Bucket of Coins

Well yesterday the US Mint put this year’s 2009 Clad Proof Sets on sale for $29.95. Yes I ordered my sets at noon like most die hard collectors and got confirmation they are in stock!  The website seemed to die for a few hours shortly after I ordered my sets

Ya I ordered 50 sets...hopefully the quality is good!

The biggest addition to these sets besides the District/Territory quarters is it contains all four of the versions  of the 2009 Lincoln penny struck in bronze from the S mint!  This is the same composition that the Lincoln cent began being minted in 1909.  The silver Proof sets will contain the same pennies as the clad Proof set. The uncirculated sets, to be released later this summer, will contain the same four 2009 Lincoln cents with the same composition but they will be struck with a Satin Finish featuring the P and D mints… eight different pennies in all!

So this year there will be eight circulation strike Copper over Zinc 2009 Lincoln pennies, eight Satin Finish Bronze 2009 Lincoln pennies, and four Proof Bronze 2009 Lincoln pennies for a grand total of twenty different varieties of the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth and the Centennial of the Lincoln cent!  Not to mention the medals and silver dollars the Mint has produced this year in honor of our 16th President.  This is almost becoming a collector’s nightmare.  Not only are these 2009 Lincoln pennies aren’t being circulated but it seems the only way someone can obtain them for their collection is through the secondary market or directly from the Mint.  Needless to say it is probably going to be a banner year for profit for the US Mint.

I sure hope the Mint doesn’t follow suit of the baseball card world and start putting “random inserted limited edition coins” in mint rolls!  If you can afford it, have fun buying these unique sets…if not wait a few years and these regular issue 2009 Lincoln’s may make it into circulation, but don’t hold your breath too long!

I received email confirmation that my credit card has been charged and my 5 sets of the Lincoln Birthplace Log cabin roll sets have been shipped late last night. I figure they should be here before the weekend. I see where a lot of people are pre-selling these for $65 to $85 a set! I might put a set or two up for that kind of money!  So, now with those being shipped and the Mint offering subscriptions to the proof sets now, it will be interesting to see how many of copper cents they will have.  I will post photos upon receipt of my sets. Check your mailboxes and front steps!

Well I got my 2009 UHR $20 Gold piece back today from PCGS. It came back in a “First Strike” holder with a grade of MS69.  I am pleased with the results. I had thought that it would go MS69 and it did. The turn around time was quick…I mailed it on 3/10 and got it shipped back on 3/20!  I guess I will now see about purchasing another UHR $20 to keep in the original Mint packaging.  I can truly say this coin is a great example of an American Type coin and one to treasue for years to come.

Yesterday was like Christmas all over again for me. I went to my PO Box and both of my orders from the US Mint  were there waiting for me!

I had heard rumors of the 2009 proof Lincoln dollars being struck through grease, being chipped, or dull. After close inspection the ones I received are as nice of proofs as I have received from the US Mint. I am very satisfied with my purchase. I have to decide now do I send them in for grading or just keep them in their original packaging and stow them away in my Safe Deposit box for safe keeping?  I am tempted to send one in just to see how it grades out.

One of my two Lincoln Silver Proof Dollars

The same can be said about my new 2009 UHR  Double eagle. It is truly flawless. The presentation case it came in is super nice as well. I do have to say I was kind of surprised about the size of the new UHR double eagle. I was expecting a coin in similar size as the original Saint-Gaudens but it is closer to the size of a half dollar and double the thickness if not more. I am glad I purchased it. I understand that now that it is in my possession I have a brief window of opportunity to send it in and have it slabbed in a First Strike Designation. I have examined it under 16x magnification and I truly do not see any marks.  The cut off is supposed to be 3/11/09 for PCGS submittals.  So I have a few days to decide what I want to do since it is a really nice item in the presentation case. I don’t plan on getting rid of it anytime soon.

Certification and my UHR Double Eagle

Upclose with my UHR Double Eagle

It may be worthwhile to send it in as it appears a large number of the people who ordered are not going to receive theirs in time. I am not sure what to do at this point.

As said in my previous post, the 2009 Ultra High Relief Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle was shipped today. I was surprised to find out via email that the 2009 Proof Lincoln Silver Dollars I ordered are being shipped today as well!  This is great news!  I have have expectations for both of these collectible coins.

Now I wonder where my 2009 Uncirculated Lincoln Silver Dollars are?  I am speculating based upon past trends on Special commemorative collectible coins produced by the US Mint that they are probably going to be fewer of these UNC Lincoln Silver Dollars produced than the proof versions.  I have to admit I have a soft spot for Proof coins but having both types of these coins makes things seem complete.

My next goal is to round up some rolls of the Harrison Dollar coins from the Presidential Dollar series. I have a friend in Texas that obtains a few rolls of the Denver minted dollars and trades with me for the Philidelphia minted dollars. I don’t think they’ll ever amount to much in my life time but I am being the good coin custodian that I am and saving them for future generations.

Lastly, I got a few boxes of the new Native American Sacagawea Dollars, I have to say I do like the design of the reverse on the 2009 coin. Looks like the next “hot ticket” will be the second 2009 Lincoln penny here in a few months. It’s a good time to be a collector!