Historically, May tends to be one of the slowest months of the year for United States Mint product releases. May 2017 looks to be no different with just three scheduled to launch.
One upcoming product is the United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set®, also known as the "Mint Set." Priced at $20.95, the 20-coin set contains pairs of uncirculated examples of the main coins for 2017. The set includes a red folder of 10 coins from the Denver Mint and a blue folder of 10 coins from the Philadelphia Mint. Last year’s set is still available and has current sales of 279,770.
Then there’s the .9999 fine 2017-W Proof American Buffalo 1-Ounce Gold Coin. Its price can change weekly depending on the weekly average of LBMA gold. Today, it would launch at $1,640 based on gold’s position within $1,250.00 to $1,299.99 an ounce. Last year’s coin sold out with last reported sales of 21,878.
Finally, there’s a silver uncirculated coin depicting Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, D.C. Priced at $149.95, the coin features a 3-inch diameter and 5 ounces of 99.9% fine silver. It marks the second 2017-dated release from the Mint’s program of America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coins™. The first issued honors Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa. It has sales of 14,373.
Below is a table that summarizes the scheduled products and their prices.
United States Mint Product Schedule for May 2017
| Release Dates | Numismatic Products | Limits | Prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2 | 2017 Frederick Douglass 5 oz. Silver Uncirculated Coin | 25,000 | $149.95 |
| May 11 | 2017-W Proof American Gold Buffalo | None | TBD |
| May 17 | 2017 Mint Set | None | $20.95 |
Sale dates and prices are subject to change. All the products launch at noon ET on their day of release.
Place orders using the Mint’s website at catalog.usmint.gov or by phone at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
Mint sets haven’t sold over a million since 2005. Still, the 2016 set has sales that haven’t been this low since the early ’60s. Apparently demand has greatly waned, perhaps in part because the Mint is simply producing too many things. Maybe sometime in the future there is renewed interest in them. If so, buying some low mintage ones now might have an upside, though I doubt if it will be great.
Is it just me, or does the coin arrangement look like the Confederate Battle Flag? Maybe there will be even less produced, if the PC Police notice that.
Dennis –
Interesting observation! You mean the Confederates have taken over the US Mint again like they took over the New Orleans Mint branch during the Civil War?! Lol
-NumisDudeTx
Hello Richard,
The current count is 283 mint products being offered. Excessive product offerings are just not helping the hobby.
Just wait a few years if even that and buy the clad sets on the secondary market for less money in most cases.
Mike Unser –
Are you going to publish your high res photos of your African-American Lady Liberty $100 high relief gold 225th anniversary of the US Mint gold Proof commemorative coin? Or did you not purchase this historic, groundbreaking coin? Thanks!
-NumisDudeTx
I will be glad when the America beautiful quarters series dies out and we’re back to the standard one coin each. I’d say “and the penny is gone” but the bill wants the penny to live forever in numismatic circles. Hopefully the penny will only live in proof condition and the unc set will reflect what is produced for public consumption (i.e. no pennies).
jim – The legislation that created the ATB quarters program had a strange provision that implies a new 56 quarter program will possibly start afterwards in 2021 or 2022 The current program goes until 2021 by law, but only 1 ATB quarter will be produced in 2021 to end that 56-coin program – the Alabama quarter for the Tuskegee Airmen National Site. Congress loves the 50 states quarters & ATB quarters programs because they are automatic profit with not only Numismatic Program versions, but people who take them out of circulation to put in their albums. The Treasury gets all… Read more »
Seth –
I’ll publish one or two photos of the 2017 American Liberty coin this week (probably in the weekly U.S. Mint sales article). The bigger photos article is queued for the week of May 14. The coin is pretty remarkable.
Mike Unser –
Thanks so much! I always enjoy viewing your high-quality photos. The only camera I have is on my Android smartphone. Lol
-NumisDudeTx
Seth –
Yeah, I know. I’m just getting tired of all the quarters. Another 11 years after 2021 – I may not be around for the end of that series. I was collecting the quarters proof sets and at $15 they’re not bank busters but I’ll pass on the birds or flags or whatever comes next. I don’t need the volume and for quarters that really don’t have much value I’m really questioning why I started collecting the series in the first place.
Seth –
The American Liberty gold coin article has nearly two dozen photos. I wrapped up the video portion earlier, and decided to publish it today at https://youtu.be/tzfpqE5nUuc.
Mike Unser –
Great video! Thanks for sharing.
I am very pleased with the high quality of the coin I got – just wish I could have afforded two to pass down to my two oldest nephews. I am saving for a second one plus the new palladium coin.
-NumisDudeTx
Seth –
You got any idea about the release date or any other information on the palladium coin?