Collector Finds Some Mint Decisions Baffling

It is crazy what all they offer in one year. But to me it seems we are simply following in the footsteps of the Canadian mint.

The RCM started out making different changes in quarter designs a long time before we did. Back then we only had the still-considered-special bicentennial coinage. People still thought it special to find one in circulation. ''

But after the RCM started to make extra profits on "special" coins each year (by making mutliple design changes per year, I think the US powers that be caught on, saw the success of the RCM, and we got the State Quarter program.

Of course the special-design-quarter money maker could not be let die after all 50 states were done, so now we have ATBs (could go on a loooong time). Special is no longer special - it is the norm.

Look at what the RCM is now doing, and I think we will see where our mint is headed. The RCM churns out a new design, new denomination series, new special set, and new commemorative every time HM the Queen sneezes. Take a look at their website. It is ridiculously overwhelming the number of products even compared to ours. They paint them, they add gems or glass bugs to the surface (seriously), they make them glow in the dark, they make them for Bigfoot, Halloween...

But when consumers continue to fork over the cash... it ain't gonna stop no-how.

Personally, I am waiting for the US presidents' silver dog/pet series, the silver 20.00 for 20.00 featuring famous toll collectors from the DC subway system (the Metro), and the special White House series of dollars with surface-encapsulated White House Lawn grass clippings (4 coin set... clippings from the north, south, east, and west sides of the lawn).

And today's annual sets are bloated with multiple designed denominations and therefore inflating the set prices.

It needs to be said that the seigniorage alone makes them a tidy profit, so there is no need for any collector issues at all. Not that I want them to stop, just stating a fact.

Of course, minting cents and nickels continually erodes that seigniorage, which will eventually disappear unless something changes, like killing the cent and nickel.

I don't get the bit about how it's almost impossible to find the 2012-S quarter in circulation.

The Mint doesn't put S coins into circulation. So why does anybody expect to find them in circulation? What am I missing here?

I try to keep a number of different collecting goals going all the time so I'm not "pushed" into buying a very finite "want list" and paying more than I should or settling for something of lesser quality just to "fill the hole". In other words, I'm working on a one-per-year set from 1797-1964 and am only missing two dates (yes, one is the 1815, which will have to be a bust quarter). I'm trying to keep up my American Eagle set so I have at least one of every year in NGC 69 or 70. That's the "cheapest" of my goals, and I'm just missing the 2015. I also am working on a high end NGC and PCGS 50 Piece Type Set of Classic Commemorative Silver. It's taken me many years to get to my 37 down, 13 to go placement on that goal. Plus I'm working on a high end mint state set of all US coins from 1935 to 1964, with just 22 left to find in the conditions I want. Plus a couple of other goals, too.

The point is, that since I have a number of areas of interest I'm not FORCED to buy that 1942-S Walker until I find exactly the one I want at a price I can live with.

There have been many times in the last few years when I've been intrigued by some of the coins the mint is producing. The 5 Ounce pucks, the huge number of commemorative issues, a possible continuation of my proof sets (1950-1964 I have), or even a set of the gold commemorative issues that have a low enough mintage to be of some potential value.

With the exception of the American Eagles, which I only continue because I started my set in 1986, I simply do not collect anything after 1965.

GRANTED there are plenty of cool coins that have come out after that date. GRANTED there are some awesome error coins in those years. GRANTED you could put together some beautiful collections with the post-1964 issues.

BUT what it always comes down to is what I have to pay for the "new" coins in comparison to the classic issues. I just bought a PCGS MS-65 Washington-Carver commemorative that's 60+ years old with a low mintage for LESS than a very common Proof 2015 American Eagle would cost me.

Plus, looking at it realistically, if you bought one of every possible set the mint produces in a single year, including all the commemorative issues in all the different "finishes" then add in the Silver, Gold, and Platinum Eagles, and ramp that up by buying the "special put together" sets that includes one coin you have to get only in that set - the resulting prices for just one of each from the mint runs WELL OVER $10,000! Really - I mean REALLY?

Unless your income is really up there in the sky, it would be impossible for the average Joe to keep up with what the mint is putting out now.

I'm very happy staying with my old coins, thank you.

Yes. Your new revalued cent is replacing, on par, the current value dime. That is just one example, as all the others will have new/old companions. Having old and new commingle would only cause confusion, so an effort will be needed to reclaim all of the old (current) coins and paper money (because that will need to be revalued as well).

It will never happen.

At least not that way. Kill the cent and nickel, let the dime be the entry denomination for coins. Same result, less fuss.

I thought the State Quarters were a good idea, and I collected most of mine out of change (just filled in a couple of gaps when they came out after I got home) but then the ATB Quarters came and I feel devalued it all... the program feels like it will go on forever and this makes it not so exciting...

When they produce a special coin it is something special, but if they produce 100 special coins then none of them are special...

I also get what he says about all men created equal... the function of the mint was to serve the people - not the interests of coin dealers. If coin dealers can make business out of selling coins then all well and good but the mint doesn't owe them anything.

I generally agreed with the piece, I collect a bit of everything but modern stuff isn't really a big focus for me.