July 2014 Release

together with general increase of their prices, they've started to issue more coins with different effects:
coloured, enameled, gilded...etc - and all these coins have prices bit higher, than traditional proof finish.

When the price differential between issue price and secondary market wasn't so great a few of years back I decided to just keep ordering from the RCM as the convenience was worth maybe paying a few bucks more. That price differential is a lot larger now and I am seriously reconsidering my approach to collecting. I would be VERY surprised if we ever see another Lady Bug the way things are going.

Pretty much this.

Its going to bite them in the behind though...

Another great discussion everyone, I'm enjoying reading your responses. Another question comes to mind, does minting Nclt coins actually create money in the financial system. I'm thinking like when they mint the collector quarters ie "war of 1812", I think it's seniorage? It just occurred to me how is the money create in Nclt coins? Or is it a non issue, and no accounting necessary ? It's something to ponder.

But the 1812 quarters and the similar - they are commemorative circulation legal tender, and not NCLT.

But still, yes, they "produce money" by issuing NCLT. Since most of them have more or less PM content as the face value - it probably OK. The others might be going as a "bullion" (?)
From this point of view - "XforX" coins - exceptions.

I actually have no education in this, and just trying to guess.

If you're talking about broad economics definitions, NCLT are not generally included money supply however, circulation coins removed (i.e. melted) would reduce the overall money supply. Circulation coins however are usually included in the broadest definition of money supply.

That said, economics is often fuzzy and different economists define money supply differently. That discussion could be never ending.

In accounting terms, the Alloy Recovery Program produces revenue for the Mint (29.7M in 2013 and 35.6M in 2012). I haven't seen any reports of expenses associated with the program but one would assume that the margin is very good for the ARP even with the declining metal prices of late.

Explanation of seigniorage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seigniorage

An example given is as follows:
The "50 State" series of quarters (25-cent coins) was launched in the U.S. in 1999. The U.S. government planned on a large number of people collecting each new quarter as it rolled out of the U.S. Mint, thus taking the pieces out of circulation.[6] Each set of quarters is worth $14.00 (a complete set includes quarters for all fifty states, the five U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia). Since it costs the Mint about five cents for each 25-cent piece it produces, the government made a profit whenever someone "bought" a coin.[7] The U.S. Treasury estimates that it has earned about US$6.3 billion in seigniorage from the quarters over the course of the entire program.

This is more applicable to circulation currency than the original question of NCLTs though. A similar argument is made for paper money http://rightclickhome.com/Numis/mic...ldTNotes.htm
Quote from the article:
But as every banker was aware, a paper issue in circulation for any length of time can be expected to see some 6% on average (higher the longer it circulates) never returned for redemption, the result of loss, destruction, misplacing &c. This represents a tidy sum on the profit column of the issuer so it may as well be Newfoundland.