As of yesterday - Rolls of the First Redesigned Lincoln One-Cent Coin Available March 13 WASHINGTON - At noon Eastern Time (ET) on March 13, 2009, the United States Mint will offer rolls of one-cent coins bearing the first of four new reverse designs struck in honor of the bicentennial of President Abraham Lincoln's birth. The historic Lincoln Cent Birthplace Two-Roll Set-available for a limited time only-is priced at $8.95. The two-roll set contains one roll each of 50 coins, one produced at the United States Mint at Philadelphia and one produced at the United States Mint at Denver. Each roll of coins in the two-roll set is packaged in specially designed paper coin wrap that displays the mint of origin, the year and the face value of the contents. The reverse design (tails side) of the new one-cent coin features a log cabin representing Lincoln's humble beginnings in Kentucky. Inscriptions on the reverse are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, ONE CENT and 1809. The reverse was designed by United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Master Designer Richard Masters and executed by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Jim Licaretz. The obverse (heads side) will continue to bear renowned sculptor Victor David Brenner's familiar likeness of President Abraham Lincoln currently on the one-cent coin. Customers can purchase the Lincoln Cent Birthplace Two-Roll Set at the United States Mint's secure Web site, www.usmint.gov/. Telephone orders will be accepted at the toll-free number, 1-800-USA-MINT (872-321-MINT (6468). Hearing and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment can place their orders at 1-888-321-MINT (6468). A shipping and handling fee of $4.95 per order will be added to all domestic orders. One-cent coins bearing designs representing Lincoln's formative years in Illinois, his professional life in Illinois and his presidency in Washington D.C. will be released later this year. Contact: Press inquiries: Greg Hernandez (202) 354-7222 Customer Service information: (800) USA MINT (872-6468) Anybody taking bets on the likelihood of actually being able to make contact on Friday?
That's $8.95 for the two rolls plus $4.95 shipping/handling. A total of $13.90 for 100 coins - 13.9 cents each. Not totally outrageous.
That totally explains why they are not releasing them in larger numbers. They gotta get theirs first. I hope nobody orders them and their vaults overflow, ala Susan B. Anthony dollars. Then, of course, in 100 years they will release them like they did with the GSA CC Morgans, and they'll probably get 10,000 times face value.
I Believe the demand for circulating coins is extremely low. My wife works at a bank and says she cannot believe the amount of change being cashed in lately. There is no sense ordering coins (and paying shipping), when people are turning in enough to meet your needs. The mint is just benefitting from it, not to mention utilizing the opportunity. I refuse to pay for a circulating coin, especially a cent. So I wait...
Not totally outrageous? That is only about a 1400% mark-up on the face value of each coin. No not bad at all. imagine all companies getting that much of a mark up on all their products. I will be happy to wait until they show up at a bank. Sooner or later they will. Dave
Well put! I'm usually not that direct (although I should be). But wow, the mark up is even higher than foreign-made baby clothes. You can buy wheat cents for half that price, and they at least had some relief in the design.
It is cheaper than the e-bay price, and the coins are probably in better condition than ones pulled from circulation.
I didn't mean that the price for the two rolls is reasonable - few sane persons would pay $13.90 for two rolls of cents - but I think I could be talked out of 14 cents for one coin if I didn't think I could find an uncirculated one elsewhere.
