Congrats Set, US Marshals Coin, Design Reviews; Popular News

This week will be busy with new product releases from the United States Mint and several rounds of medal and coin design reviews by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC).

As for new products, the U.S. Mint will launch the 2015 Congratulations Set for $50.95 on Monday. A product aimed for special occasions, it includes a 2015 Proof American Silver Eagle mounted on a congratulatory-themed folder with an area for a personalized message. When released, the set will be located in the Mint’s "Gift Ideas" section found here.

Then on Thursday, the Mint will release the $5 gold, silver dollar and clad-half dollar commemorative coins honoring the 225th anniversary of the U.S. Marshals Service. The clad and silver U.S. Marshals Service coins have introductory prices ranging from $13.95 to $46.95. Prices for the gold pieces will be determined on Wednesday. When issued, the U.S. Marshals Service coins may be ordered via the Mint’s commemorative section found here.

In between the new product releases, the CCAC will review numerous coin and medal designs on Tuesday and Wednesday. These include the high relief gold coin and companion silver medal that were discussed last week.

We’ll offer coverage on all of these topics, so please stay tuned to CoinNews. Until then, here are last week’s five most read:

1. 2015 $75 High Relief Gold Coin Design Candidates – On Thursday, Jan. 22, the United States Mint unveiled 82 design candidates for the upcoming one-ounce, .9999 fine 2015 $75 High Relief Gold Coin and accompanying 2015 High Relief Silver Medal. Potential eagle and liberty themed designs were given to the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) for their review on Thursday.

2. 2015 High Relief Silver Medal Design Candidates – Candidate designs for the U.S. Mint’s 2015 High Relief Silver Medal will look very familiar if you’ve read our earlier article about the 2015 $75 High Relief Gold Coin and its designs. Both sets are nearly identical. Medals lack the many required elements found on U.S. precious metals coins, like the denomination, fineness, weight, and mottoes of In God We Trust, United States of America, and E Pluribus Unum.

3. 2015 $5 Gold Eagle Edge Varieties Discovered by NGC – Look at the edges of your new American Eagle gold bullion coins. You may find they’re different, based on new findings from the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC). American Gold Eagles are produced by the United States Mint in sizes of 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz and 1/10 oz.

4. Pogue Collection of Coin Rarities Certified; Public Displays – The D. Brent Pogue Collection of U.S. coin rarities has been certified by PCGS and will be jointly presented by Stack’s Bowers Galleries and Sotheby’s in May in the first of a series of seven auctions, according to the companies. Assembled over several decades by A. Mack Pogue and his son, D. Brent Pogue, the collection focuses on copper, silver, and gold coins from the early 1790s to the late 1830s.

5. Homestead Quarter Ceremony, Coin Exchange and Forum – Mark your new 2015 calendars. Officials from the United States Mint and the National Park Service will introduce Nebraska’s Homestead National Monument of America Quarter in a ceremony on Feb. 10. Surrounding the event are a coin forum, scheduled on the night before the ceremony, and a coin exchange happening immediately after the it.