I've previously posted about the US Mint's Coin & Currency Sets that included a commemorative silver dollar, you can check them out here:
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1994 Jefferson C&C Set-
1997 Botanic Garden C&C Set-
2001 American Buffalo C&C Set, and
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2004 Lewis & Clark C&C Set.
It's been more than a year since I posted the last one (the American Buffalo C&C Set), but I always meant to go back and post about the US Mint's C&C Set that was released in 2000 - I consider it
commemorative adjacent as it does not include any commemorative coins but was issued as a set in commemoration of the new millennium.
(Note: For the record, I'm in the camp that believes the third millennium began in 2001 vs. 2000, but it's 20 years later and it's 2021 regardless of which year was the start of the new millennium! 
) The recent question posed here on CCF about the American Silver Eagle (
ASE) in the set reminded me about it and spurred me on to string a few words about together and present the "The United States Millennium Coinage and Currency Set."
On September 15, 2000, a US Mint press release introduced its annual Holiday Collection catalog. In the release, it listed "The United States Millennium Coinage and Currency Set." as one of the catalog's "featured new products for 2000." The release stated that telephone, fax and mail orders would be accepted beginning September 20th and that web orders would be accepted starting on September 25th. Web orders were shipped free vs. the $3.95 charge applied to orders placed via other methods.
The C&C Set includes a 2000-dated
ASE, a 2000-dated
Sacagawea dollar coin minted in Denver and a Series 1999 $1.00 Federal Reserve Note with a serial number that begins with "2000" to mark the new millennium. The "2000" in the note's serial number was the only special feature of the set initially touted by the Mint.
At the time, I remember thinking that the past sales success of the previous C&C Sets could be repeated with the new set, so I purchased several when they came available. The issue price for the set was just $39.00, so the minor investment required to buy a few of them wasn't a huge risk if they didn't prove to be popular.
Shortly after their release, however, collectors learned that the Mint had included a couple of surprises in the sets.
The
Sacagawea dollar had a burnished finish (created after the coin was struck) vs. the standard finish; the special finish was very similar to the 5,000 special coins provided to Glenna Goodacre, the designer of the obverse of the coin, as her designer's fee. The 2000 C&C Set was the only place the burnished dollars could be found.
(Note: A small, but unknown percentage of the Sacagawea dollar coins in the C&C Sets did not go through the burnishing process and so have the standard uncirculated finish.)The 2000
ASE included was struck at the West Point Mint (without an identifying mint mark). In 2000, bullion ASEs were struck at the Philadelphia Mint and at the West Point facility. As none of them had a mint mark, or other identifying characteristic, the grading services did not apply a mint mark to any of the coin labels when grading/encapsulating them - unless they were provided still encased in their original, unopened Millennium C&C Set package. If they were submitted in the package, the services would identify the coin
ASE as being part of the set and therefore struck at West Point.
Once word of these surprises hit the news, collectors and speculators quickly exhausted the 75,000 unit product limit - the Mint had another C&C sell-out on its hands - they were three for three!
As for the Set's packaging, it features a colorful, fireworks-themed slipcase (the design is also used on the cover of the coin and note folder and the included background information booklet); the Certificates of Authenticity for each of the numismatic items in the Set are printed on the back of the slipcase.
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Slipcase - Front
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Slipcase - Back
As mentioned above, the cover of the coin and note folder features the same exploding fireworks theme as is seen on the front of the slipcase. The Mint clearly viewed the C&C Set as a celebration of the new millennium and chose to express in a visually exciting way.
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Folder - Front
The inside left panel of the folder discusses "The New Millennium" and the importance of the Set's coins and note in this context.
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Folder - Inside Left Panel
The front side on the interior flap presents the obverse of the Set's two coins and presents details on each; the back of the flap does the same for the reverse of the coins.
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Folder - Interior Flap - Front (Coin Obverses)
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Folder - Interior Flap - Back (Coin Reverses)
With the flap lifted, the front of the Series 1999 $1.00 note is visible, showing its distinctive, commemorative serial number that begins with "2000."
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Folder - Inside Right Panel
The back of the note is visible via the back of the folder as it rests in a clear plastic pocket.
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Folder - Back
As with its previous C&C Sets, the Mint also prepared a special information-rich booklet for the Set. It discusses the "significance" of the coin's in the set, details on the development of the
Sacagawea dollar (including its design contest), brief background information on Sacagawea, high-level details about the
ASE, the front and back design elements of the $1.00 note and the use of the American Bald Eagle as a design element on
US coins.
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Booklet - Front Cover
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Booklet - C&C Set Discussion Page
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Booklet - Sacagawea dollar Discussion Page
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Booklet - Courage Undaunted Page
You might notice that the small image on the page is taken directly from the US Mint's Sacagawea philatelic-numismatic cover (PNC). The artist who created the image is Chris Calle; Chris also created artwork for the Mint's Westward Journey Series of nickels. You can view them here:
2004-05 Westward Journey Nickel Series.
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Booklet - ASE Discussion Page
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Booklet - $1.00 Note Discussion Page
US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Booklet - Bald Eagle Page
I'm disappointed the Mint perpetuated the Franklin turkey myth. For the actual story, check out this piece from the Smithsonian Institution:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts...eal-6623414/US Millennium Coinage and Currency Set: Booklet - Back Cover
For a time, there was a buzz around the sets and their price in the secondary market escalated into the multi-hundred range, but things have settled down at this point, and the sets often sell on
ebay for prices between $80 and $120.
A few years back, I sold one of the sets I purchased to a member of my local coin club - he was excited to get it! I sold it for a price way below the current market and have always wondered if he thought I didn't know what I had or realized that I was doing it to be nice to a fellow enthusiast. We've never discussed it, but I think we both were happy with the results of the transaction - I know I was!
And with that, my discussion of the
commemorative adjacent 2000 United States Millennium Coinage and Currency Set is complete. Hope you enjoyed the read!
Check out my other posts about commemorative coins and medals here:
Read More: Commems Collection
Posted 03/05/2021 3:24 pm
