As silver prices shot over $40 an ounce on Friday, the United States Mint suspended the sale of two of its silver products.
The US Mint online store shows a hold on its 2010 Silver Proof Set and 2010 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set, indicating they are "temporarily unavailable."
The US Mint last suspended the sale of silver products in mid-March when the agency implemented new pricing following previous 31-year highs as silver prices reached just over $35 an ounce. Then, the Quarters Silver Proof Set price was raised $7 to $39.95 and the annual Silver Proof Set advanced $8 to $64.95.
Both of these sets include quarters which are composed of 90 percent silver, accounting for 0.904 ounces of the precious metal. The annual Silver Proof Set also includes a dime and half dollar with silver, giving it a total of 1.338 ounces of the metal. Using the current silver spot price of $40.59 an ounce, the two sets now have melt values of $36.70 and $54.32, respectively, as compared to their intrinsic melt values of nearly $32 and $47 following their previous price increases.
Both of the 2011-dated versions of the sets are still on sale, as they were released at higher prices.
The US Mint does have a published pricing policy in place for its gold and platinum numismatic products, as it will increase or decrease such product prices once a week if the weekly average of precious metals prices shifts significantly higher or lower. It does not have a published pricing policy for its silver offerings. Before silver product prices change, the products are typically suspended until a review takes place and a notice is given on the Federal Register, which is an official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations. This can sometimes take several days.
US Mint really need to have the pricing grid ready for Silver product lines now, as they do for gold and platinum. I couldn’t have imagined silver price bouncing back to the Hunt brothers’ level in my life time. Gee.
I didn’t either, but there it is. And at that time gold only peaked at $850 or so but it was the silver price that was driving up gold then too, not the world economy. They should have added silver products to the pricing grid when they originally announced the 5oz coins instead of hiding in a closet. Also if palladium coins become a reality the pricing grid should be upgraded for them before any are announced or at least released for sale. The mint administrators seem to have no capability of planning or forethought beyond tomorrow’s or next week’s… Read more »
I have always ejoyed the mint products and have made a point to get the commems in proof and uncirc. I also get the mint sets more as something to collect with my kids. However with the price of silver and the cost of these sets – just to buy one of each – not including the gold – will run $463.55. And lets face it, many of the commems and the silver proof sets will only be worth the bullion price in the future – so basically it is a negative return investment unless silver continues to go up.… Read more »