Uncirculated Mint Sets (Value vs Mintage)

I continue my quest to compare mintage, issue price, and current value of mint sets. The following list is for UNC mint sets from 1999 to present. I've started this comparison in 1999 to coincide with the state quarter program that continued into the terrotorial quarters, and now the ATB's. I've used ebay - completed sales to estimate the market value. Similar to the clad and silver proof sets, the sudden sell out of the 2012 UNC mint set in early January 2013 has pushed the value of that set to about $70. The 2008 set had a similar increase in value with a sudden sellout and continues to retain good value at $50/each. The sets without the presidential dollars languish at low levels. If the 2013 set sells out soon, it may be a sleeper considering the low mintage.
Year Mintage Issue Price/Market Value

1999 1,421,625 $15/$10
2000 1,490,460 $15/$10
2001 1,066,900 $15/$10
2002 1,139,388 $15/$6
2003 1,002,555 $15/$5
2004 842,507 $17/$8
2005 1,160,000 $17/$7
2006 847,361 $23/$6
2007 895,360 $23/$18
2008 745,465 $23/$50
2009 774,844 $28/$30
2010 583,912 $32/$26
2011 533,529 $32/$28
2012 392,224 $28/$70
2013 357,656 $28/$28*

* US Mint still selling the sets.

 

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Thanks, nice chart. I tried not to look at this thread because yeah, mints set performance sucks. But, I figured why not stir the pot a bit and bring up how under valued those satin/matte proof sets are. Okay, there I did it. I like these sets, now go ahead and tell me how terrible they are.

 

In theory a mint set shouldn't be worth more than the sum total of the coins they contain so I wouldn't try to invest in "sets." One of these days, say a generation or two from now, the only source for high graded modern coins will be these sets, but at best your talking about making your grandsons rich, not you. The declining mintage of these sets shows that the demand keeps going down (compare these figures to the mintages of standard clad proof sets) so I can't see these being a good investment any time soon. But if you're looking for the very long term (I'm talking 25 to 50 years or more) almost all the mint sets could be sleepers. But they'll be sleeping for a VERY long time.

Those 2012 sets are highly overvalued BTW. Unless you bought them at issue price don't expect to be able to cash them in for a profit any time soon. Their price will inevitably go down.

 

The 2000 to 2006 mint sets have nearly $6 in coins in them. If you can good shipping on ebay, it seems like a pretty save bet to buy a few of these at $5 to $10 per set. The OGP has to be worth something.

 

The lack of strength for the 2009 sets has continued to surprise me given that they are the only source for business strike copper Lincoln cents that were made from the same composition as the 1909 cents. I imagine a lack of broad knowledge about this within the market accounts for a bit of the price suppression.

 

I'm also surprised. I bought 5 clad proof sets, 3 silver proof sets, and 3 UNC sets from 2009. I also bought five mint rolls for each each cent (P & D). I thought that they would rise in value, especially considering the deep recession and the 100 year anniversary of the linocln cent. It didn't seem to happen though. At least they haven't depreciated much.

 

Those 2009 sets also have the nickels, which I have read are almost impossible to find in circulation.

I don't own any, but I agree those should be worth more than they are.

I did buy 15 of the 2013 set back when there was a backorder message on it a few months ago, but unfortunately for me they made a bunch more. One of these weeks those are going to sell out and I'm very confident they didn't make 35,000 more of them. So the mintage will be lower than the 2012.

 

This may change soon, as the new 2015 Red Book for the first time lists the mintages for the 2009 copper cents. So many people who were not aware of the low mintage might now become savvy to this.

 

Yep, they need to list all the satins separately. Granted, the 2009 cents are special in that they are bicentennials and bronze, yet other satins have even lower mintages. The only recognition for the other satins is a footnote in the mint set section, noting the “minor” difference from business strikes. To a novice, the difference is minor, to an experienced numismatist, the difference is major, approaching matte proofs, with a matte finish, stronger strike and raised rims. I’m surprised Whitman views the difference as minor.

 

The 2012 set is still bringing a premium as well as the clad and silver proof sets from that year. The mint is still selling the 2013 set, which got a false bump when the mint eroneously declared a sell out but continued to sell them. It has returned to its former value. The 2013 and 2014 could become sleepers based on the low sales volume.

Updated on 10-August-2014

Year Mintage Issue Price/Market Value
1999 1,421,625 $15/$10
2000 1,490,460 $15/$10
2001 1,066,900 $15/$10
2002 1,139,388 $15/$6
2003 1,002,555 $15/$5
2004 842,507 $17/$8
2005 1,160,000 $17/$7
2006 847,361 $23/$6
2007 895,360 $23/$18
2008 745,465 $23/$50
2009 774,844 $28/$30
2010 583,912 $32/$26
2011 533,529 $32/$28
2012 392,224 $28/$70
2013 367,930 $28/$28*
2014 226,661 $25/$28*
* US Mint still selling the sets. The 2014 set could be purchased with subscription at a 10% discount.

 

I also like the satin sets. If they ever are given holes in albums, I could see the demand start to skyrocket. Until then, they might be the best kept "secret" in moderns.

 

Mint sets in general are the best kept secrets in numismatics despite my efforts. They are not only the best source for Gems but in most cases they are the only source for Gems. Prices on these have always been so low that they get destroyed in huge numbers day in and day out meaning mintage numbers are meaningless.

Only a few of the mint sets contain Gems and few mint sets survive and there is no other source for most of the coins.

People will be in for a shock as soon as collectors begin forming sets because the supply of nice coins never even existed and now most of the few that did are gone.

 

The 2014 mint set is no longer available at the mint. It is now the lowest mintage set in decades. It's mintage is 25% of the 1999 set. After the mint stopped sales, it's value is rising on the bay. Prices are already exceeding $50 a set. It could be a diamond in the rough.

Year Mintage Issue Market

1999 1,421,625 $15 $7
2000 1,490,160 $15 $7
2001 1,066,900 $15 $8
2002 1,139,388 $15 $9
2003 1,002,555 $15 $8
2004 842,507 $17 $9
2005 1,160,000 $17 $9
2006 847,361 $23 $8
2007 895,630 $23 $19
2008 745,465 $23 $26
2009 774,844 $28 $28
2010 583,912 $32 $19
2011 533,529 $32 $20
2012 392,224 $28 $51
2013 376,844 $28 $28
2014 345,813 $25 $40
2015 295,151 $29 $25

Total 12,896,100 $380 $320

Still Selling
2015 Mint Sets

 

As we approach the end of 2016, I thought that it would be a good time to update the mintage versus market value of the US uncirculated mint sets. The 2012 set continues to hold value despite lower mintages of the 2013 and 2014 sets. The 2015 and 2016 sets are still being sold by the mint and will probably continue the steady decline in sales of these sets. Is the hobby dying like stamps or is the mint producing too many offerings? Probably a little of both in my opinion.

 

Here is the latest offering on the US mint's uncirculated mint sets. The 2012 set continues to hold value despite lower mintages between 2013-2015. Although the recent sets continue to hold value, they aren't appreciating in worth. The sets seem to be finding a low ebb in demand at about 300,000 sets. I'm expecting the 2016 set to be a "sellout" soon at about that level. Meanwhile, the 2017 set will most likely stay on sale for another year and end at about the same spot. This once popular set is losing luster, perhaps from the overwhelming offerings coming from the mint. Is coin collecting going the way of stamps, sports cards, or beanie babies? Only time will tell.

Year Mintage Issue Market

1999 1,421,625 $15 $7
2000 1,490,160 $15 $9
2001 1,066,900 $15 $8
2002 1,139,388 $15 $8
2003 1,002,555 $15 $8
2004 842,507 $17 $12
2005 1,160,000 $17 $10
2006 847,361 $23 $10
2007 895,630 $23 $16
2008 745,465 $23 $25
2009 774,844 $28 $20
2010 583,912 $32 $21
2011 533,529 $32 $20
2012 392,224 $28 $70
2013 376,844 $28 $30
2014 345,813 $25 $26
2015 314,029 $29 $28
2016 296,552 $27 $28
2017 265,299 $21 $21

Total 14,494,637 $428 $377

Still Selling

2016 Mint Sets
2017 Mint Sets

 

The US Mint continues to see a loss in demand for their UNC sets. The 2017 mint set is no longer on sale and has the lowest mintage (286,813) since the early 1950's. I've noticed a slight increase in value of the sets from 2014-2016 but it isn't much of an increase. The 2017 set is now selling for over $30 on the after market but it will probably settle to some lower value in the near future. The 2012 set is beginning to lose its luster with the value dropping by the month. Folks have probably noticed that 2012 is not as rare as the sets from 2013-2017. You won't get rich when you eventually sell mint sets; however they do seem to be good at capturing dust.

 

The mint sets got a boost to demand in 2019 as a result of the W UNC cent. Although the 2018 set is still on sale at the mint, it will probably be the lowest minted set. The value of the sets over the past five year seem to be increasing in value; perhaps due to the lower mintages. Also, many folks break up the sets so the survival rate is probably less. Here is the chart.

 

The 2020 mint set looks like it will have the lowest mintage since the 1959 set. Its value is currently at $42 on the bay with some asking over $60. When the mint does officially ends sales of the set, which is currently shown as unavailable, I'm guessing that the price will exceed the $60 current asking price. Here is a chart of mint set values versus mintage since 1999.

 

I wonder how Mint Sets from the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's have done price-wise ?

 

They haven't done particularly well.