When the US Mint added products to its schedule for March and April, some additions were expected like releases for this year’s America the Beautiful Quarters®. Others listed, like the American Eagle Proof Coins in gold and silver, came as a bit of a surprise as they have not typically been available as early.
March kicks off with the second commemorative program of the year, the Star-Spangled Banner commemorative coins. Then comes a new collectible, the 2012 Birth Set, whic is followed by the 2012 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin. April offers the popular proof Eagle coins. In all, 12 out of the 12 listings have exact dates, although they are subject to change without notice.
At this time, the US Mint products on the schedule below spans from March 5 through April 26. The order of those releases, along with links that provide a brief summary on each product, follows.
March-April 2012 US Mint Product Schedule
| 3/05 | 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coins |
| 3/13 | 2012 Birth Set |
| 3/15 | 2012 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coins |
| 4/02 | Chaco Culture National Historical Park Quarters Bags and Two-Roll Set |
| 4/05 | Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coin Rolls |
| 4/09 | Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coin Cover |
| 4/12 | 2012 America Silver Eagle Proof Coins |
| 4/17 | Chaco Quarter Three-Coin Set |
| 4/19 | 2012 American Gold Eagle Proof Coins |
| 4/24 | 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Set |
| 4/24 | 2012 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set |
| 4/26 | 2012 Native American $1 Coin Rolls |
* Product schedule release dates are subject to change.
Typically, the United States Mint launches the new products at 12:00 PM (noon) Eastern Time. Orders may be placed directly from the US Mint’s website at www.usmint.gov or by phone at the toll-free number 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
Below are the summaries of the US Mint March and April product releases and a few of their estimated starting prices:
03.05.2012 – 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coins
Coin Category: Commemorative Coins
The second commemorative coin program offered by the United States Mint launched on March 5, 2012. The Star-Spangled Banner gold and silver coins highlight the bicentennial writing of the American anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, by Francis Scott Key that was written following the Battle of Baltimore amid the War of 1812. Surcharges from the coin sales will support multiple bicentennial activities planned for this year, plus the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission’s educational outreach, and preservation and improvement of the sites and structures related to the War of 1812.
Coin Category: Special Collectibles | Opening Price: $19.95
A special collectible is joining the United States Mint line up of offerings. The 2012 Birth Set targets parents of newborns with its custom display folder of memorabilia of a baby’s birth. It includes five 2012 clad coins from the US Mint facility in San Francisco in proof quality, a place to insert a 3×4 inch baby photo, as well as space to write a greeting, record the baby’s length and weight plus the date with the time of the birth. This keepsake also has a small section for a lock of the baby’s hair.
03.15.2012 – 2012 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coins
Coin Category: American Buffalo | Opening Price: $1,960.00
The .9999 purity of gold is one attribute of the American Buffalo Gold Coin, and another is its famed James Earle Fraser designs that are emblematic of the western frontier. The United States Mint’s proof version was made for collectors and given a specialized minting process so the highly detailed images appear to float above the surface. This collectible comes in an elegant hardwood box with a faux leather inset.
04.02.2012 – Chaco Culture National Historical Park Quarters Bags and Two-Roll Set
Coin Category: America the Beautiful Quarters | Opening Price: 100-Coin Bag $34.95; Two-Roll Set $32.95
The United States Mint is launching the Chaco Culture National Historical Park Quarters Bags and Two-Roll Sets in April on the same day the Federal Reserve Bank System plans to release the new design into public circulation. The Chaco quarter is the twelfth in the America the Beautiful Quarters series and the second this year. The US Mint’s options include a 100-coin bag from Philadelphia, a 100-coin bag from Denver or the two-roll set that has 40 coins from both mint facilities, totaling 80 quarters.
04.05.2012 – Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coin Rolls
Coin Category: Presidential Dollars | Opening Price: $32.95
The first Presidential $1 Coin of 2012 will bear a portrait of President Chester Arthur on the obverse and the Statue of Liberty on the reverse. 25-coin rolls of the dollars will be circulation quality strikes from either Philadelphia or Denver, buyer’s choice. What will be most interesting about the Arthur dollar will be its low mintage. Like the Kennedy half-dollars, the Presidential dollars will not enter circulation as they have in the past, but acquisition of the 2012 Presidential issues may be obtained by a purchase directly from the US Mint.
04.09.2012 – Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coin Cover
Coin Category: Presidential Dollars | Opening Price: $19.95
A popular item in the Presidential $1 Coin Program is the Coin Cover, and the Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coin Cover is expected to be just as popular. The two circulation quality Arthur Dollars are from the first day of production at the US Mint facilities in Philadelphia and Denver. They are mounted together on a decorative display card with Arthur’s portrait. The 21st President entered the office after the assassination of President Garfield and served from 1881 to 1885.
04.12.2012 – 2012 American Silver Eagle Proof Coins
Coin Category: American Eagle Coins | Opening Price: $59.95
As one of the most popular coins sold by the United States Mint, the 2012 American Silver Eagle Proof is expected to spur a buying frenzy when it launches in April. Adolph A. Weinman’s Walking Liberty on the obverse and John Mercanti’s heraldic eagle with shield design on the reverse have graced the Silver Eagle coins since 1986. The collector proof version is one full ounce of .999 fine silver, has the mirror-like finish and highly detailed images, and boasts a mint mark on its reverse to indicate the mint facility where it was produced.
04.17.2012 – Chaco Quarter Three-Coin Set
Coin Category: America the Beautiful Quarters | Opening Price: $9.95
To make it easier for fans of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park to collect the quarters from all three of the US Mint facilities that produce the quarter, the United States Mint has a product with one of each in its Three-Coin Set. There are the uncirculated quality strikes from Philadelphia and Denver as well as a proof strike from San Francisco together on a decorative but durable card.
04.19.2012 – 2012 American Gold Eagle Proof Coins
Coin Category: American Eagle Coins
April will also see the launch of the 2012 Proof American Gold Eagle coins. Composed of 22-karat gold, the Gold Eagles are struck in four sizes that include the one ounce, the half ounce, the quarter ounce, and the tenth ounce size. They differ from their bullion counterparts with their special proof finish, mintmark, and collector packaging. The US Mint also issues a Four-Coin Set that contains one of each Gold Eagle strike.
04.24.2012 – 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Set
Coin Category: America the Beautiful Quarters
The 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Set is a 10 coin set that features the reverse designs of the 2012 quarters. The uncirculated quality coins include the 2012-P and the 2012-D El Yunque National Forest Quarters, the 2012-P and the 2012-D Chaco Culture National Historical Park Quarters, the 2012-P and the 2012-D Acadia National Park Quarters, the 2012-P and the 2012-D Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Quarters, and the 2012-P and the 2012-D Denali National Park Quarters. The quarters are mounted on a durable folder.
04.24.2012 – 2012 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set
Coin Category: Presidential Dollars | Opening Price: $18.95
The United States Mint plans to release the 2012 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set, containing the four new obverse designs in the series. The set includes proof quality strikes that honor the 21st through the 24th Presidents, who were Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and Grover Cleveland (again but for 2nd term). 2012 is the Presidential $1 Coin Program’s sixth year.
04.26.2012 – 2012 Native American $1 Coin Rolls
Coin Category: Native American Dollars | Opening Price: $32.95
The United States Mint is releasing the 2012 Native American $1 in 25-coin rolls on April 26. It is the fourth new design in the Native American coin program. Buyers can choose whether they want a 25-coin roll from Philadelphia or Denver. The dollars in the rolls are circulation quality but come straight from the Mint so that they have never been in circulation. The theme on the reverse reflects "Trade Route in the 17th Century." The design has the profiles of a Native American wearing a headdress and a horse with running horses in the background.
