Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coins were released one month ago (April 5) and sold by the United States Mint within 25-coin rolls and 250- and 500-coin boxes.
On Monday, April 30, 2012, the United States Mint also made available 100-coin bags containing the dollars for $111.95. Like the rolls and boxes, product options for the bags include the choice of coins produced in either the Philadelphia Mint or Denver Mint.
The rolls obviously take fewer dollars to buy, but from a premium standpoint the 250-coin boxes are the best buy. The following table highlights the various product prices and premiums.
Premiums for Rolls, Bags and Boxes of Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coin
| Product | Amount | Price | Shipping & Handling | Total Price | $ Premium | % Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25-Coin Rolls | 25 | $32.95 | $4.95 | $37.90 | $12.90 | 51.6% |
| 100-Coin Bags | 100 | $111.95 | $4.95 | $116.90 | $16.90 | 16.9% |
| 250-Coin Boxes | 250 | $275.9 | $4.95 | $280.85 | $30.85 | 12.3% |
| 500-Coin Boxes | 500 | $550.95 | $12.90 | $563.85* | $63.85 | 12.8% |
*Assumes a single box is purchased, as the U.S. Mint charges $7.95 per box of 500 coins because of the weight.
The expense of shipping and handling for rolls, bags and 250-coin boxes can be mitigated to a degree as charges apply to an entire order which may include multiple products. For example, if 5 rolls of Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coins were purchased plus several other U.S. Mint items, the entire order would get assessed a single $4.95 shipping and handling fee.
Excluding shipping and handling costs, percent premiums for the $1 coin products are:
- 31.8% for the rolls,
- 12.0% for the 100-coin bags,
- 10.4% for the 250-coin boxes and
- 10.2% for the 500-coin boxes.
Each of the dollar products may be purchased directly from the U.S. Mint online store which is located at http://catalog.usmint.gov/. Buyers may also call the Mint directly at 1-888-321-MINT (6468).
The U.S. Mint did not indicate why bags of the Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coins were issued later than other products. Going forward, rolls, boxes and bags of future Presidential $1 Coin releases should be available on the same day rather than in staggered intervals.
