Ending at 5 PM Eastern Time today, September 30, is the free standard shipping sale by the United States Mint.
It has been available since July 26, but now the deadline has arrived to receive $4.95 off the shipping fee for orders placed on the Mint’s website.
The bureau’s free and discounted offer, as discussed in an earlier coin news article, works like this:
- Orders must be placed online at www.usmint.gov/catalog
- It’s good for all numismatic products that would normally carry the shipping fee
- It’s for domestic purchases only
- The shipping fee is reduced by $4.95, which means standard shipping is free and expedited shipping is down to $12.95
Also, what is not covered in this sale is any order placed by mail or phone through the U.S. Mint’s customer service department at 1-800-USA MINT (872-6468). Those will include the typical shipping fees.
Online banners and blurbs in recent news releases have been the U.S. Mint’s primary method to promote the sale since late July. Currently, a banner block on the Mint’s home page reads:
"Hurry! Last Chance for Savings! Free standard shipping on domestic Web orders ends September 30, 2013 at 5 p.m. ET!"
The promotion helped while the Mint was pushing out new products. A few newcomers since the promo have been the 2013 5-Star General Profiles Collection, Taft’s Presidential $1 Coin Cover, the American Buffalo Reverse Proof Coin, several Ft. McHenry Quarter products, and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Discovery Set.
The next product releases, however, will not qualify since they, the Wilson $1 Presidential Coin products, do not hit the market until October 17.
Hopefully, the United States Mint will repeat the free shipping promotion in the future. The Mint noted that if the offer is successful, it may return.
Yes, I purchased a few things for the free shipping. What I’d really like to see is Mint silver pricing closer to market reality.