911 Commemorative Medals on sale 6.30.11

911 Commemorative Medals on sale 6.30.11:

http://www.coinworld.com/articles/national-9-11-silver-medals-on-sale-june-30/

I'm definitely buying. Are you? TC

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Thanks for the heads up, Topcat.

Yes, I’m definitely in for this one as well. I especially like the fact that “collectors will be able to place orders for medals from one or both facilities,” so it looks like I’ll be ordering one of each.

However, I fear that the mint’s website will have some issues given that 6/30 is also the same day they currently have as listed for the release of the 2011 American Silver Eagle…

 

Two million medals struck?! No, I'll pass. What a joke! It would have been a noble jesture had they made enough for all who wanted one seeing as it was a national tragedy, but to make a miniscule amount guarenteeing they'll sell for 15 times more than their issue price on the secondary markets...thats not patriotic or sensable in the least. It's too bad they're not doing these for the reasons they state.

 

*UPDATE*

The US Mint just posted an initial sales date of 6.20.11 and not 6.30.11 as noted in Coin World:

http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.cfm?action=press_release&ID=1255

TC

 

This looks like a beautiful design that should be a striking finished product. Haven't decided whether to order or not because 1) this is a medal, not a coin 2) the maximum mintage of 2 million seems far from miniscule to me.

What bearing will the aforementioned facts have on future value?

Lack

 

Definitely not buying... horrible design.

1. No where on the medal is it marked as being .999 silver nor does it state the weight of the medal. It's struck using silver eagle planchets, so why not say that it's one ounce of .999 silver??

2. The final design will have three sets of designer/engraver initials added somewhere. Usually they add them way too big and in not so attractive ways.

3. The wavy lines on the reverse are supposed to represent cascading water??? What?? Looked like smoke to me... If it's water, why is there two colors of water?

4. The eagle looks silly, almost like something from a 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon.

5. Two different versions (one from Philadelphia with a P mintmark and one from West Point with a W mintmark). Is this really necessary for a medal?? I say NO to the US Mint, I'm not buying them both... I'm not even going to buy one of them.

6. The medal itself says nothing about what it's supposed to represent. "Always Remember" "Honor" and "Hope." If you give this medal as a gift w/o the box the recipient will probably be asking what am I supposed to always remember? Or honor what and hope for what?? And also why have just 2001-2011 on the obverse... 10th anniversary of what?? Sure, the buyer of the medal knows that it's a 9/11 medal... but come on... I know they are trying to be very P.C. in their design, but it could have at least said September 11th on the medal somewhere.


I can't believe a medal like this that is so poorly done actually makes it to production. Had the potential to be something really special too. Oh well.

 

No I'm not.

I actually like the design, and I think it is probably the best of all the proposed designs.

What I am having a problem with is profits. For the last ten years everytime some organization or company has made a 9/11 whatever there has always been the complaint raised about how terrible it is that some one is profiteering over this tragedy. The authorizing legislation even requires this medal to be sold at cost plus the surcharge for the memorial. Lets see silver is around $35, plus $10 for the surcharge and they are asking $60. Is it REALLY going to cost $15 in actual expenses per medal to make these things?? I don't think so, which means the government is going to be profiting from the tragedy. And then even worse they are making the medal at two different mints because they know that this will make a lot a people buy more than one of them. Even MORE profit from the tragedy. Frankly I think that is even worse than the regular hucksters.

Then I have a question I don't see addresses in the legislation. With commemorative coins the benefiting agency doesn't get the surcharge money unless they raise matching funds. Is this the case with the memorial foundation and the medal as well? Or do they just get the handout?

 

I'm definitely getting one when it's released. I was surprised that no coin was issued this year, being the tenth anniversary, but a medal is more fitting. With all the charlatans out there profiting from the tragedy with their privately minted coins, it's good to see the US Mint releasing something official where some of the proceeds go to the memorial.

 

I thought I'd be interested but after looking at this thing, I'm not. Illini and Conder have already stated what I feel about it as well. It's a prime example of this administration botching something else IMO. The design is so plain, it could be a commemorative for ANYTHING. Then they put "Honor and Hope" on the back? What does honor and hope have to do with the situation? "Hope" was B.O.'s campaign slogan and on all the bumper stickers. I guess we're to assume it's just coincidence and was the best word to use in this instance? (This should sicken people.)

In 50 years, most people won't even know what this is commemorating without doing their own individual research. This is really sad. A poor decision, but I'm not surprised at all.

 

I thought the slogan of the Obama campaign was "Change".

I do agree that the use of the words Honor and Hope don't mean much. But the phrase "Always remember" is very closely linked to the WTC attack. Combine that with the "ghost" of the two towers shown on the medal obverse and it does link to the WTC, they just don't state it so explicitly. Eventually it won't be something that the average person will be able to identify with, but that can probably said of many medals. Most medals really only have meaning to the contemporary population.

 

Not buying.

 

its pretty ugly... is it 999 silver?

 

I was unsure as to whether or not I was going to purchase one, after seeing it on the mint's website site (and it's boggling my mind as to why Philly and West Point are creating one..) I am not going to get one. As others have stated, it's it a bad design, you don't know what its commemorating and the price is to high for me. I think the mint through this together without much thought. Also you can see all the designers initials on it and I think it detracts from it.. VERY dissapointed in it!

 

Pretty ugly design and a mintage of 2 million? It'll be like the George Washington commemorative from 1982 that pops up everywhere. Plus, this is a medal and not a coin? What's the difference? Doesn't matter to me since I'll be passing on this one.

 

Nothing wrong with it in my opinion, but I'm just not interested in a coin (or medal) remembering a tragic event.

 

I'm still on the fence about buying. I can't say that the design really is that good and the price is definitely on the high end. Well I have until mid August to decide and still get the "bargain" price of $56.95. I think the design could have been so much better. For now I'm leaning to say no I won't be getting it.

 

Here are the initial sales figures:

http://mintnewsblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/september-11-medal-sales-at-50998.html

TC

 

$114 if you want both mints.

 

Ain't buyin'. Since when does medals get minted anywhere other than Philly? Tryin' to stoke the hype by producing them at two separate mint locations really turns me off. This medal should be one of rememberance, not one for profit......

 

Yep, too bad it wasn't a coin. And yep, the design could have been much better, typical "clipart" from the mint these days. But, I'm getting one of each. IT'S 911, so it should do well on the secondary market, especially if the mintage is low.