Thoughts On Coin Chronicle Set Mintage Limits

I think the mint marketing department is clueless, incompetent and negligent with the mintage limits. 50,000-70,000 with initial HH limit of 2-3 would have been ideal. They were idiots to base the demand on the FDR set because the FDR set offered no new coin. On the other hand, the Enhanced SAC from last December had a mintage of 50,000, sold out very quickly and offered something new. The MOD dime set had a mintage of 70,000 and sold out after a week or two. Why? Because it offered something new. Most people weren't buying the set for the packaging or the dollar!

As they say in the legal world, the mint knew or should have known that 17,000 would be way too low for a coin with a "new" finish. The mint can't honestly think that if they had included a RP Pres. Dollar in the FDR Set that the sets would still be available months later. The fact is the best and brightest marketers probably don't work for the US govt. Why are we surprised here? Look at the IRS, the Obamacare enrollment website and the Veteran's Administration.

I do not think they should stay at 17K for several reasons. First, it is just bad business for the mint because there is obvious demand, which means they are leaving money on the table. Second, they are frustrating their customer base and risk losing long term customers. Third, the ultimate long term value is a function of supply and demand. Just because there is a low supply, doesn't mean there will be a high demand. If they kept the mintages at 17K then they might frustrate out of the market a lot of would be collectors of the set. By the same token, making more sets than what is needed to supply the present demand only devalues the sets because it lets dealers sit on inventories. The sweet spot is probably between 30K-60K. That is enough to satisfy the present collector demand without allowing for dealers to flood inventory. Then in a few years when new collectors enter the market they will have to pay an increase over the original purchase cost to buy the sets, but not some ridiculous amount. It is basic economics.

If they made too much they could always melt it down for new coins.

Its creating interest/buzz in the hobby, I like it. I don't want them to change a thing with mintage and HH limits with the Chronicles Sets. The Mint is doing this intentionally and its wonderful. The dates and prices are told to everyone with plenty of time to make plans to acquire sets.

CSOTUS, I think he is referring to the case where there is no mintage limit, unlike the C & C sets. When there is no mintage limit, everyone who wants one can have one and then it crashes in the aftermarket. This is the opposite case with the Truman because of the 17,000 mintage limit.

Agreed. I love the sets and would still purchase them if the mintage were unlimited (as I did with Teddy and FDR). I certainly agree with the missing bronze medal, I wish they would have included one like they did with Teddy and FDR.


You are misunderstanding. This is in reference to having a higher or unlimited mintage.

I think the biggest problem right now is the guy on HSN and his network of shill buyers. He claims to have over half of the Truman RP dollars. If that's even close to true (I know he's a big exaggerator), he's clearly circumventing the intent of the household limits (which is to ensure fair and equitable distribution to collectors). The fact that he's doing it so openly and obviously making money only encourages others. Until the mint cracks down on him and other dealers doing the same, the situation almost can't get better. I really don't know how they can do so when there's no law against shill buying that I know of. Unethical doesn't equal illegal.

Then I stand corrected. Thank you.