If you read the description from the mint site, it states: "...each bearing the “S” mint mark of the United States Mint at San Francisco."
Hmmm. In late 2008 they purgred the US Mints inventory of so called unnecessary collectibles. (i.e. State Quarter Spoons, Presidential Dollar Signature coins, etc.) Looks like they're about to create more junk stuff which is just a bit irritating........ I'd have much rather they kept the Signature Coins since each was accompanied with a very nice intaglio print and housed in a convenient collectible book.
Other companys sell stuff like this, why shouldn't the mint get in on the action. If they can make a profit on them, more power to them. It helps the federal governments bottom line.
See my edited post above. Besides, they already sell "gift pack sleeves" for proof sets ( http://catalog.usmint.gov/webapp/wc...ctId=16384&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=12740 ) to help "their bottom line".
Yeah, you're right that if they don't sell and they have to eat them or sell at a discount it wasn't such a hot idea. But that's why we pay the mint director the big bucks, to figure these things out............... oh yeah, we don't have a director, do we.