Near Mint
Posted in Uncategorized on 09/11/2010 02:52 am by admin
Near Mint
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US $5.90
How The Mint Made America Beautiful
Minting an Unmintable Coin
The U.S. Mint has released a brand new form factor, 5 ounce, silver bullion coin depicting national parks and other national sites called, "America the Beautiful". The coin is three inches in diameter, it weighs five ounces, has reeded edge (which are those little lines around the edge of coins), and has a motto in letters around the edge of the coin. As a result of these rare design specifications, the mint has found it nearly impossible to produce the coin in significant numbers and has thus far only minted 33,000 pieces of the current five designs. This has made for a total of only 165,000 coins in all, and one of the greatest rarities in the U.S. numismatic history.
The Rush to Gouge
Since the U.S. Mint doesn't sell their bullion products directly to retail consumers, they initially allowed only 11 authorized purchasers to purchase, and sell the "America the Beautiful" Quarter Series. The weekend prior to Dec. 6, APMEX (American Precious Metal Exchange), the only authorized purchaser that is also a direct retailer, put up 1,000 sets on the Internet. They were sold out in 19 hours at $1395 per set, which represented about a 75% mark-up.
As a result, the following Monday, Dec.6, the authorized purchasers were faxed a surprising notice from the U.S. Mint stating: You've been warned of price gouging. If you do, your agreement to be an authorized purchaser can be revoked. Still, by the end of that same day, the sets were going for up to $2,500 on eBay for pre-sales (a mark-up of almost 300%). The U.S. Mint then issued a press release that was strongly worded in defense of itself, generally stating that they have told their authorized purchasers that the production numbers of these coins were extremely limited, and that they have warned about outrageous pricing.
The U.S. Mint's Solution to Protect Small Collectors
The U.S. Mint then took further steps postponing the delivery of the coins for one week, and during that time made the following changes to the "America the Beautiful" Program:
1. The max. mark-up will be 10% over what the authorized purchasers pay for their coins (which is the spot value of silver and that coin plus nine dollars and seventy-five cents).
2. The limit is one per household of each design, for a maximum of five coins per household.
The Fall Out Benefits the American Consumer
Many of the authorized purchasers were unable to sell the coins based on the new terms because most are not set up to act as retailers. This resulted in 6, out of the 11 authorized purchasers changing their decisions to sell the coins at all, and of those that did participate only 75,000 of the 165,000 coins were purchased during that first week.
On December 20th, 2010, the U.S. Mint announced that it had made a decision to add selected companies that would be able to comply with the rules and guidelines it had created. The result - Greed lost and the American public won.
About the Author
Joshua Abramson has been a professional numismatist and a Life Member of the
American Numismatic Association since 1986, specializing in wholesale trading
and diversifying precious metals investments. J Daniel Rare Coins Ltd: Joshua's
passion began at a young age working while working at the corner candy store in
exchange for Ring Dings and whatever collectible coins he could find in the till.
He is co-founder of Vault Wholesale, USA's low cost precious metals dealer.
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1992 Atlanta Braves Yearbook NEAR MINT $7.23 1992 Atlanta Braves Yearbook NEAR MINT 1992 Atlanta Braves Yearbook NEAR MINTEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee. |
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1984 San Francisco Giants Yearbook NEAR MINT $14.45 1984 San Francisco Giants Yearbook NEAR MINT 1984 San Francisco Giants Yearbook NEAR MINTEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee. |
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1987 Boston Red Sox Yearbook NEAR MINT $14.45 1987 Boston Red Sox Yearbook NEAR MINT 1987 Boston Red Sox Yearbook NEAR MINTEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee. |
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1979 Topps George Brett #330 NEAR MINT $7.23 1979 Topps George Brett #330 NEAR MINT 1979 Topps George Brett #330 NEAR MINTEvery signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee. |
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1970 Topps Lou Brock #330 NEAR MINT! $14.45 1970 Topps Lou Brock #330 NEAR MINT! 1970 Topps Lou Brock #330 NEAR MINT!Every signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee. |
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Ken Johnson 1967 67 Topps #101 ~psa 8~near Mint-mint~ $27.72 Ken Johnson 1967 67 Topps #101 ~psa 8~near Mint-mint~ KEN JOHNSON 1967 67 TOPPS #101 ~PSA 8~NEAR MINT-MINT~Every signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee. |
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Andy Kosco 1967 67 Topps #366 ~psa 8~near Mint-mint~ $27.72 Andy Kosco 1967 67 Topps #366 ~psa 8~near Mint-mint~ ANDY KOSCO 1967 67 TOPPS #366 ~PSA 8~NEAR MINT-MINT~Every signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee. |
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1958 Topps Larry Doby #424 Indians NEAR MINT! $34.68 1958 Topps Larry Doby #424 Indians NEAR MINT! 1958 Topps Larry Doby #424 Indians NEAR MINT!Every signed item comes fully certified with a tamper proof hologram certificate of authenticity and is backed by the SportsMemorabilia.com Authenticity Guarantee. |
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Mint $119.99 Asia Jensen Mint - Limited Edition |
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Mint Condition $114 Mint Condition |
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Mint Cross $10 Mint Cross |
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Flutter By Mint $10 Flutter By Mint |
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Issey Miyake Vakio Unisex Watch - Mint (DS) $400 STYLE Battery japanese quartz movement 5atm water resistant Single timezones FIT Case is 9mm thick in the center; 9mm near edge Case is 34mm wide with crown (32mm without) LOOK Satin stainless steel black square case Mint analog dial with black markers Mint hands Black polyurethane band; 23mm wide near case; 21mm near buckle with strap buckle clasp This is a Special Order item shipped directly from the manufacturer and may take up to 7 business days for delivery. This product is available online only. FREE SHIPPING on orders for this item only. |
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I.T.A. Luce Ladies Watch - Mint (DS) $445 STYLE Battery japanese quartz movement 5atm water resistant Single timezones FIT Case is 11mm thick in the center; 11mm near edge Case is 33mm wide with crown (31mm without) LOOK Flat polyurethane grey oval case Mint analog dial with rose gold numerals Rose Gold hands Mint leather band; 16mm wide near case; 16mm near buckle with strap buckle clasp This is a Special Order item shipped directly from the manufacturer and may take up to 7 business days for delivery. This product is available online only. FREE SHIPPING on orders for this item only. |
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Billabong Payola Boardshort - Mint $56 Seriously dude, you gotta stop letting your mom pick out your clothes for you â itâs getting embarrassing. Deep down, you know youâve got a great sense of style; so why not flaunt it? Throw on these Payola boardshorts from Billabong the next time you hit the beach to embrace the simplicity of your lifestyle. These boardshorts feature engineered stripes, a back pocket, and an embroidered Billabong near the bottom hem. With your newfound style sense and good looks, youâll finally be able to ask out that chick youâve been eyeing all year. |
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Mint Sink $59.99 Mint Sink - Wall Decal |
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The Mint in 1812 $39.99 The Mint in 1812 - Giclee Print |
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Mint Float $59.99 Mint Float - Wall Decal |
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Masala Mint $329.99 Masala Mint - Wall Tapestry |
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Royal Mint $24.99 Royal Mint - Photographic Print |
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Queen Helene's Facial Scrub Mint Julep 6oz $4.69 Leaves a pleasant, tingling mint glow. Deep cleans and gently exfoliates the dull surface layers of skin. Usage: Moisten face and neck with warm water. Apply a small amount of facial scrub with wet fingertips and massage gently into skin, avoiding the sensitive areas near your eyes. Rinse well with warm water and pat dry. Ingredients:Water, walnut shell powder, sodium lauryl sulfate, stearic acid, glyceryl stearate, stearyl alcohol, glycerin, kaolin, cocamidopropyl betaine, isopropyl myristate, dimethicone, trietbanolamine, fragrance, carbomer 940, propylene glycol, diaxolidinyl urea A refreshing natural-fiber facial scrub that deep cleans your skin and leaves a pleasant, tingling mint glow! The gentle exfoliating action draws out impurities, unclogs pores and removes dead, dry cells from the surface of your skin. Natural emollients help replenish lost moisture, effectively protecting your skin from the harsh elements. The result is skin that looks fresh and healthy and feels refreshingly soft and smooth. Can be used on all skin types. Apply daily, or as often as desired. Ideal for use in the shower, too! Deep cleans and gently exfoliates the dull surface layers of your skin. |
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Mint Ripple $72.99 Ahava Mint Ripple - Art Print |
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Adorable Chocolate Mint Candy Dog Sundress with Lace Trims - S $26.99 HIGH QUALITY & adorable "Chocolate Mint Candy" dog sundress, accented with white lace trims. Mint color checkered pattern skirt ruffles with brown polka dots, with the same pattern for the candy design with embroidered outline. A small D-ring attached near the neck area to add on charms or ID tag! Each outfit comes with a "Klippo" metal charm and high quality plastic hanger. (Size S fits: Neck 7.5"~9"; Chest 12"~14"; Back Length 8"~10") Color: Brown Size: Small |