Is The US Mint Gouging US With Its Ever Expanding ATB Quarter Program?

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Author	Replies: 10 / Views: 2,133
captainrich Pillar of the Community United States 982 Posts	Posted 12/27/2018 9:49 pm At the end of each year, I gather together all the proof sets and mint sets that I acquired during the year and break them open. I then take the loose coins and update my denominational albums. It's usually a fun and fairly easy process, except for the last two years when the quarters have overwhelmed me. 2018 marks the second year in a row where it took a total of 30 quarters to update my quarter album with all the available ATB varieties. Here's a rundown of how the America The Beautiful ( ATB) program has been issuing 30 different coins per year in 2017 and 2018: A Philadelphia (P) and a Denver (D) uncirculated coin for all five parks (available via the annual mint set) = 10 coins total A San Francisco (S) uncirculated coin for all five parks (available only in rolls and bags) = 5 coins total A San Francisco (S) clad proof coin for all five parks (available via the annual regular proof set) = 5 coins total A San Francisco (S) silver proof coin for all five parks (available via the annual silver proof set) = 5 coins total (2017 only) A San Francisco (S) enhanced uncirculated coin for all five parks (available via the enhanced uncirculated mint set) = 5 coins total (2018 only) A San Francisco (S) reverse proof coin for all five parks (available via the reverse proof set) = 5 coins total Considering the U.S. Mint introduced the roll/bag-only San Francisco (S) uncirculated coins, the 2017 enhanced uncirculated coins and the 2018 reverse proof coins after the ATB program was well underway, this meant that all the specialty ATB collector albums and folders soon became obsolete (as far as including all the available ATB issues). I am sure I'm not the only collector who has had to resort to using multiple blank quarter albums to keep up with the deluge of ATB varieties. And let's not even talk about trying to include all those silver five-ounce bullion pucks as part of the ATB series. Looking at the current U.S. Mint 2019 Product Schedule, I don't see any enhanced uncirculated or reverse proof sets listed yet for 2019, but I know that my small dollar collection is going to get complicated next year with the introduction of the Innovation Dollar series (in addition to the continuing Native American dollar series). Oh well, only a couple more years of ATB Quarters, right? (currently on page 10) My 7070 My NGC Registry Sets: https://coins.www.collectors-societ...eopleID=9216 Edited by captainrich 12/27/2018 9:52 pm Report this Post to the Staff

Sharkman Valued Member United States 460 Posts	Posted 12/27/2018 10:44 pm I guess the mint will make whatever it thinks it can sell. I got into the Statehood/ATB quarters a little more than a year ago when I bought a complete set of Statehood Quarters (4 per year) in a Dansco album. At 200 coins, it was just too much to take in. So I started buying slabbed and graded PR69 silver proofs only in the ATB series. If this year is like last, they will become available sometime this Spring at about $80/set but should be down to about $50/set by the fall. I find this a very satisfying alternative to trying to get everything. The PR69 proofs are of exceptional quality. They are significantly nicer than the silver proofs I got in the Dansco album. And I get to enjoy having all the designs. Report this Post to the Staff
CoinBuffalo Valued Member United States 220 Posts	Posted 12/27/2018 10:51 pm I feel like it's pretty ridiculous myself. Thankfully the ATB series was never something I really liked design-wise either, so I haven't had much interest in collecting any variety of them. Same goes for the dollar coins and the State Quarters, of which I collected as a kid and completed the 50 coin set. That was enough for me. I just wish they'd go back to one full time design. Report this Post to the Staff
jimbucks Pillar of the Community United States 4691 Posts	Posted 12/27/2018 10:56 pm Just say no! Report this Post to the Staff
perfessor Pillar of the Community United States 927 Posts	Posted 12/28/2018 01:08 am I seem to recall that when the ATB series was first envisioned, they allowed for a second set of ATB Quarters (or similar ilk) to be issued after the current set ends. I wouldn't be surprised if this came to fruition. So it's probably not going to end any time soon. Sorry to have to say that. Report this Post to the Staff
NumisRob Bedrock of the Community United Kingdom 17890 Posts	Posted 12/28/2018 02:28 am I'd rather have UK National Parks on our 50p coins than Beatrix Potter characters and Paddington Bear! My Trade List: https://goccf.com/t/194596 My Wants List: https://goccf.com/t/191710 Report this Post to the Staff
kena Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 1682 Posts	Posted 12/28/2018 08:17 am It does appear that all of the mints around the world have gotten into the market of trying to get as much money from the collecting as they can. 30 different quarters is overkill since I don't think we need that many variations of the S mint marked ones. At least your coins have real things on them rather than just characters from a book since next year the UK is going to have a 50 pence coin with the Gruffalo on it. In the UK, we also encountered a weird situation where a clad 5 pound coin for UK Royal Academy of Arts was never offered for sale by The Royal Mint but only by a third party. The Royal Mint has also done coins which are only available when someone went on a tour of The Royal Mint and took up the strike your own coin offer. Coin collecting was much easier when I started in the 1960's. Report this Post to the Staff
CelticKnot Bedrock of the Community United States 12813 Posts	Posted 12/28/2018 10:40 am Quote: Oh well, only a couple more years of ATB Quarters, right? Not so fast: Quote: I seem to recall that when the ATB series was first envisioned, they allowed for a second set of ATB Quarters (or similar ilk) to be issued after the current set ends. Exactly right. There very well could be a 2nd round of ATB. Report this Post to the Staff
Conder101 Bedrock of the Community United States 17884 Posts	Posted 12/28/2018 12:04 pm Quote: I seem to recall that when the ATB series was first envisioned, they allowed for a second set of ATB Quarters (or similar ilk) to be issued after the current set ends. I wouldn't be surprised if this came to fruition. So it's probably not going to end any time soon. Sorry to have to say that. There could be, by the Sec of the Treasury has to make a decision on that by Monday midnight. Quote: It does appear that all of the mints around the world have gotten into the market of trying to get as much money from the collecting as they can. 30 different quarters is overkill since I don't think we need that many variations of the S mint marked ones. Many mints learned that YEARS ago. I think they got the idea from the postal services. A flood of different stamp designs and different ways to get them that killed the stamp hobby. And 30 quarters may be overkill, but the UK has done similar with the 26 ten pence coins, one for each letter of the alphabet. Quote: . The Royal Mint has also done coins which are only available when someone went on a tour of The Royal Mint and took up the strike your own coin offer. Australia did that years ago with mint marked dollar coins that could only be acquired by striking them yourself at the different mints, and in some cases at Mint exhibits at major coin shows. Then there was Canada with all the different privy marks for private companies on silver maple leaves. Anything to separate the collector from his money. Report this Post to the Staff
Cdncoins Pillar of the Community Canada 999 Posts	Posted 12/28/2018 1:40 pm The RCM in Canada has been doing this kinda thing for years! One can literally go crazy to try to get all the various varieties of coins made each year. It won't surprise me if there is another ATB type series after the current. Report this Post to the Staff
KenKat Pillar of the Community United States 4085 Posts	Posted 12/28/2018 2:13 pm I limit it to a mint uncirculated and a proof set every year and it's still a lot... My 7070 US Type Set My 7100 Lincoln Cent Set (now with updates!) Report this Post to the Staff
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