Demand for the curved 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins remains strong following a tidal wave of orders on opening day, new United States Mint sales figures reveal.
Debuting on Thursday, March 27, the two gold coins went on a waiting list within hours until the U.S. Mint officially declared all 50,000 sold out. Sales as of Sunday have the splits at 32,000 for the proof and 18,000 for the uncirculated.
The fast sellout left some collectors empty-handed and pointing to the Mint’s ordering limit of 50 gold coins as an "unforced error," forgive the pun, believing it was too attractive to dealers. CoinNews.net reader "RonnieBGood" succinctly commented on the subject:
"I don’t think that the 50,000 limit on the Mintage for the Gold coins were a bad idea. It was a great idea. Look at the Reverse Proof Buffalo’s mintage of around 47,000. By limiting the mintage it caused demand and increased the desire for collectors thus a sellout.
This is fine but what we don’t like is the way this was sold. A Maximum of 5 vs. 50 would give the average collector a much better chance of getting a Gold coin and the Mint can still be assured of a sellout. The dealers can still use their tricks to get more than 5 but they have to work a little harder at it (i.e. others ordering for them for a fee).
This one will only further aggravate collectors and drive others away from ordering from the US Mint. It will even drive a few from further collecting US minted coins."
The gold baseball coins could have potentially sold out sooner. Until the day prior to their launch, the U.S. Mint did not have any ordering limits. They were added on March 26.
"These coins commemorate important aspects of American history and culture, so we want to make sure a maximum number of customers have an opportunity to purchase this coin," said U.S. Mint Deputy Director Dick Peterson ahead of the coins’ release. "We had anticipated strong interest in this coin from the outset. However, the interest in the past few days prior to the coin even going on sale has caused us to take this action."
Household ordering limits of 100 coins each are in place for the silver dollars and clad half-dollars.
Silver and Clad Baseball Coins
Next likely to sell out are the silver dollars. The National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act, Public Law 112-152, authorized a maximum of 400,000. As is typical with silver coins, collectors prefer the proofs over the uncirculated by about a 68/32 split. The latest sales stand at 155,523 for the proof silver dollar and 73,002 for the uncirculated silver dollar for a total of 228,525, or 57.1% of the mintage.
The last commemorative silver coins from the U.S. Mint to sell out were the 2010 Boy Scouts of American Centennial Silver Dollars. It took a bit over one month for the authorized 350,000 to move.
There is less interest in the 50-cent clad versions when compared against the silver coins, at least for now. Of the permitted 750,000, a total of 111,380, or 14.9%, have sold with 67,236 in proof half-dollars and 44,144 in uncirculated half-dollars.
Here is a table offering the latest available coin sales as of Sunday, March 30:
Sales of 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins
| Prices | Latest Sales | Sales Total | Mintages | Remaining Coins | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proof $5 Gold Baseball Coins | Sold Out | 32,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 0 |
| Uncirculated $5 Gold Baseball Coins | 18,000 | ||||
| Proof Silver Dollar Baseball Coins | $51.95 | 155,523 | 228,525 | 400,000 | 171,475 |
| Uncirculated Silver Dollar Baseball Coins | $47.95 | 73,002 | |||
| Proof Clad Half Dollar Baseball Coins | $19.95 | 67,236 | 111,380 | 750,000 | 638,620 |
| Uncirculated Clad Half Dollar Baseball Coins | $18.95 | 44,144 |
Prepare to wait for the next batch of sales figures because they may not be released for another week.
Baseball Coin Sales Top $34.9 Million
Across all six baseball coins, 389,905 have sold for a sales total in dollars of $34,905,252.75.
Surcharges Top $4.5 Million
Public Law 112-152 mandated that the U.S. Mint include surcharge amounts of $35 per $5 gold coin, $10 for each silver dollar and $5 per 50-cent piece to be paid to the National Baseball Hall of Fame to help fund its operations. Prices above include those surcharges and total $4,592,150.00 based on sales through Sunday.
Ordering Baseball Coins
To place orders for the National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins, visit the U.S. Mint website, right here, or call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
Prices for the curved baseball coins are at introductory levels until April 28, 2014 at 5 p.m. ET. After that time, prices for the silver dollars increase by $5 and prices for the half-dollars rise by $4.
IF there are ordering limits In place, how did HSN get ahold of 2,014 Silver First Day of Issue Silver proof dollars that they immediately had graded and sold online. (Already sold out at a price of 179.00 a coin). They sold them on Saturday, which means they where shipped and graded in two days!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The only appealing thing the gold coin had going for it was it mintage level, but I totally agree with the article above, that appears the coin dealers are going to sock it to the public on this one. Just ONCE I’d like to see… Read more »
Everyone should call them, when they are selling the coins, that we will be waiting for a few months and when they answer, tell them you’re not going to order from them, because they jumped the line.
Last Thursday March 27, 2014 when the baseball coins went on sale, in Baltimore there was the Whitman Coin and Collectible Spring Expo where the U.S. Mint was selling coins. Baseball coins were also being sold at the U.S. Mint Headquarters at 801 9th street Northwest in Washington D.C.
Tom… hsn didn’t have the coins on hand. They only had hey few samples and the cases were taped together for the show. They have to wait just like everyone else. Their ship date for the coins is May 9th. I don’t agree that they were able to get so many but this is America and that’s the way things go. I believe the ship dates will be moved up. At least I hope, the ship date for my gold coin is June also and next week for all the rest. I got my order in at 1 p.m. too…… Read more »
HSN bought the coins at either the spring expo or the mint headquarters then flew them directly to Denver for grading, then friday they flew them to Florida for their show saturday.
Thanks Paul for the input. I didn’t see the show I missed it and I wanted to get a Proof PF-70 Silver but didn’t find out in time. I see AMPEX is offering the coins BUT I won’t even mention for how much, don’t want to make anyone sick!!!!!!!
No prob. Really? Ive been checking their site and haven’t seen it yet. AMPEX is usually reasonable. Hopefully the price will come down but I don’t know…
I just looked… Your right, it made me sick!!!
@Paul The mint doesn’t ding your card, until they ship your order. If they dinged yours, maybe they’re are on the way. Good luck.
1st come, 1st serve is the best way to do business. Catering to the squeaky wheel is what caused the collapse of the First Spouse line. It was extremely popular and a great line. The coins were worth a lot, UNTIL a small amount of people (small amount vs the 10s of 1,000s of satisfied customers) complained and the US Mint bowed down to their complaints and lowered the HH limit to 1 and KILLED the entire line by the 4th coin (out of 46!). Instead of selling 40,000 coins every single time a new coin went for sale for… Read more »
And people reselling things for more than they bought them for: what do you think the foundation of business and economics is? They aren’t forcing you to buy their stuff – if you want it, buy it, if not, then don’t, but to rail against them for selling stuff at a profit is absurd. By this logic, anyone who thinks that way should be giving back all the profit that their company (whether they are the owner or employee) charged or built in to their product; they bought x materials and added y and z to cover profits on overhead,… Read more »
I had respect for apmex ….. Until now. Don’t know what hsn was doing, but what apmex is doing is ridiculous. It reminds me of the A25 silver 5 coin set after it came out. A perfect set sold as high as $3850 on eBay. I sold a perfect set a few months ago for just over $1,000. I missed out on the mania but still made a nice profit. I read that when the tulip bulb mania was at its peak, one tulip bulb sold for the equivalent of a skilled worker’s annual wage… Times ten! Maybe precious metals… Read more »
Lololol @ Kevin
I am thinking why US mint sent me Order form for ?
the best way US mint for selling coin : let the post office selling it, like $10 Olympics gold coin
Also, US mint can issued 25+ different title coin every year like Canada
the last thing: DID oversea buying these gold coin from US mint online ? Such as India, China etc, if yes, why not US mint just make Million of gold coins,
I will buy later in the year when the special dollar sets come up. Don’t forget what the mint did to us last time. Threw in uncs with other sets later t a cheaper price.
The only baseball coins that will be included in a set are the proof Clad. They will be in the young collector’s set of it at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
I agree with most of your statement Jesus Judah… wish people would stop whining because they didn’t get a coin or they waited because they didn’t think they would sell out. I don’t believe they will make more because of the whiners(or due to demand) since it would have written into law but it’s happened before…
JesustheLionofJudah, I love the low mintage coins and wish the Mint would make more of them. There are only two points I am trying to make: 1. When you have a buying limit, how does HSN get a lot 2,014 coins to sell???? and 2. Give the “public” an opportunity to buy before the dealers. The First day of Issue is a behind the scenes hand-shake between the Mint and the Dealers, the only way to buy a first day of issue is on the secondary market, Coins are sent to the dealers marked in boxes which are sent to… Read more »
I hope they don’t up the limits I got W, P, D, S….coins, my coins all go to my grandson which he’ll like when he grows up.
Hsn has is ship by date of May 9th so they have to wait just like everyone else. They get so many coins by paying people to buy the limit like other dealers do. The coins they had on hand we’re from the Baltimore show. I still agree that dealers have a leg up on regular collectors which I feel is unethical but there is nothing to be done about it.
The U.S. Mint must make a profit. I am dam tired of them excluding the collector to favor the dealers to gain that profit. The law sets the mintage limits, however the Mint sets the household purchase limits. I don’t have $10,000 discretionary funds to buy 25 or more gold coins. I may want to buy up to 5. That should be the mandatory purchase limit for all consumers – including the secondary market merchants. Coin collecting may go the way of the dodo bird; the youth of America are now fascinated by technology. It has to zing, zap and… Read more »
The us mint charge my card so I guess they will ship my order soon.
I can’t get no! cause I tried and I tried, but I can’t get no! hey! hey!
My order keeps on shifting to later dates went from april 5th to 11th, to 16th, for the proof clad, clad, silver proof and unc silver, my gold shifted to 6/16 2014, which basically says we will gladly send you your silver but you most likely wont see your gold, this is why I hate the US MINT, I prefer to stay with the Canadian and perth mint at least you get limited mintage’s without being screwed plus the fact that those mints dont favor the dealer but favor the public
This is sickening me, APMEX, will have coin but public who waited in waiting room for up to 2 hours well or may never see the gold coin, meanwhile dealers are reaping the reward
2014-W Baseball HOF – $5 Gold Commem-MS-69 PCGS(FS) FP 4/11
These are expected to ship by Friday, April 11th! Read More
Availability: 4/11/2014
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I was fortunate in acquiring my coins, but it was rather unnerving when I went online right at 12:00. I was transferred to the waiting room to get an opportunity to log in. I felt like I was in time out and my parents kept changing the duration of my stay. When the ticker first popped up in the window it read I had 1 minute 38 seconds. OK that’s not bad, but as soon as It got to 32 seconds it jumped back to 38 minutes, what the heck ?! So I then started calling and getting the busy… Read more »
I just saw hsn have the gold proof 70 for 899.95
That 50 coin limit on a 50k release is a joke, it was release meant for dealers not for public, 5 would of been realistic for household limit, make the dealer work for it, now the dealer are charging on the low end 1900 per gold coin and on the high end 5000, from a coin that went on sale 424, and 419 which was fortunate because gold dropped drastically, I just feel frustrated that even though i got my order in within the first hour actually first 35 minutes my order was thrown into back order limbo, I only… Read more »
I rather be told my gold will not leave backorder limbo than keep hanging on to some false hope that by miracle Ill get my gold coin in June 16 according to backorder notifcation after every dealer has raped the gold coins and its selling at 5k a coin, I dont see the mint in june saying lets send Public Joe his small gold coin he bought for 419 when the coin is selling for 5k
I have no idea Tom on the FDOI, I’ve never looked into it. Perhaps they do have a special deal?
Yesterday Tuesday morning April 01, 2014 @ 06:25:38 PDT, ebay Item #331166000737 which was a PCGS graded perfect PR70DCAM First Strike and First Pitch Baltimore labeled U.S. Mint 2014-W National Baseball Hall of Fame Proof $5 Gold Coin sold for an incredible $5,000.
Don’t worry if you lost this profitable coin issue, save all what you can get for JFK 1oz gold coin coming soon this year, should be a Biggest surprise on Lifetime
We folks, if the coin flustration isn’t enough how about this. Yesterday I go an email about a shipment confirmation. WOW I thought, maybe something is coming….I opened the email and here is a shipment confirmation for the “FREE” bag offered by the mint. They charged 4.95 to ship it. Nothing ELSE was shipped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The JFK coin will be no different than this one. If they up the mintage it makes it useless. The mint needs to “honestly” do something for the public buyers. I got my coins this round…at least I think I did as they keep varying the delivery date, and somewhere I am sure the mint will find a way to mess it up. I feel SORRY for all the people that are having to buy off the secondary market. From what I can see HSN had the best prices for these coins, but they are all sold out. I have… Read more »
I got same charged from my bank account $4.95 ! WOW , US mint stole my money from bank account!!!!!
This year 5 oz UNC ATB are worthless, I am believe Mint will making 500k-1million for each issue, because Subscribe Discount,
remember no limited for ATB UNC when u subscribe it,
So, what did u think HSN ,AMPEX or Asian order ?
@Tom The $4.95 shipping is always charged on the first shipment, be it one of seven products or seven of seven products. Relax, the rest of the coins you ordered will arrive with no shipping cost, added.
Thanks Victor, already called the mint to find out what was going on.
I wouldn’t get too excited about the prices that are beening asked for the HOF coins. It will all settle down in a few months. The 2010 Boy Scouts coins were very popular and sold out in under a month. Now they can be had for about $60 NGC graded PF/MS 70. That is less the the mint cost plus grading costs.
I just tuned into “The Coin Vault” and happened to see the Unc and Pf 70, silver HOF coins being sold. They are $499.50 each and the reason they have them so quickly is they were purchased at the coin show in Baltimore, on the fires day of issue. They were also submitted to NGC, at the show, so they have the “First day of issue” label. Wow, $47.95 and $51.95 now adds up to $1000.00. Well, the old adage does say, “What ever the traffic will bear,” and “Let the buyer beware.”
I just got my free us mint bag and I had was to sign for it. He he. Bag and no coin yet.
First came the bag, then the silver coins and according to the tracking number the gold should be on before Friday the eleventh. I called in 20 minutes early, waited 5 minutes in the room and the order went through. No I am not a dealer, Just ordered 5 of each of all the proof coins and 5 circulated gold coins, and I do plan on a resale in November.I only want to keep one set for myself. Hope the other four sets pay for my one and I will be very happy. John