First Spouse should change from Half ounce to Quarter ounce?

A Article posted HERE makes the case for the First Spouse coins to be changed to 1/4 ounce from the current 1/2 ounce. His point is the series is in danger of being canceled unless it is changed to something more reasonable for most collectors to get.

What do you folks think?
Change it
Leave it the same.
Cancel it.

 

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I personally think changing to a quarter ounce would be a bad idea.
First off the coin would just be too small for the more interesting designs. Second the markup on smaller size coins is usually more. Look at the mints own pricing guide. At $1500/oz for gold a 1/2 is $906 while a 1/4 is $465.50 for the American Eagle Proofs. That is a $12.50 difference in value.
I would prefer the mint either leaves the First Spouse as is or cancel the whole thing and start something different.
If they want to change the size than start over with Martha again.

 

Melt them all...!

 

No.
Don't change the series mid-way. Let it run it's course. If people don't buy they don't buy. The Mint should honor their stated intentions and run the series through completion.

I agree that the mint should produce numismatic collectibles that ARE popular and DO sell, they should make coins that people want to buy, and can afford.
There's no reason why this series should be sacrificed or changed dramatically mid-stream. That would cause even more collectors to have a bad taste in the mouth courtesy of the Mint.

They can start something new. Produce something that does have wide appeal and is affordable. There's no reason the Mint needs to wait for some Congressman to offer an idea and generate legislative support. The Mint needs to get creative and think for themselves -- or at least listen to the collecting community and respond with quality offerings. They should try to start taking pride in their work again...and be good it that work.
Sissies.

 

I think the problem is that with the run up in bullion that most collectors cannot afford the half ounce sizes, especially with the premium the mint charges.

 

800 bucks a coin isn't worth it.

 

I would enjoy some short-run series from the US Mint..... Heck, I'm gunna have to add on to the house if I collect all the ATB series!

 

The article makes it sound like the low mintages are because the Mint has tried to create artificial scarcity with this series, which we know is absurd. Where's their "gunna be canceled" information coming from? Now THAT sounds like speculation!

 

The article is nonsense. The series can only be canceled by an act of Congress.

 

The writer of that article is complaining that the coins should go from 1/2 ounce to 1/4 ounce to make them more affordable? What about the Buffalo gold coins? Make them only a 1/4 ounce so they are more affordable? How about the platinum eagle? Make them only a 1/4 ounce so they are more affordable?

I just don't understand his premise. His idea will not ensure the sustainability of the series, it will compromise it's quality.

 

The buffalo and platinum have both been produced in fractionals. Those were discontinued although the platinum fractionals are still available. I didn't see any compromise in quality. Apparently they didn't have enough metal to continue minting them all.

 

Supposedly, there are over 5000 tons of US gold sitting in Ft. Knox.

 

But that is not what the article is suggesting. They aren't saying make the 1/4 ounce along with the 1/2 ounce. They are saying only offer 1/4 ounce coins.

So, sure they made fractionals of those other coins, but they also still made the ounce available.

I think the quality would be compromised if the series underwent such a basic change midway through the series. I'm talking about the quality of the series as a whole.