Sales of the 2015 Dwight D. Eisenhower Coin & Chronicles Set ended just as quick, perhaps quicker, as the first release this year honoring Harry S. Truman. Ordering wasn’t as smooth for some customers this time, however, with parts of the U.S. Mint’s website having problems.
Released today at noon Eastern Time, the Eisenhower sets were gone in minutes. For collectors able to get their orders placed and confirmed, they’re breathing a sigh of relief. For those who didn’t, they’re voicing frustrations.
This year’s first Coin & Chronicles Set sold out within 15 minutes. It was limited to 17,000 and had a 5 per household ordering limit. It’s now selling on the secondary market for about triple its issue price. That alone created extra demand for the Eisenhower set. To broaden access, the Mint established a lower household ordering limit of 2 sets. We knew they’d still sell out, but we thought it would take longer.
"A total of 16,820 sets were sold in approximately 15 minutes," Lateefah Simms, public affairs specialist in the Mint’s Office of Corporate Communications, said in an email. "All accepted orders will be processed and fulfilled on a first-in, first-served basis according to existing United States Mint policies."
No additional inventory will be produced, Simms said, adding that the 17,000 sets are already at the Mint’s fulfillment center for immediate shipment to customers.
As for why some customers experienced issues while ordering, Adam Stump, deputy director of the U.S. Mint’s Office of Corporate Communications, provided the following statement:
"The main United States Mint web page, www.usmint.gov, was down from 12:04 p.m. to 12:21 p.m. due to an issue with a computer application unrelated to the launch of the 2015 Coin & Chronicles Set – Dwight D. Eisenhower. This application issue did not have an effect on any catalog pages, including the web page for the 2015 Coin & Chronicles Set – Dwight D. Eisenhower. Customers were still able to order the 2015 Coin & Chronicles Set – Dwight D. Eisenhower, which became Unavailable at 12:16 p.m., meaning the U.S. Mint is currently out of this item, but more may be available later. Any customer who may have normally entered the catalog site, which is any page that starts with catalog.usmint.gov, would not have experienced any issues. Any customer who attempted to enter through www.usmint.gov from 12:04 p.m. to 12:21 p.m. would have encountered an error trying to get to the catalog site. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused customers."
Product shipments, returns and exchanges will be monitored daily by the U.S. Mint. At this writing, the set’s product page is showing a status of unavailable with a "Remind Me" button. Those who use the feature can receive an email if ordering reopens.
It was when I tried to check out that my problems began. I also had a direct link to the page that I used when I tried to back out and go back in due to cart issues.
i watch on Ebay, there are so many people selling it, and if we watch carefully ,most of those people are first time selling
That excuse of an “unrelated” computer impacting other parts of the US Mint but not the catalog website is a bunch of crock. I was in the catalog are before 12:04 and had the items in my bag already yet I could not place an order. And I did a lot of refreshes to get from one step to another …. And just how could this “unrelated” computer application impact me when I was already in the Catalog area by then? And this “problem” so conveniently happened only during the time when people were trying to place orders and once… Read more »
Same as the people before me here, I had the website crashing at 12:00:05. I had the items in my bag and it kept bringing me back to the “Confirm you Purchase” page. At some points, I wasn’t even able to check the ‘Agree to Terms’ checkbox… it wasn’t there. Anyhow, what do you know, I get an email from the US Mint that my order has shipped! This was exciting since I never got a confirmation that I actually bought it. Well, it turns out the US Mint is sending me something else. They claim I purchased a set… Read more »
Yechiel:
This is the worst U.S. Mint horror story I’ve every heard of.
I’d be boiling mad if this had happened to me. Just for good customer relations, they should allow you to return the FDR set free of shipping cost.
I wish their was some remedy I could suggest. (Call your Congressman’s office maybe?)
US Mint, your PR BS is that, I had 7 tries w/item in bag, woul dnot let me buy, when it did the acceptance BOX was gone..and I STILL HAVE 2 IKE SETS IN MY BAG…whats with that MINT? I only ordered 2 things, they had myCC infor (it came on screen) they just did not want to sell to anyone….the crash effected the Ike sales, to think otherwise is a fantasy….the Mint skrewing collectors since 1792!
On their first day of release Tuesday August 11, 2015, the U.S. Mint’s issue price was $57.95 for a 2015 Eisenhower Coin & Chronicles Set. That same day ebay seller discountprices815 was able to resell them for $399 each as Item #291537319327. $399 – $57.95 = +$241.05 Windfall Profit.
There is a solicitation from a buyer offering to pay only a $50 commission for pairs of U.S. Mint 2015 Eisenhower Coin & Chronicles Sets @ http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/general/332989/limited-time-commission-opportunity.html. P.S. please excuse my calculation error in previous comment. I meant to write that on August 11, 2015 ebay seller discountprices815 was able to resell U.S. Mint 2015 Eisenhower Coin & Chronicles Sets for $399 each as Item #291537319327. $399 – $57.95 = +$341.05 Windfall Profit.
Something is fishy. Go to ebay search this coin. One person brags he sold 21 at $209.00 a pop. Two per household my #^*)@#$%* Something similar happened with First Lady Kennedy sales, it showed as back ordered in the first 10 seconds.
I believe the mints computer sales system is controlled or hacked by greed. Shame on you mint. So sad I just collect coins for fun not to PROFIT OVER $3000.00
Eddie, the mint locked us out, I was @ checkout @ 9;01 5x rejected, error, warning Will Robinson, this is mint BS, they made some kind of seal to blow the mintage out to HSN or others it appears…I have won & lost, just this loss is full of BS…..
I to started having problems after I got two in the shopping cart. Page froze checking out, refreshed a couple times and then exited out and reloaded a new page from my favorites directly to the catalog page. Went right through no problem. Ended up having four in the cart, refreshed to two, then checked out. I didn’t receive the email till later on, then the second day got another email saying that it was shipped out and I got them on Saturday. I boxed everything up real quick and off to NGC the same day so hopefully I get… Read more »
We all got locked out, this guy has TWENTY sets…WTF?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2015-Coin-Chronicles-Dwight-D-Eisenhower-AX2-with-reverse-proof-4-sets-/231652405683?hash=item35ef8f31b3/
According to that seller’s auction they have a “Shipping Conformation” for all 20 sets.
Is that “Shipping Confirmation” from the US Mint or from other “parties” they employed to purchase for him/her?
Either way on the guy w/20 sets, the mint should have made it ONE set, period. Clearly, based on Harry, the Ike would be a sizzler, the mint in its ineptitude, did not do a 1 limit & somehow had a crash in the 10m most people were trying to buy them. I know how to use the mint site, I was there @ 9:00, on the pay pg. @ 9:00:50 & then tried 5x to get the cc to go thru, error with the click & when no check box, & tyou could not just check were it was… Read more »