2014 JFK Silver Set

Shipped today.

 

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Mine also shipped...

 

And mine.....................has not.

 

I have always been a patient collector in dealing with the US Mint. Back in the mid-1970s, it was not uncommon to wait 4-5 months for a proof set or an uncirculated set. All orders were by mail and you had to send a check or money order. You could not cancel the order and everything was mailed by the Postal Service with registered mail direct from the Mint.

In those days, proof and uncirculated sets were the sum total of all coinage offerings, period. No bullion, no commemoratives (except 1976), no rolls, little to no precious metal (usually none), no plethora of finishes. The coinage system topped out at the Eisenhower or Anthony dollar. Just six designs, three mints, 18 coins. That's it. All coins were minted with the intent of commerce.

Today, we are issuing over 75 coins a year and it may take a few days to a few months for them to arrive. The selection is enormous. The majority of ordering is completed online, despite fits and starts, and can be completed in a minute or two when the numismatic hordes of wild-eyed collectors are not cybersquatting and cybermilling about. (I say that in a funny way.) Standing orders are possible with a discount, no less!

The old Virginia Slims cigarette commercials on TV before 1971 said, "you've come a long way baby." I believe the US Mint does a very good job overall. It's all a matter of prospective.

 

While I agree with you Mark, be prepared to duck...........

 

I am sure that some members here will disagree with my thoughts, nonetheless, I can understand that dealing with government can often be laborious, archaic and bureaucratic. I will agree that the US Mint's website needs a lot more improvement. But, when I compare the simple offerings and ordering process of the 1970s to today's huge product offerings, it is light years of improvement. "Good enough for 'gubment' work."

 

You do get the feeling maybe the mint just doesn't like you?

 

I KNOW they don't like me ever since I started ranting about Ed Moy when he held up production of the 2009 Proof SAE coins! What a waste of a directorship!

 

Are you a mint employee? If not, don't buy into that collectivist nonsense that they have anything to do with the rest of us.

 

Don't want to stray off topic, but that's an excuse in my book. If private enterprise can do something, there's no reason why we can't expect govt. to do the same. Probably won't ever get it, but it's not going to stop me from demanding higher quality...

 

Here's a link showing the production of some of the 2014 Kennedy coins, including the silver reverse proof.

http://mintnewsblog.com/2014/08/pro...nd-reverse-proof-silver-kennedy-half-dollars/

 

I really like that reverse proof. At $100, the set is reasonable. I might have to stock up!

 

Reasonable? Sounds like you have gotten used to the abuse. lol Depends on how many are sold, as to whether or not it's worth stocking up on these. The silver set is priced at 4 times the bullion cost! Sure more goes into the set than the bullion cost, but the mint is gouging like heck on this set. If a ton of them are sold, I don't see the purchase price holding. But hey, I have to have at least one for my collection.

 

I see the reverse proof coin eventually being worth half if not more of the total cost of the set.

 

I wonder what their actual profit margins are...once you factor in materials, machinery, staffing, ect.

 

Only time will tell...but it will always be supply and demand base. If they sell a ton of these sets (which they very well might)...even though it is the only reverse proof in the Kennedy series, it might not hold much value.

 

My 5 shipped 7/31...already received my P&D rolls.

 

I'd have to look back at the annual report to be sure, sometimes they list the profit from some individual items. I do remember these type of special collectables are the highest returns, somewhere around 30% - 50%.

 

If you have the reports...it would be interesting to see what some of the figures are. I have often wondered.

 

I don't have it, but if you search, us mint annual report, I think you'll find a link. I know I've seen profit margins for selected products, when they're bragging what a success a program was. They do show the overall profit from numismatic sales, which was their number one profit center last year, yes, even more than the seigniorage from all circulating coins.