Official details have emerged for the 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Bicentennial Silver Dollar Set. The U.S. Mint late Friday afternoon published a press release about the set and made its online product page live.
Launching on Friday, June 1, 2012, the Star-Spangled Banner Bicentennial Silver Dollar Set will go on sale for a price of $53.95, have a household ordering limit of 100 and an overall product limit of 50,000. The set contains:
- a proof Star-Spangled Banner Silver Dollar,
- a reproduction of one of Francis Scott Key’s original manuscripts of his poem "The Star-Spangled Banner,"
- the full lyrics to the "Star-Spangled Banner," and
- information about the national anthem against colorful artwork depicting the battle between U.S. and British forces for Fort McHenry, Maryland
Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coins were authorized by Congress as one of two commemorative coin programs in 2012. Coins authorized under the program include $5 gold coins and silver dollars in proof and uncirculated qualities. In addition, the U.S. Mint is also selling a Star-Spangled Banner Two-Coin Proof Set containing one proof $5 gold coin and one proof silver dollar.
Their latest prices and sales figures as of May 21, 2012 are listed in the following table:
| Current Prices | Current Sales | Mintage Limits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5 Gold Proof | $485.70 | 4,683 | 100,000 |
| $5 Gold Uncirculated | $475.70 | 3,552 | |
| Two-Coin Set | $535.70 | 8,729 | limited by gold and silver coin mintages |
| Silver Dollar Proof | $54.95 | 86,973 | 500,000 |
| Silver Dollar Uncirculated | $49.95 | 33,514 |
Collectors wanting to purchase the 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Bicentennial Silver Dollar Set may do so on Friday beginning at 12:00 noon Eastern Time through its product page, located here, or by calling the toll-free number 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
Why they didn’t think to do this when the other coins came out is beyond me. They probably didn’t think of it until too late. This set won’t revitalize sales in the commemorative coins other than to add 50,000 to their numbers which would have happened whenever they released it.