product within 24 hours of accepting the order, their website would have been upgraded the first time it choked during an order frenzy and the morons that answer their phones on the customer service lines would be collecting unemployment. >>
I don't know where you got this fictional business man from, but it sure doesn't sound like anyone I was ever associated with.
I just like that members name, erroid. Good noun too. noun?
the name fits in with another usage, but I can't place where, who, why, or when
I dunno
been out on the water too long today
I work in the custom exhaust business for power and naval engines. If you ask me what we can and will offer and when it will ship thats much better than guessing but that does not mean that I will not be made to look like a lier in 3 months. The mint has way too many products but other than that they are doing a fine job.
Some of the people working at the mints fabrication facilities are coin guys. Striking high mintage material that is generic & boring. Some would like to see 1913 V nickel material run off the press in their generation. Extra Leaf Quarters and 1999-w gold are prime examples of this.
Ericj96
Ren
edited for ericj96 handle
Going back to 1963 (and before), if you wanted to order a Proof Set, you waited until THE DAY (the day that you could postmark your order). On THE DAY, you would get your Postal Money Order and mail it to the Mint along with a nice, hand-written cover letter. Then, you'd wait, for months. At some point, you'd get a postcard acknowledgement (or a rejection notice, if they got a sellout before your order was accepted).
Even if you got the coveted acknowledgement, you had even more months to wait before your order came. Sooner or later, when you finally received your Proof Set for the year, it was a BIG DEAL.
My friend's father had ordered 5 Proof Sets each year, and I couldn't believe the BIG SCORE he had made when my friend told me that he had received (5) 1960 Small Date Proof Sets! I could scarcely conceive of having that much concentrated wealth in one place. When I finally got my own chance to order a Proof Set, I was pretty happy to order and receive my very first Proof Set in 1963.
Compared to those days, our modern-day Mint is a juggernaught of efficiency, variety and largess. I have stopped trying to keep track of all the stuff they pump out.
When you compare then to now, we actually DO get pretty good service, and pretty good quality from the Mint. I do still see several problems, both with the Mint and with Congress, in issuing more stuff than a normal person can possibly use or want. In acting more like a business - pandering after every last order and every type of customer, they've abbrogated their responsibility to be a stabilizing influence.
The difference between a real business vs. the Mint is that the Mint can tap into public funds in order to expand with no fear of going out of business when they screw up. They have no real constraints, so like most governmental bureaucracies, they can grow and expand as long as their management keeps doing the dance.
The Mint has its own psychology, and dealing with the Mint requires its own psychology. There's one thing to remember and to keep foremost in your mind - they will do what they will do, and there is nothing you can do to influence the Mint. Many of their Moderns will be "junk" for many years until attrition takes it's toll, and there's nothing to be done about that. Collect that stuff if you like it.
I continue to like their Moderns in precious metals however, and I still think that Reagan did us all a favor by promoting the reinstatement of silver and gold coinage. The American Eagles and precious metal commemoratives can be used as real money in a negotiated transaction at any time, and that makes them really no different than the circulated gold and silver coins that are so revered by their advocates.
The time is fast approaching when our money will no longer be accepted as the world's reserve currency. I actually do believe that all signs point to a meltdown that will project precious metals into a monetary situation, much to our government's dismay. I don't know whether or not the government is making that happen due to the huge overhang of dollars owned by the rest of the world, but I can tell you that it bodes ill for our savings, retirements, and future prospects, unless you do the entirely unexpected thing and back out of dollars and into something else.
So, in the end - the Mint might be one of the best tools for making a conversion from dollars into widely-recognized forms of precious metals. Works for me!
I knew it would happen.
I disagree. Been lied to too many times by customer service.
<< <i>Does the US Mint lie or are they incompetent or just slow? >>
....Hey Moe...Did you hear what this guy is saying about us..???
...Yeah ..He don't like like the service he's gettin'
...Hey Curley....What's his name....
....."rainman..rennin..remain95 ..something like that....!!!!
Good.....wait for his next order.....we'll show him what it means to be "ON the LIST..!!!!!.......
......................
The Mint has come LIGHT YEARS since the late 1970's.....
<< <i>
<< <i>Does the US Mint lie or are they incompetent or just slow? >>
....Hey Moe...Did you hear what this guy is saying about us..???
...Yeah ..He don't like like the service he's gettin'
...Hey Curley....What's his name....
....."rainman..rennin..remain95 ..something like that....!!!!
Good.....wait for his next order.....we'll show him what it means to be "ON the LIST..!!!!!.......
......................
It the stooges start running the mint, I had better start checking out the RCM.
stooge
"Are you a man or a mouse?"
Joe
"squeak, squeak"
Love the stooges
Ren
YES
<< <i>I disagree. Been lied to too many times by customer service. >>
I think there is a difference between lying and simply not knowing. The folks that handle the phones are simply doing a job. They are not collectors but often times basepay individuals who do not have a clue. They takes orders and often times investigate orders with nearly identical tools that are available to us.
I certainly am not making excuses as I was mad as hell when my 2006 Anniversary Set order got caught up in the "mill of misunderstanding" but in that case I was my worst enemy and not the US Mint. My impatience shot me in the foot.
The only other screw up I can recall is when I was sent, on multiple occasions, the wrong Silver Eagles! Half the order was 2008 and the other half was 2007-W!
The name is LEE!
Slow? Compared to some industries yes. Compared to their own previous history of service, no. Much improved over decades past.
Incompetent? I guess you can say they can be competently incompetent. In regards to some of the errors the incompetence appears purposeful at times. No organization is 100% efficent, and governmental entities tend to be well below those of private industry.
Compared to many federal agencies this one has greatly improved over the last twenty years. Wether its communication, quality control (look at some of the mint sets from the 70's and early 80's), and its own cost controls it is a greatly improved agency.
Now the great number of offerings the Mint now has, that is a matter of debate on at what point it becomes counter productive for collectors and at what point it is no longer a good business model. For most industries and service sectors consumer choice is a good thing, but there is always a point when too many options are offered and fatigue sets in for the customer base. The usual result of too many varities of service or products is often decreased interest and sales at some point.
<< <i>
<< <i>Does the US Mint lie or are they incompetent or just slow? >>
D. All the above
Gardnerville, NV
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Our Website -->Innovation, Native & Presidential Dollar Errors, Lincoln Cents and more
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Besides the production and schedules of coins.... the mailing and accounting of all the coins leaving the mint must be carefuly choreographed to each and every customer.
I do give the Mint credit for all their efforts and hard work........!!!!!!!......
1) The mint and BEP manufacture what Congress orders.
2) Contractors handle order inquiries and fulfillment. Training supervision and communications of changes to order entry and tracking systems ultimately are the Mint Bureau’s responsibility.
3) Unlike corporations, the mint has to follow the “FAR.” This makes flexible, highly responsive systems difficult to build and implement. (The Federal Acquisition Regulation – codified at Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations – contains the uniform policies and procedures for acquisitions by all federal agencies. It implements or addresses nearly every procurement-related statute or executive policy. In doing so, the FAR reaches every stage of the acquisition process. The FAR's promulgation in 1984 reflected the Congress' efforts to create a uniform structure for Executive Branch federal contracting. [Carl Lee Vacketta of DLA Piper US LLP] ) The “best” contractors are not always the lowest bidders.
4) Security conditions for handling money and precious metal products are much different than for books or consumer goods.
5) The mint has very lenient return/exchange policies which has led to abuse by some collectors. Unfortunately, this leniency seems to encourage some to return non-defective items because the market price of metal changed or they feel the item is not “MS70.”
6) Historically, the mint’s internal culture has been secretive and not forthcoming with the general public or collectors when asked for information. This comes from a time when counterfeiting was a huge economic threat and the art of minting coins was little known outside of large national mints. These factors have changed, but the attitude persists. This skews collectors into doubting everything the mint might say. This attitude can change, but it will take the Director and General Counsel to do it. (Yes, internal documents show past mint officials telling Congress or collectors one thing, when they had internal information that was different.)
7) The mint rarely “fights back” when accused of some inequity or another. From what I’ve seen they have neither staff, time, nor budget to respond – some collectors will believe whatever they want to believe. They do read hobby publications, message boards and the like.
Bottom line – it’s fun and possibly psychologically therapeutic to bash the US mint for whatever is bothering a coin collector. One does not have to be “right” to do this, or to have been subject to some egregious error, but possess only a need to satisfy an internal craving for attention and release of personal tension. Presumably, this is better therapy than tossing puppies off a cliff or succumbing to one’s Oresteia complex [see: Melanie Klein, cr. 1930] while holding public office.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
stooge
"Are you a man or a mouse?"
Joe
"squeak, squeak"
Love the stooges
Ren >>
.......................................JOE! YOU MUST BE KIDDING!!!!.................CURLY'S THE MAN!!!!!
<< <i>Gemineye, please PM me for your pay pal address. I'd like to buy you lunch for the laugh. >>
It's posted...!!!...it's posted....!!!.....I like ribs and and shrimp......
<< <i>stooge
"Are you a man or a mouse?"
Joe
"squeak, squeak"
Love the stooges
Ren >>
.......................................JOE! you must be kidding!!.................CURLY'S THE MAN!!!!!
Okay fine. I agree. Curly deserves lunch, too
Of course, if I bought everyone lunch on these boards who've entertained me, I'd have to ask Mr Buffett for a discount at Dairy Queen. Think he'd be up to it ?
He did buy dinner for two of my daughter's friends that he met at a local hockey game a few years ago.
Not to get too far off topic, but I see that someone just bid 2.1 mil to have lunch with him. Isn't that amazing ? I wish he would buy the U.S. Mint and give me a job screwing up
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
<< <i>stooge
"Are you a man or a mouse?"
Joe
"squeak, squeak"
Love the stooges
Ren >>
.......................................JOE! you must be kidding!!.................CURLY'S THE MAN!!!!!
Hey, tahoe...keep your shoirts on...nyah! nyah! nyah!
I wasn't inferrin' that Joe was the best but my 9-year son still thinks that's the best line he's heard so far from a stooge.
Curly does rock but you need three to make any one stooge look great. What would Moe, Larry or Shemp be like in a solo act? One lone stooge would be strange, two stooges a vaudeville act, three stooges equal immortal comedic greatness.
Now back to bashing the Mint.
Ren