Curiouser And Curiouser: 2026 Congrats Set Is A Philly, No Dual Date Or Privy?

Let's not forget that the Mint doesn't actually do the shipping.

I think they are shipped them seperatly so you have the sealed mint box with the postage date to send to the graders in case you want a "First Day" or "Early Release" type descriptors on your label

I'll add my experience but I also have a question:

Question: did anyone who had previously subscribed for MULTIPLE congratulations sets, have all of those congratulations orders fulfilled? My understanding is that this year was the first time there was a household limit of 1. So feasibly, someone may have had a subscription for 2 or more (from previous years when there was no limit) - did they all fill or did the mint cut you down to just one?

I ask because I'm in this exact boat now with the Enhanced Uncirc dropping in April. I have a preexisting subscription for 3 uncircs (1 each for my sons and one for myself). Past is no guarantee of future actions by the mint, but I'm wondering if there's any precedent for them to only ship 1 of my subscriptions for those when they release.

My experience yesterday: I had a subscription in place as I buy all proof ASEs each year for each of my sons. I only had one subscription due to limits, so I needed to snag another one so I could complete both kids' sets. I visited the website via laptop at 1145 eastern and was greeted by the waiting room, couldn't even log in. I used my phone browser on the same wifi 1 minute later to see the same. Ultimately, my phone browser let me in at 12:05 and I was able to snag both a P and a W. My laptop didn't let me in until 12:30, everything was gone. It seems from the time you joined the waiting room it was a crap shoot to your spot in line.

I tried logging back in on my phone after my purchase, and had a 40 minute wait. I did the same with different browsers and PC or phone multiple times, each time the wait was consistent, as if I kept ending back up at the end of the line.

Ultimately it seems to me the waiting room itself was a giant random room prior to noon - when you joined your were placed at a random spot in line. Once noon hit, those spots locked in. So if you joined after noon then you were placed back of the line, but if you joined before noon you could have been placed in the back, middle, or very front - regardless of when you joined as long as it was BEFORE noon. At least that's my best theory based on what I saw through multiple tests.

But after 3 items you get free shipping so it really doesn't matter to most people.

That's true, but I'm looking at it from a waste and inefficiency standpoint. In theory, all the costs impact the price that an item is offered for sale at. In theory, the mint could offer products for less if they didn't waste so much. Of course, I say in theory because the mint is a monopoly. Therefore, they could just pocket the savings. That would still be better than wasteful practices.

I've been meaning to comment on this since I read it, just trying to tie up loose ends before bedtime for Bonzo.

The explanation before I think is spot on.
Depending on the release, many people depend on items to be separated due to grading company rules.
It does depend on the release though. Getting the Congrats set designation is a prime example. MOST years (this year could be an exception with the unique Philly proof in it) but most years, the ASE in the Congrats set is the same W mint ASE available separately. So if you want to open your normal W proof and look it over before deciding to have it graded, that's fine. But the Congrats set has to remain in a sealed box to get that designation. So the upshot is, no, your want these releases to be in separate shipping boxes. I was able to get 3 separate Congrats sets, will be in 3 separate boxes, which is just what I want, if I want to sell one without opening the box (so the seller can get the Congrats set designation) I can do that.
I'm sure the Mint knows it's a matter of what the collector needs, not what's most efficient.

I received both of my ASEs today! I wasn't expecting them until Monday.






Sorry for the crappy pics

Congrats!

My W-proof ASE is waiting for me in my mailbox according to my email. Sadly, the P-proof did not accompany it.