As the new year rolls in, the United States Mint is rolling out new products in January and February. Below is a table with the US Mint’s 2012 product schedule thus far, which includes two 2011-dated America the Beautiful Silver Coin products that were missed in 2011, new 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters products, a Presidential $1 Coin and the first of two commemorative coins.
Kicking off the new year schedule are two bullion products, the 2012 American Gold Eagle Bullion Coins and the 2012 American Silver Eagle Bullion Coin. The US Mint does not offer these investment items directly to the public; instead they sell them to their network of Authorized Purchasers, who sell them to other coin and precious metal dealers and the public.
Besides the two bullion entries, only nine numismatic items make up the list at this time that spans from January 3 through February 23. The order of those releases is below, along with links that provide a brief summary on each product. As usual, these dates are subject to change without notice.
US Mint January and February 2012 Product Schedule
| 01/03 | 2012 American Gold Eagle Bullion Coins |
| 01/03 | 2010 American Silver Eagle Bullion Coins |
| 01/10 | 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set |
| 01/12 | 2011 Vicksburg National Military Park 5 Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin |
| 01/17 | 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set |
| 01/23 | El Yunque National Forest Quarters Bags and Two-Roll Set |
| 02/07 | El Yunque Quarter Three-Coin Set |
| 02/09 | 2011 Chickasaw National Recreation Area 5 Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin |
| 02/16 | Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar |
| 02/16 | Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coin Rolls |
| 02/23 | 2012 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set |
*Product schedule dates are subject to change.
The United States Mint typically launches their new products at 12:00 PM (noon) Eastern Time. Once the items become available, the above products, except the bullion options, may be purchased directly from the US Mint’s website at http:www.usmint.gov.
Below are short summaries of the US Mint January and February 2012 product schedule and a few of their estimated starting prices:
01.03.2012 – 2012 American Gold Eagle Bullion Coins
Coin Category: American Eagle Coins
The United States Mint announced their preparedness for the 2012 bullion versions of the American Gold Eagles recently. Composed of 22-karat gold, the Gold Eagles are struck in four sizes that include the one ounce, half ounce, quarter ounce, and the tenth ounce. American Eagle bullion coins have been produced annually by the Mint since 1986, and they are an easy means for people to add precious metals to their investment portfolios. Last year, the US Mint sold one million ounces of American Gold Eagle Bullion Coins to its Authorized Purchasers.
01.03.2012 – 2012 American Silver Eagle Bullion Coins
Coin Category: American Eagle Coins
The American Silver Eagle is one of the most popular coins sold by the United States Mint. In 2011, nearly 40 million Silver Eagles sold. They are only minted in the one ounce size and are composed of .999 fine silver. The bullion version American Eagle coins being launched in January differ from the uncirculated and the proof quality strikes that the Mint is expected to release later in the year. The bullion strikes do not have the special collector finishes or the mint mark to indicate the mint facility where they were produced.
01.10.2012 – 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set
Coin Category: America the Beautiful Quarters | Opening Price: $41.95
The first collector product the United States Mint will offer in January will be the 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set. It will showcase all five new reverse designs, in proof quality, struck in 90% silver. The coins honor El Yunque National Forest, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Acadia National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and Denali National Park.
01.12.2012 – 2011 Vicksburg National Military Park 5 Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin
Coin Category National Park Silver Coins | Opening Price: $204.95
The ninth America the Beautiful 5 Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin will finally launch mid-January. The Vicksburg silver coin honors the national military park in Mississippi. The coin’s design is a larger version of the Vicksburg quarter that launched in August of 2011, but its 3-inch size with 5 ounces of .999 fine silver, plus the edge letterings denoting the fineness and weight, makes this limited-edition a real collectible.
01.17.2012 – 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Proof Set
Coin Category: America the Beautiful Quarters | Opening Price: $14.95
Five newly designed 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters make up this clad proof set, minted at the facility in San Francisco. The set provides an opportunity for followers of the series, in its third year, a chance to obtain the new designs before they are released individually in circulation throughout the year. The proof coins in the set have a brilliant finish on them, with a sharp relief and a mirror-like background. The quarters will be sealed in a protective lens and the packaging will include a Certificate of Authenticity.
01.23.2012 – El Yunque National Forest Quarters Bags and Two-Roll Sets
Coin Category: America the Beautiful Quarters
Wrapping up the schedule for January, the United States Mint is launching the El Yunque National Forest Quarters Bags and Two-Roll Sets on January 23 — the same day the Federal Reserve Bank System is expected to release the business strikes into circulation. The El Yunque quarter is the eleventh in the America the Beautiful Quarters series that started in 2010. Buyers can choose 100-coin bags from either Philadelphia or Denver, while the two-roll sets have 40 coins from both mint facilities, totaling 80 quarters.
02.07.2012 – El Yunque Quarter Three-Coin Set
Coin Category: America the Beautiful Quarters
The El Yunque Quarter Three-Coin Set kicks off in February. It is the first set of its kind for 2012. The El Yunque quarter recognizes the national park located in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. The design on its reverse features the Puerto Rican parrot and the Coqui tree frog among tropical foliage. All of the United States Mint facilities that manufacture the quarters are represented. Hence, a proof 2012-S, an uncirculated 2012-P, and an uncirculated 2012-D strike make up each set.
02.09.2012 – 2011 Chickasaw National Recreation Area 5 Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin
Coin Category: National Park Silver Coins
Also debuting in February 2012 is the last 2011-dated collectible coin. The Chickasaw National Recreation Area 5 Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin has a maximum mintage of 35,000. It features the same design as seen on the Chickasaw America the Beautiful Quarter that was released last November. The design features the Lincoln Bridge situated amongst the trees over the Travertine Creek in Oklahoma.
02.16.2012 – Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar
Coin Category: Commemorative Coins
The first commemorative coins offered by the United States Mint will hit the market in February 2012. The Infantry Soldier Silver Dollars spotlight the U.S. Army Infantry and commemorate the sacrifice the soldiers have been making since 1775 to secure and protect the freedom of our nation as well as our allies. Surcharges raised from sales of the coins will support the legacy of the U.S. Army Infantry through the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center located in Columbus, Georgia.
02.16.2012 – Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coin Rolls
Coin Category: Presidential Dollars | Opening Price: $7.95
The Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coins bear a portrait of President Arthur on the obverse and the Statue of Liberty on the reverse. 25-coin rolls of the dollars will be available starting February 16 by the United States Mint. What will be most interesting about the first Presidential dollar of 2012 will be its low mintage. Since these dollars will not enter circulation via the Federal Reserve Bank system as they have in the past, the only way to ensure acquisition of the 2012 Presidential issues for a collection will be through a US Mint purchase.
02.23.2012 – 2012 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set
Coin Category: Presidential Dollars | Opening Price: $19.95
Wrapping up the schedule for February, the United States Mint is releasing the 2012 Presidential $1 Coin Proof Set which contains the four new obverse designs in the dollar series. The set includes proof quality strikes that honor Chester A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and Grover Cleveland (again but for 2nd term).
