Today, March 13, 2012, the United States Mint released a brand new, first time-ever product dubbed the 2012 Birth Set.

While many of the U.S. Mint’s products have been purchased for special occasions, such as proof Silver Eagles and various mint and proof sets for birthdays and holidays, the bureau has never before offered a product that was specifically designed to mark a baby’s entry into the world.

Listed at a price of $19.95, the 2012 Birth Set includes San Francisco minted proofs of the Lincoln cent, Jefferson nickel, Roosevelt dime, El Yunque quarter and Kennedy half-dollar. Since the U.S. Mint is yet to release the major annual sets for this year, the Birth Set will actually offer the first opportunity to own proofs of the cent, nickel, dime and half dollar — the El Yunque quarter is available with this year’s other four quarters in the 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set which was released on January 17, 2012 for $14.95.

Each of the coins come within a custom folder which includes areas for a welcome message, the date and time of the birth, the length and weight of the baby, a photograph and a lock of the baby’s hair.

The 2012 Birth Set is available directly from the U.S. Mint online site at http://catalog.usmint.gov/. The Mint will charge $4.95 for shipping and handling, making it a good idea to purchase the set with other products to reduce the overall cost.