Released today, September 6, was the 2012 Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set from the United States Mint.
Containing six one dollar coins from three different U.S. Mint facilities, all legal tender but each having different designs, the distinctive annual set is back after a three-year hiatus.
Sales began at 12:00 noon ET and started with a price of $54.95, which is $17 more than the cost of the last set that was issued back in 2008.
This year’s Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set features the following six uncirculated quality coins:
- 2012-P Chester Arthur Presidential $1 Coin from Philadelphia
- 2012-P Grover Cleveland (first term) Presidential $1 Coin from Philadelphia
- 2012-P Benjamin Harrison Presidential $1 Coin from Philadelphia
- 2012-P Grover Cleveland (second term) Presidential $1 Coin from Philadelphia
- 2012-D Native American $1 Coin from the Denver
- 2012-W Uncirculated American Eagle Silver Coin from West Point
Obviously, the one troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver found in the 2012-W Uncirculated American Silver Eagle was the main catalyst in driving up the cost of the set, since the set’s total face value is just $6. Ironically, the set could have been priced higher. A U.S. Mint public notice announcing the set’s $54.95 price was dated August 28, 2012. At that time, silver was fixed in London at $30.81 an ounce. Today, silver is valued higher as the latest London fixing is at $32.87 an ounce.
Collectors appreciate uncirculated coins because they are struck with greater force to produce more detail than standard, business quality strikes intended for general circulation. Uncirculated coins are not produced for commerce, only for coin collectors.
The six coins in the 2012 Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set are mounted within a durable folder that lists brief descriptions of each coin enclosed. A Certificate of Authenticity is displayed on the back of the folder.
Order Information
Customers wanting to purchase the 2012 Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set may order directly from the United States Mint website located here, or call toll-free at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). There are no household ordering limits.
Dollar Coin Designs
Reverses of 2012 Presidential $1 coins within the set depict portraits of Presidents Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland (1st term), Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland (2nd term). A rendition of the Statue of Liberty is common to the reverses.
Showcased on the reverse of the Native American $1 Coin is a profile image of a Native American and horse, representing the theme of "Trade Routes in the 17th Century." An image of Sacagawea and her baby is on the obverse.
Finally, for the 2012-W Uncirculated American Silver Eagle, the obverse shows Weinman’s "Walking Liberty" design and the reverse depicts the heraldic eagle with shield. Unlike the other five coins in the set, these two designs have been the same on the American Silver Eagle since its debut in 1986.
Final American Silver Eagle
As a side note, the set is the last U.S. Mint product scheduled to launch in 2012 with an American Silver Eagle. Past products that included collector Silver Eagles were:
- the individually sold 2012-W Proof American Silver Eagle that debuted in April,
- the 2012-S American Silver Eagle San Francisco Two-Coin Proof Set that opened in June and featured a proof and a reverse proof Silver Eagle from San Francisco,
- the individual 2012-W Uncirculated American Silver Eagle that was released in August, and
- the Making American History Coin & Currency Set having a 2012-S Proof Silver Eagle and also launching in August
There is also, of course, the investment-grade bullion American Silver Eagle that made its sales debut in early January.
Same price as the 2012 W Proof Silver Eagle. Not a bad deal with the five extra coins.
Actually the unc SAE is $45.95. That plus the 5 $1 coins comes out to $50.95 so you’re paying an extra $4 just for the packaging. But then who knows how the mint figures the prices for these coins since they don’t publish that information.
I still think it’s a nice set for unc collectors and that there’s a market for a similar proof $1 set too.
2012 Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set is $54.95. The 2012 W Proof Silver Eagle is $54.95 all by it’s self. So you get a 2012 W unc Silver Eagle, + 5 coins with the 2012 Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set for $54.95. I should have explained myself better. Still a good deal for a W* Silver Eagle & 5 golden coins.
Oh ya where can I get a set for $50.95?
You have to deal in volume. Buy lots of unc SAEs from the mint, rolls of the 4 presidents and NA $1 at your local bank, and build your own sets. You pay a premium for the SAE from the mint but the 5 $1 are even trades. You’d have to build 25 sets (since a roll is 25 coins) but the cost for a single set would be $45.95 + $5. Didn’t say it was easy or cheap to do, but still possible. Or you can let the mint do all the work plus put it all in a… Read more »
Don’t forget the $4.95 for shipping from the Mint… lol
Very clever jim
Everyone knows that packaging is everything. Coins are secondary.
Everything costs $4.95 so that’s a wash. That’s one thing (dare I say it?) that hasn’t changed with the mint over the years. First time I paid S&H was $3.95 in 1999 which was bumped up to $4.95 in 2003 and has stayed there since. I usually only buy small quantities but I’ve only paid $4.95 regardless of how many items are in the order. Orders of a bag/box >500 coins triggers an additional fee but apparently ordering 1,000 SAE doesn’t. Homer – you’re right. Look at the birth set: $19.95 for $.91 in change (proof coins, though). Or the… Read more »
So how should the mint package their coins, capsules only? Can’t beat their shipping.
This was discussed in a different thread. The mint could offer the option of no special packaging, e.g. capsules in a box similar to the proof or uncirculated SAE right now only at a discount, or special packaging as usual like what you got with the S mint two coin set or the coin and currency set, Army Defenders of Freedom set, etc. A third more expensive but highly service and collector oriented option (something the mint is probably loathe to do) would be to instead automatically ship an order (presumably capsules only with no packaging) to a coin grading… Read more »
I missed that post. Thanks.
The Mint and USPS are both Government divisions and I seriously doubt that they will ever ship directly to a grader. This would evolve one or two companies being shown favor. Also it gives you no chance to examine your coins. I got a “68” back from a grader with 5 large marks across the reverse. If the step of getting my coin was skipped I would have never known that this was done at the graders. It was fine when I received it from the Mint. I am too in favor of a no packaging option (it just drives… Read more »
ooops. I meant involve not evolve in the post above (^&*#$ spell check) . ha ha
Homer – yeah, packaging is everything… let’s throw the coins away or spend them and get the packaging graded!! LOL
RonnieBGood, I’m *lol with you. I was born at night, but not last night. LOL.
P.S. I don’t text, it drives my wife & kids crazy. But their driving me crazy with their texting. That’s all they do.
I know I said details to be determined but thinking about it more, the ship to address already available with an order could be used as the address for the grader. No reason for the mint to pick or vet the graders. One of the address lines could be used for the grader customer ID (possible privacy concern). The grading company handles the billing and ultimate shipping based on the grader customer ID and their previously stored credit card and ship to information. So in effect this could be done today. What’s missing is the minimum/no packaging option, something the… Read more »
I would give it a try, if it ever happens.
Joe –
You can do it now but you need to confirm with your NGC consultant that they will recognize the address line with your customer ID and use prestored information for billing and shipping to you after grading. They may already do something like this for select customers – they just don’t advertise it. I’d be interested to know how well it worked for you.
I don’t think it will be anytime soon jim. Thanks.
I hang the mint packaging on the wall as artwork which is what it really is.:) Why don’t they just have an option where the mint ships them to the grading company and the grading company sells them for us and they pay the mint and the mint just sends us a check for the profit. That is all we are really interested in anyway. However, maybe a better way is instead of a coin set they send a piece of paper and then that way the mint doesn’t even have to mint the coins. Kind of like futures. They… Read more »
LOL – you’ve given this some thought. You left out the option where we can order the grade we want from the mint/grader rather than a random grade assignment – a grade 70 coin at a premium or grade 69 at a discount.
Coin collecting started with looking through one’s pocket change – that’s where the fun was. Now with credit cards and mint web sites that’s all gone away. Still doesn’t explain why we need millions of new pennies every year.
I think the random grading will help keep things exciting. However, I think instead of just giving 69 and 70’s, they should use every number and that way people that got 69’s would be really happy. Heck if you got a 36 or above you would be doing good. Maybe the mint could follow baseball cards lead and have randomly inserted chase and error coins.