The mint is selling this 5-coin set at https://catalog.usmint.gov/american-women-quarters-2022-silver-proof-set-22WS.html. According to the specs, each quarter contains 0.199 troy oz. of silver. So this means there is exactly 0.995 oz. of silver in the set, can we call that 1 oz? When the mint switched over from 90% to 99.9% was this by happenstance or was the thickness modified to create a 0.199 oz coin?
From what I understand, it was cheaper for the mint to produce 99% coin blanks than the 90% ones. Go figure...........
Actually I don't know if it's necessarily cheaper, but save the mint money, but the FAST Act, signed into law in December 2015 specified that everything had to be “not less than 90 percent silver,” they did a quality and costs analysis, they determined: 1. they could strike 600 coins with 90% blanks with a die pair, but 1800 coins with a die pair using .999 blanks. 2. Downtime for cleaning: 80x a day using the 90% blanks, 20x a day using .999 blanks. and there were slightly less scrap (haze related) and slightly less customer returns with .999 blanks also to consider not many places use the 90% around the world, so it's a special order for the right composition vs, the same .999 everyone else uses. Prices certainly didn't go down since the change though. I think it's more about the cost savings from less down time and longer die life than anything else. the FAST Act pretty much put to and end 40% halves or 35% nickels from being done again also, unless specifically legislated.
I may be a lil' late to this discussion.... but, I just got my Proof Set today. I've seen a couple other comments elsewhere in re the quarter obverse, but thought I'd add here: the obverse bust sucks! Before I could even offer my reaction, my 6yr old said it didn't even look like Washington. My 5yr old said it looked like a woman. I thought the 2021 quarters would bring us back to some sense of normalcy and consistency - unless the new norm is inconsistency or the new consistency is things out of the norm. Geesh.. when will this cease?
Thank you, sir. You've always a bright and cheery word for the admirer and collector in us all. For that glaring reminder.
I love it as well. To Larry, you may want to show your son pictures of how men dressed during that time and not just think that long hair means a girl.
@Asher - well, we can't all always hate the same things with the same joy. BTW, my kids enjoy collecting with me almost as much as they dig a lil' U.S. History, especially monumental wig-wearing characters such as Washington and Jefferson. And, as you may discern from the pic, they're quite capable of delineating between boys and girls, even with the long-hair (and despite so many other confusing messages these days). Yep... that's my proud top-knotted 5 yr old son. He still thinks Washington looks like a girl on the new quarter.
