The United States Mint has taken a new approach in coin releases that goes beyond offering core numismatic products early, like the already issued clad and silver proof sets.
The US Mint on its website (http://catalog.usmint.gov/) has made available a 2011 product schedule that ranges from January through December. And it has published prices for those products through the Federal Register, the official source of notices by government agencies.
The US Mint in the past had kept collectors informed of most product releases, but scheduled launch times were often learned just weeks or a few months ahead of time. Many product prices were known just days before their release.
US Mint Product Release Dates and Prices
| Products | Release Dates | Product Prices |
| 2010 Yellowstone Three-Coin Set | 1/5 | $14.95 |
| 2011 Proof Set | 1/11 | $31.95 |
| 2011 Silver Proof Set | 1/25 | $67.95 |
| Gettysburg Quarter Bags and Two-Roll Set | 1/27 | $49.95/ $39.95 |
| 2011 US Army Commemorative Coins | 1/31 | See Below |
| 2011 Mint Set | 2/8 | $31.95 |
| Kennedy Half-Dollar Bag and Two-Roll Set | 2/15 | $134.95/ 34.95 |
| US Mint Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set | 2/22 | $19.95 |
| Andrew Johnson $1 Coin Rolls | 2/23 | $39.95 |
| Medal of Honor Commemorative Coins | 2/25 | See Below |
| 2010 Yosemite Three-Coin Set | 3/1 | $14.95 |
| America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set | 3/22 | $14.95 |
| Native American $1 Coin Rolls | 3/28 | $39.95 |
| America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set | 3/29 | $39.95 |
| Andrew Johnson $1 Coin Cover | 3/31 | $19.95 |
| Glacier Quarters Bags and Two-Roll Set | 4/4 | $49.95/ $39.95 |
| American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin | 4/18 | * |
| America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Coin Set | 4/19 | $21.95 |
| American Eagle Gold Proof Coins | 4/21 | * |
| Mount Hood Quarters Three-Coin Set | 5/4 | $14.95 |
| American Eagle Uncirculated Gold Coin | 5/5 | * |
| Ulysses S. Grant $1 Coin Rolls | 5/19 | $39.95 |
| American Eagle Platinum Proof Coin | 5/26 | * |
| Julia Grant First Spouse Gold Coins | 6/2 | * |
| Julia Grant Bronze Medal | 6/2 | $7.95 |
| Olympic Quarters Bags and Two-Roll Set | 6/13 | $49.95/ $39.95 |
| Grant Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set | 6/23 | $14.95 |
| Ulysses S. Grant $1 Coin Cover | 6/30 | $19.95 |
| 2011 American Eagle Silver Proof Coins | By 7/6 | – |
| Gettysburg Quarters Three-Coin Set | 7/27 | $14.95 |
| Glacier Quarters Three-Coin Set | 7/27 | $14.95 |
| Olympic Quarters Three-Coin Set | 7/27 | $14.95 |
| Rutherford B. Hayes $1 Coin Rolls | 8/18 | $39.95 |
| Vicksburg Quarters Bags and Two-Roll Set | 8/29 | $49.95/ $39.95 |
| Lucy Hayes First Spouse Gold Coins | 9/1 | * |
| Lucy Hayes Bronze Medal | 9/1 | $7.95 |
| Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential $1 Coin & Liberty Medal Set | 9/22 | $14.95 |
| Rutherford B. Hayes $1 Coin Cover | 9/29 | $19.95 |
| Vicksburg Quarters Three-Coin Set | 10/19 | $14.95 |
| Chickasaw Quarters Bags and Two-Roll Set | 11/14 | $49.95/ $39.95 |
| James Garfield $1 Coin Rolls | 11/17 | $39.95 |
| America the Beautiful Quarters Circulating Coin Set | 11/22 | $9.95 |
| Lucretia Garfield First Spouse Gold Coins | 12/1 | * |
| Lucretia Garfield Bronze Medal | 12/1 | $7.95 |
| First Spouse Bronze Four-Medal Set | 12/1 | $19.95 |
| Chickasaw Quarters Three-Coin Set | 12/20 | $14.95 |
| Garfield Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set | 12/22 | $14.95 |
| James Garfield $1 Coin Cover | 12/29 | $19.95 |
| Hot Springs National Park Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins | TBD | – |
| Yellowstone National Park Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins | TBD | – |
| Yosemite National Park Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins | TBD | – |
| Grand Canyon National Park Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins | TBD | – |
| Mount Hood National Forest Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins | TBD | – |
| Gettysburg National Military Park Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins | TBD | – |
| Glacier National Park Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins | TBD | – |
| Olympic National Park Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins | TBD | – |
| Vicksburg National Military Park Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins | TBD | – |
| Chickasaw National Recreation Area Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins | TBD | – |
| American Eagle Silver Uncirculated Coin | TBD | – |
| Eliza Johnson First Spouse Gold Coins | TBD | * |
| Eliza Johnson Bronze Medal | TBD | $7.95 |
| Andrew Johnson Presidential $1 Coin & First Spouse Medal Set | TBD | $14.95 |
*Prices are set and then adjusted weekly based on the prevailing market prices of precious metals.
The US Mint has also determined the various product prices for its 2011 Commemorative Coins. They have broken them out with introductory pricing per coin denomination. Prices for those follow:
| U.S. Army Commemorative Coin Product Prices | ||
| Description | Introductory Price |
Regular Price |
| $5 Gold Proof | $449.95 | $454.95 |
| $5 Gold Uncirculated | $439.95 | $444.95 |
| Silver Dollar Proof | $54.95 | $59.95 |
| Silver Dollar Uncirculated | $49.95 | $54.95 |
| Clad Half-Dollar Proof | $17.95 | $21.95 |
| Clad Half-Dollar Uncirculated | $15.95 | 19.95 |
The Army coins go on sale January 31. The introductory sales period ends on March 2 at 5:00 p.m. ET, when regular pricing takes effect.
| Medal of Honor Commemorative Coin Product Prices | ||
| Description | Introductory Price |
Regular Price |
| $5 Gold Proof | $449.95 | $454.95 |
| $5 Gold Uncirculated | $439.95 | $444.95 |
| Silver Dollar Proof | $54.95 | $59.95 |
| Silver Dollar Uncirculated | $49.95 | $54.95 |
The US Mint has not announced how long it will keep the introductory prices in place for the Medal of Honor products.
As the numismatic product schedule shows, the major unknowns are when and what the US Mint will charge for the collector America the Beautiful Silver Coins and the American Silver Eagle Uncirculated Coin.
The former is a new series of 5-ounce, 3-inch diameter coins composed of .999 fine silver that feature the same designs as the circulating America the Beautiful Quarters®. The US Mint has already indicated that it has finished producing the 2010 issues with a mintage of 27,000 across each of the five designs. Last year it said they would be available during the first quarter of this year. It is presumed that the 2011 issues will be available this year as well. The bullion 5-ounce versions from last year that were intended for investors have all been sold by the Mint. The bullion versions for this year have not been issued as of this writing.
The collector uncirculated American Silver Eagle, of course, has not been minted since 2008. And while the US Mint also had last year’s issue listed on its product schedule with a "TBA" notice and ended up not producing them, the passage of the Coin Modernization Act last year authorizes their mintage even when there is unprecedented demand for the bullion coins.
Once again you have the price of the 2011 uncirculated mint set wrong. It will be $31.95, the same as the proof set and NOT $49.95 as listed. This is the second time this error has been made. How can you expect anybody to trust the information you publish if you continuously publish the wrong information?