Once inside, there were displays of thousands of Lincoln cents under a glass tabletop and Martin Van Buren Presidential dollar coins in a large glass cylinder.  The lobby also housed a display of all the commemorative coins designed by the Mint since 1892.  On the wall, Tiffany mosaics displayed how coins were manufactured in ancient times.  There was also a large gift shop in the lobby, which was also situated the end of the tour, where the usual gift shop items of pens, t-shirts and the like could be purchased, as well as the US Mint’s standard offerings of coin products.

The tour was self-guided, passing through a long hallway with displays of all of the mint locations, both past and present, as well as a compilation of medals that have been produced.  The middle of the tour takes you through a double-sided observation deck, overlooking over the coin production floor itself.

At that particular moment, they were producing Lincoln cents. There were several long conveyor belts with trays filled with blank cents, each tray about the size of a loaf of bread.  The distance from the deck to the belt was too far to tell exactly where in the process the blanks were, but it was definitely prior to being stamped by the coin presses.  Several lines of coin presses were visible, each labeled for the particular denomination.

While I was watching the belts and admiring the level of automation employed by the Mint (there were only a handful of visible employees within an area about the size of a football field), I had conversations with other tourists.  The topics ranged from the potential end of the cent, following the actual end of the half cent coin, to the failure of the Presidential dollar coins to circulate, and the current National Park Quarters series.

There was also a separate area for making medals.  Unlike the circulating coins, production was much less automated.  Where the main area felt like an automobile plant, the medals area was more like a metal shop: individuals putting a lot of care and attention to making things look perfect.

The path from the production floor back to the gift shop was decorated with 2-foot sized images of the 50 States Quarters reverse designs.  It was nice to see those images on such a large scale: it reminded me of the three-inch silver discs that will feature the same images as the current National Park Quarters series.

In the gift shop, I looked around a lot, but did not purchase anything, having already purchased this year’s mint and proof sets at the Mint’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.  I did, however, use their bill changer machines to get four Yosemite Quarters and five James Buchanan Presidential Dollars.  All in all, I enjoyed the tour and I would recommend it to anyone in the Philadelphia area.

Les Peters publishes a coin blog titled Tales of a Lifelong Coin Collector that describes his experiences related to collecting coins.

The obverse design of the coin is a reproduction of the Liberty Head Quarter Eagle, designed by Christian Gobrecht. The $2.50 gold coins were minted and issued for circulation from 1840 to 1907. Obverse inscriptions indicate the order of the Presidency, the dates of the term, the current date “2010″, and the motto “In God We Trust”.

The reverse features a depiction of a young James Buchanan at work as a bookkeeper in his family’s store. Surrounding inscriptions indicate the legal tender face value, bullion weight and purity, “United States of America”, and the motto “E Pluribus Unum”.

Each Buchanan’s Liberty Gold Coin contains one-half ounce of 24 karat gold. Coins are produced at the West Point Mint in both uncirculated and proof versions. The issue carries a maximum mintage of 15,000 across both versions.

The bronze medal duplicate measures 1 and 5/16 inches and is struck at the Philadelphia Mint. A maximum mintage is not specified for the medal.

Current pricing for the offerings are $766 for the uncirculated gold coin, $779 for the proof gold coin, and $5.50 for the bronze medals. There are no household ordering limits in place for any of these products. Prices for the gold coins may be adjusted by the United States Mint weekly in response to changes in the average price of gold.

The James Buchanan’s Liberty First Spouse Gold Coin represents the sixteenth overall release in the broader series which honors the First Ladies of the United States. The next release of the series will feature Mary Todd Lincoln and is expected to go on sale December 3, 2010.

Sales of the 2010 Silver Proof Set began at the US Mint on August 26, 2010. The 14 coin set includes seven coins struck in 90% silver with the remaining coins struck in standard compositions. Through the sales reporting date of August 29, 2010, a total of 241,656 sets were purchased. This amount comes in between the debut figures for the other primary annual sets, with the 2010 Proof Set and 2010 Mint Set having sold 296,379 and 200,764 sets in the opening days. The initial figures for the Silver Proof Set are below the opening sales for last year’s comparable product, which sold 271,372 sets.

Collectors may have been waiting for the release of the latest annual set to purchase the two previous releases, as evidenced by an uplift in sales for the products. The regular 2010 Proof Set added 47,704 in the past week, bringing total sales to 474,018. The 2010 Mint Set added 39,617, bringing total sales to 342,712.

The 2010 Proof Gold Buffalo experienced a sharp increase in sales with 2,167 coins sold in the past week. This figure represents the second highest weekly sales figure for the offering since it went on sale June 3, 2010. The only report with a higher sales figure was debut week.

The full US Mint numismatic product sales report appears below. These figures are compiled through August 29, 2010. The first number column represents total sales through the reporting date and the second number column represents the change in sales since the last report. Figures which are followed by an asterisk (*) are no longer available for sale at the US Mint.

Silver Proof Sets have been issued by the United States Mint each year since 1992. The dime, quarters, and half dollar included in each set are struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, the composition used for these coins before 1965. The remaining coins in the set are struck in their standard, modern-day compositions.

Each 2010 Silver Proof Set includes the following coins:

• (1) Lincoln Cent
• (1) Jefferson Nickel
• (1) Roosevelt Dime (90% silver)
• (5) America the Beautiful Quarters (90% silver)
• (1) Kennedy Half Dollar (90% silver)
• (1) Native American Dollar
• (4) Presidential Dollars

All coins are struck at the San Francisco Mint and carry the “S” mint mark. They are packaged in three protective lenses and placed within an outer cardboard box with a certificate of authenticity signed by the Director of the United States Mint.

Many of the coins included in the 2010 Silver Proof Set featuring rotating designs, or designs which change annually or throughout the year. The America the Beautiful Quarters have five different designs featuring Hot Springs National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and Mount Hood National Forest.  The Presidential Dollars have four different designs featuring Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln. The Native American Dollar features a Hiawatha Belt to representing the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Confederacy. Finally, the Lincoln Cent carries the first year of a permanent new design depicting the Union Shield to represent Lincoln’s preservation of the Union.

The sets are priced at $56.95 plus applicable shipping and handling and may be purchased from the US Mint at http://catalog.usmint.gov.

The 25-coin rolls and 250-coin bags featuring the Andrew Jackson Dollar were first released by the United States Mint on August 14, 2008. The rolls were priced at $35.95 each and the bags were priced at $319.95. Sales of these products continued until late last week when the offering was quietly concluded to coincide with the release of the James Buchanan Presidential Dollar rolls.

During the period of availability, the United States Mint recorded sales of 44,390  and 43,155 for the 25-coin rolls from Philadelphia and Denver, respectively. Last reported sales for the 250-coin bags were 539 and 427 for the Philadelphia and Denver bags, respectively.

Andrew Jackson Presidential Dollars still remain available from the US Mint in boxes of 250 coins through the Direct Ship Program.

Currently, numismatic 25-coin rolls remain available for the 11th to 15th releases of the Presidential Dollar program featuring James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan. These rolls contain circulating quality coins packaged in special US Mint branded wrappers.

When the 2010 Platinum Eagle Proof Coin made its first appearance on the sales report last week, it had already sold 8,268 coins. These opening sales were achieved between the product release date on August 12 and the sales reporting date on August 15. By late morning on August 19, sales attained the 10,000 coin maximum and the US Mint ended regular sales and opened a waiting list.

The waiting list option was removed yesterday, making the sell out official. Despite the fact that the maximum mintage was 25% higher and the initial cost was $100 greater, this year’s collectible Platinum Eagle offering sold out faster than the 2009 Proof Platinum Eagle.

Sales of the James Buchanan Presidential Dollar 25-coin numismatic rolls began at the US Mint on August 19, 2010 to coincide with the circulation release date. So far sales have reached 22,929 Philadelphia Mint rolls and 23,167 Denver Mint rolls. These initial sales represent a decline of about 1,000 rolls per mint as compared to the debut figures for the prior coin featuring Franklin Pierce. This continues the pattern of waning sales for this product type.

Annual set sales enjoyed a rebound this week, after the unusually low levels experienced last week. The 2010 Proof Set added 30,669 units to bring the total to 426,314, and the 2010 Mint Set added 19,981 to bring the total to 303,095. This suggests that last week’s dip was related to order cancellations, returns, or other adjustments, rather than a significant decline in sales.

The complete report of US Mint numismatic product sales appears below. These figures are compiled through August 22, 2010. The first number column represents total sales through the reporting date and the second number column represents the change in sales since the last report. Figures which are followed by an asterisk (*) are no longer available for sale at the US Mint.

The new coins available through the program are the John Tyler, James K. Polk, and Zachary Taylor Presidential Dollars. Other coins currently available include the 2001 Sacagawea Dollar, 2010 Native American Dollar, and Presidential Dollars featuring George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Andrew Jackson.

Orders through the program must be made in increments of 250 coins. The $1 coins are wrapped in 25-coin rolls, with ten rolls contained in a sealed box. A limit of 4 boxes per 10-day ordering period is currently imposed by the US Mint. Additionally, the purchaser must agree to comply with the stated purpose of the program and not immediately deposit the coins at a bank.

Last year, the US Mint distributed more than $100 million worth of $1 coins through the Direct Ship Program. In the course of the year, it came to light that frequent flyer mile enthusiasts were taking advantage of the program to earn miles and other rewards. The US Mint subsequently worked to curb and prevent such abuses.

Coins may be ordered through the Direct Ship Program online at http://catalog.usmint.gov/

The James Buchanan Presidential Dollar features his portrait on the obverse of the coin, as designed and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill. Inscriptions surrounding the portrait read “James Buchanan”, “In God We Trust”, “15th President”, and the dates of his term “1857-1861″. The reverse design of the coin features an image of the State of Liberty designed and sculpted by Don Everhart with the words “United States of America” and the denomination “$1″. The motto “E Pluribus Unum” along with the date and mint mark of the coin appear on the incused edge lettering of the coin.

The launch ceremony for the coin was held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on the grounds of Wheatland, the historic estate of James Buchanan. In attendance were Andrew Brunhart, Deputy Director of the United States Mint, and Donald Walters, Emeritus Professor of Educations Administration, Temple University. The ceremony, which included a ceremonial coin pour and coin exchange, was also open to the public.

At 12:00 Noon ET, sales of 25-coin rolls of James Buchanan Presidential Dollars from the Philadelphia or Denver Mint began at the US Mint. These circulating quality coins are packaged in specially designed wrappers which indicate the issue, mint mark, and face value of the contents. The roll are priced at $35.95 each plus applicable shipping and handling charges. The rolls can be purchased online at www.catalog.usmint.gov.

The final release of program for this year will be the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar. The general circulation release date for this coin has been set for November 18, 2010.

Representing the concept “To Establish Justice”, the coins were issued for the second year of a six year design series presenting the core concepts of American democracy. The reverse design features the blindfolded “Justice, the Guardian of Liberty” holding scales and a branch of laurel. The reverse was designed by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill. The obverse of the coin carries an image of the Statue of Liberty designed by John Mercanti, which has been used for all American Platinum Eagles.

The 2010 Proof Platinum Eagle went on sale August 12, 2010, priced at $1,892 per coin. By Sunday, August 15, the coins had reached sales of 8,268 out of the maximum 10,000 mintage. The remaining coins were sold in quick order, following a price decrease of $100 per coin, which took place yesterday.

Customers may still place orders for the coins, although these orders will be for securing a place on the US Mint’s waiting list. Orders will be fulfilled from the list in the event that coins become available due to cancellations.

The next release in the six year design series for the Platinum Eagle will feature the theme “To Insure Domestic Tranquility”.

The 2010 Proof Platinum Eagle went on sale at the US Mint on August 12, 2010. The coins feature a reverse design representing the theme “To Establish Justice”, continuing the design series for the core concepts of American democracy. Priced at $1,892 each, the product represents the most expensive US Mint product for the year to date. Through August 15, 2010, the US Mint recorded sales of 8,268 coins out of the maximum authorized mintage of 10,000. This exceeds the debut sales figures for last year’s one ounce proof platinum coin offering, which sold 7,207 coins in the opening days, before selling out of the maximum 8,000 mintage soon thereafter.

Other products of note from this report include the 2010 Proof Gold Buffalo, which sold 689 to bring the total sales to date above the 25,000 level. Sales of the First Spouse Coins cooled following negative adjustments for the Abigail Fillmore First Spouse Gold Coins. The highest sellers were once again the most recently released coins featuring Jane Pierce.

The pace of sales for the annual coin sets continued to moderate. The 2010 Proof Set added just over 10,000 units in the latest week, compared to more than 34,000 in the prior week. Total sales have now reached 395,645, still shy of the opening sales for the 2009 Proof Set. The 2010 Mint Set added a mere 67 units to bring total sales to 283,047.

The full US Mint sales report for numismatic products appears below. Figures are compiled through August 15, 2010. The first number column indicates total sales through the reporting date and the second number column represents the change since the last report. Figures which are followed by an asterisk (*) are no longer available for sale at the US Mint.