225th anniversary American Liberty 1oz. silver medal

I received my mint order. (Yes, I actually ordered the silver medal) The finished product quality is very high for a $60 item, normally they reserve this for something like a 1 oz Ultra-high Relief Liberty coin. I don't know if it's my imagination but, the big, goofy stars seem to have a finish that's between matte and frosted?
Anyway, I found the extra $25, the freaking, fancy-ass packaging.
It's like going to Target to buy some shoes for $35 and finding out the price is now $60. So, you order them anyway and when they arrive, instead of a cardboard box, you have to slide a fancy sleeve off of an expensive-looking box. You open the box an there a pad to keep the case from being scratched by the box during transport. You open the velvet-lined case and there's a booklet about your shoes and the history of shoe production. You remove the booklet and there's a cushion covering the shoes in a clear capsule mounted to a display. Then you realize, yep same $35 shoes, only I have an oversized, fancy box with them.
So, now I'm feeling like I paid too much and it's going to take up valuable space.
I don't hate the design but, those stars never should have been gigantic, like they are. Unless I just don't get the allegorical message. Maybe the artist needed the stars to be large and menacing so, besides all the other messages, it represents, "Don't mess with Liberty or she'll pull off a star and throw it at you!"
Maybe I'll read in the booklet why the design is the way it is?
(Please excuse me for using the word 'fancy' so much)

 

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Wow, it's exactly what I thought it would be like. Really should offer packaging options.

 

That's what threw me off, the packaging. I'm not going to pay an extra $30 for a box.

 

what did they do with the rejections ?

 

thanks for the huge belly laugh!

 

that's interesting, cause i've just received the THIRD replacement for this coin - the first two having had to be returned for scratches! as this "last" replacement arrived at my office - will need to wait till i get home to assess the quality with a magnifying glass....will NOT be happy if this one too is defective......

 

hi - little confused - are you saying that you expect the secondary market cost to be LESS then what the mint is currently selling these for? if that's true - how is that possible? how can they afford to sell something for LESS than they originally paid for it? thanks!

 

hi -i asked this before - how can someone who bought this medal directly from the mint for $60, afford to sell it today for only $20-$30? - or maybe "THEY" didn't pay $60 like everybody else????

 

It's your typical supply and demand. I don't think these coins have been very popular due to their high price. Bigger companies have bought them up and if they are unable to sell them they'll have to drop the prices. We're all hedging here. The opposite could happen, cause not many have been sold they may have a super low mintage and drive the prices up. You never know.

 

Those that bought originally are just dumping in order to get something back. Those 2011 medals, even with the good design, will likely only go up if silver spot climbs significantly.

Some dealers may have bought from collectors dumping at spot (15-17) and are now reselling these as slightly better than generic rounds at $20-$25.

I highly doubt anyone originally bought these medals for much less than issue price. Remember that spot silver peaked near $50 in 2011 and these medals have 1 oz of silver.

 

You can get $20-30 for it today, or sit on it today and get $0.

Dealers (and sometimes collectors) need to maintain cash flow, even if it sometimes means selling at a loss. Of course, if you can't make that up on other sales, you won't stay in business.

 

I might be overlooking something, but can someone explain the label on these??? I Found them on EBAY. I thought they were all minted in Philadelphia, with a set from other mints coming later this year. They all have the seem to have the P MM. Were these just special release labels from shows etc...

 

All are First Day of Issue, and all minted in Philly. But the other designation is where they were BOUGHT on that first day of issue.

 

That's what I thought, but we're there special release shows that pcgs attended, and graded these all the same day?

 

Submitted to PCGS on the first day of issue, presumably with documentary proof.

 

Well then, I think I'll try for a special label. Something like: 87 days after release from Poplar Grove Il.
Since when does the city of purchase make any difference whatsoever???

 

Look at the cities - they are all the sites of U.S. Mint retail sales counters.

 

I believe the Gold Kennedy fiasco from 2014 was when I started seeing these labels take off (it might have been available earlier, but it didn't seem as prominent before). Some people were paying the crazy prices for various release locations (Chicago ANA show, Denver Mint Store, Philly Mint Store, Wash. D.C. store) so the TPGs obliged and continue to do these labels. Obviously if there was no demand for them, these labels would not be around.

 

WOW, just WOW.

 

Okay, that just gave me a huge laugh!

I like the darn thing. It was overpackaged (like a gold Britannia proof set), but I like it--overbig stars and all. (and now I know why I might like them...she's going to go all ninja with the stars and put your eye out!).

Considering I buy from the US Mint on average about once every 3-4 years I suppose that is saying something.