I still haven't picked up a 2010 mint set or a gold proof coin (two items I really want). I got an email today from the US Mint that the 2011 proof sets will be on sale in January. To save on shipping, I plan on ordering everything in January. I was wondering, how long do they still sell the previous year's products? I would imagine the 2010 proof set will still be available, but what about the AGE proofs?
I have subscriptions to several items... 2 weeks ago I got emails that the proof sets will be headed my way in 4 weeks, then another that the silver proof sets would be coming in 4 weeks. Now, I normally get these emails a few weeks before the items ship, but I have never gotten clad or silver proof sets in January! I think the emails were sent in error. I don't even think they can mint the coins out of the year the coins are dated, and they would have to in order to get them out first week of Jan. As for the previous sets, they sell them until they sell out, for the most part.
No, the E-mail was not an error. The Mint, almost 6 months back had purchased enough bullion in order to release these annual sets earlier than had been in prior years . A step forward for our mint.
I got the first email on Dec 6, so it is saying that the clad proofs will be ready by Jan 6... 6 days to mint all the proof sets... ??? Sounds optimistic to me, no matter how many leaps our mint makes. Just sayin...
I have a subscription for all three annual sets; unfortunately, every set gets charged a seperate shipping fee. Last year the mint sets had a shipping charge of $4.95 and one week later the proof sets also had a $4.95 charge. Why can't the mint give us the option of sending them all in one bulk shipment. I also recieved the same e-mail alert about the clad proof and the silver proof sets for 2011 to be sent in four weeks. It's funny how the mint has all this silver and labor on hand to do all of this so early.
The law says all coins have to bear the the year of mintage OR issue. The intention was that coin not have a date on them other than that in which they are struck, but the Mint holds the opinion that since the law says "or issue" they can legally strike them ahead of time as long as they are not released until the date matches the current year. The Mint has been making predated coins in order to have a stockpile available as soon a the date changes for many years now. True but there was specific legislation passed to permit that. As for when they have to stop selling a product, that varies. For some items they can sell them as long as they choose as long as they have product on hand. Some times they stop before the end of the year, sometimes when the replacement set goes on sale, and sometimes they just continue until they are sold out. Some other products have definite ending dates written into their authorization.
