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25th Anniversary American Silver Eagle Set Sold Out
October 27, 2011 by Darrin Lee Unser · 24 Comments
The U.S. Mint’s 25th Anniversary American Silver Eagle Set sold out in less than five hours.
In a move expected by many, the United States Mint has indicated that its entire mintage of 100,000 of the 25th Anniversary American Silver Eagle Set has already been ordered by its customers — all in about 4 and 1/2 hours.
While not officially sold out, the Mint has placed a "Waiting List Notice" on the Silver Eagle set’s product page. This news will not be particularly surprising to most familiar with the release, especially those that attempted to order the sets in the first few hours of their availability.
[Editor’s Update: On Friday morning, the United States Mint officially said the sets had sold out.]
The Mint released the 25th Anniversary Set at Noon (Eastern), Thursday, October 27, 2011. Visitors to the Mint’s website realized significant issues as the site continually failed to respond as it was hammered by countless individuals attempting to place their orders. Website issues started a few minutes before the set went on sale and lingered for hours as literally thousands of orders were being taken. Customers attempting to place their orders via the Mint’s telephone ordering system did not fair any better. Most of these individuals received busy signals forcing them to hang up and try again many times before a successful order could be placed. The Mint later apologized for the problems, saying on its Facebook page:
"We apologize to those of you having difficulty getting through to place orders for the 2011 American Eagle 25th Anniversary Silver Coin Set. Our ordering system has been running at capacity – in fact, orders were placed for approximately 25,000 sets during the first hour of sales.
We are committed to improving your online ordering experience and have recently awarded a contract that will result in a new, state of art order management system. We appreciate your continued patience and understanding as we work toward implementing this new system in 2012."
Collectors were clamoring to obtain the set because of its unique nature. Of course, the set was issued to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Eagle program which dates back to 1986. In that year, the United States Mint first released the bullion Silver Eagle as well as its numismatic counterpart, the Proof Silver Eagle.
The 2011 version of both of those strikes are included in the 25th Anniversary Set along with a 2011 Uncirculated Silver Eagle which can be traced back to an inaugural release in 2006. All three of these coins are available not only in the set, but were issued separately as well.
As desirable as those three coins may be, the two remaining coins of the five-coin set are likely the driving factor behind its extreme popularity. Among those two strikes is a 2011-S Uncirculated Silver Eagle struck at the United States Mint’s facility in San Francisco. The standard uncirculated Eagle released as well as included in this set is struck at the United States Mint’s facility in West Point making the San Francisco coin extremely unique for collectors.
However, the pièce de résistance of the set has to be the 2011-P American Silver Eagle Reverse Proof Coin. The United States Mint has struck such a Silver Eagle only once before, in 2006 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Eagle Program. The coin features a frosted background and polished, mirror-like foreground which is the opposite of standard proof coins.
Like the 2011-S Uncirculated Eagle, the reverse proof coin is likely to be available only in the set. This means the mintage of the two coins should be the same as the five-coin set, 100,000. Both would then qualify as the second lowest mintages of the Silver Eagle series only coming in behind the 1995-W Proof Silver Eagle which has a mintage of 30,125.
For reference, the United States Mint waiting list states:
Waiting List Notice: The number of orders we have taken meets the maximum limit for the 2011 American Eagle 25th Anniversary Silver Coin Set. You may still place an order for this product, which will go on a waiting list. If a product becomes available due to an order cancellation, we will fulfill orders from the waiting list on a first-in, first-served basis. We cannot provide information about your position on the waiting list.
Those still interested in obtaining a 25th Anniversary American Silver Eagle Set may attempt to place their names on the Mint’s waiting list (visit http://catalog.usmint.gov). Those on the list will only receive sets if previous orders are canceled. The set is priced at $299.95.
I hope I got mine, I was kicked out of the website 5 minutes before it went on sale, it took me 4-1/2 hours to get my order in at 3:30 IL time, I was telling a buddy at work about this set and he gave me $300.00 cash to deposit in my bank to get him one, I got his in at 5:30, he probably will not get it.
Hi, it’s Steve again
I was thinking about this set and the one from 2006, to have these graded and get the special Anniversary label you have to send them in unopened, like I did my 2006 set, reason being is there are 3 coins in this set that also can be purchased seperate and how would the grading companies know if the coins in the Anniversay set were really from the set. Problem solved, didn’t anyone from the Mint think of minting the coins with something saying 25th Ann on the coin, some type of special mark on the coin so that you would know it was from the Anniversary set, DAH!!!. Anyone with any thoughts on this comment back.
Thanks
Don’t forget that the “S” coin in this set is also the key coin to the uncirculated silver eagles, not just the second lowest mintage. Cheers!
My account says my order is “backordered” and is expected to ship on 11/12. Does that mean I will get the set? The mint should have limited orders to only 1 per household, so that small-time collectors, like myself, can get 1 set. No one really needs 5 sets, when there are so many people that only want 1 set.
Looks like the single sets are selling for $500 + on e-bay as of my posting. I will wait until Whitman coin show in Baltimore next month to sell 2 of my 5 sets
Robert Hansen look for an order number, if you got through after 4:30 ET keep your fingers crossed. The Mint sends out emails to even those on backorder.
Shame, Shame, Shame on the U. S. Mint. Every time they have a high volume product for sale they have the same web site/computer problems. Every time they apoligize and say they will fix the problem. I had three coins in my shopping cart and each time I tried to check out the computer would kick me out. I now am on a waiting list for these coins. It makes me mad enough to say the “Hell with collecting” and put my money elsewhere.
I just speed dial 1-800-USA-MINT from my cell, couldn’t even get on their web page, but I have an active account with the Mint. There is the key. Took me 2hours and around 2,000 busy signals from 2 phones till I got through. I do agree about the web problems,so why sit there and look at a clocking screen for 10 minutes every time you try.
Issues with their website is always a problem when it comes to high profile items such as the Eagle 25th anniversary set. Can’t wait for the next anniversary set fiasco. One would expect such issues to be resolved by now given similar problems encountered when the Lincoln set came out a little while ago. To make matters more frustrating, there is no easy way to complain about this using e-mail. I think Richard Peterson – new director, should focus on trying to improve this so we won’t have to wait endless hours for a server to come off its “coffee break” and provide the same expedient streamline performance that you usually see when ordering less popular items.
May next time they should increase the volume of these sets, or as R. Hansen has suggested, make the item available to one per household.
I think the mint did very well. 100,000 items in 4-1/2 hours? That is a pretty amazing sales record. We all knew it would not be easy to get these ordered. Steve. You answered your own question. Unopened shipping box sent to the grading company. They inspect the strapping to be certain it has not been tampered with. PCGS and NGC that is. This is the only way to get the 25th anniversary logo sealed in the top of the coin holder.
I spent 8 hours redialing at the rate of 150 dialups per hour. Either received a circuits busy response or busy signal after reaching a US Mint voice greeting.
Simultaneously was trying the website and finally got an order through about 3 pm and received an order number which I found on the track order link. I printed the page that said item status was backordered. Only later did I notice order status on the page which said Your order request has been suspended.
If the order did not go through why give me an order number in the first place. Unless you read it carefully you would be tricked into thinking the order was placed. Just made me mad!
I went back in this afternoon and replaced an order that will be on waitlist, but I feel as if I was misled yesterday. I guess there is nothing I can do. Today when I checked the track order link, my order from yesterday is no longer showing.
I got my order in at 1:16 pm however in my order history it sways my order is “on hold”. Below that it says “one unit Back ordered and expected to ship 11/11/11.” Does that mean my order went through or not?
If the first four numbers of your order number are over 3838…, you are on the waiting list. That is what I was told by a mint phone rep. It took me two phones (useless) and a mac to place an order by 3:15 (I logged on at noon) and a second order at 6pm just to be sure. You can bet the big coin dealers had banks of computer hardware and phones going to buy up as many sets as possible, while the average collector, if he wasn’t at work, spent 6 aggravating hours to hope to get a single set. I am hoping the big dealers go over the limit and have their orders cancelled, giving those on the waiting list a chance. Good luck.
I guess I was one of the lucky “average collectors”. I was spped dialing on my phone and at the same time trying to open the mint web site. The web site never did let me in. After about an hour I got a mint representative of the phone. I told her I wanted to order the 25 anniversary set. She asked how many I wanted, I told her I would like the limit of 5. We all knew going in that it was going to be like winning football tickets on a radio station. I would be disapointed if I didn’t get through as well. Only 100,000 sets for a few million collectors you had to know your chances were not great of getting one. Feeling fortunate.
I agree with Von. It is impressive to sell these sets in 4 1/2 hours ! You others that are whining , get an update to your own internet access. I have to wonder how many people posting here have ever delt with the Mint befere.
In Feb. 2009 the same thing happened with sales of Lincoln silver dollars. At that time the US Mint issued the same statement with an apology stating that the system would be reworked so that this problem wouldn’t occur in the future. Another hollow promise.
the bas… at HSN already selling them, how the f… Did they got the coins, is there a secret connection betwwen the mint and hsn. Maybe the mint sells like 50000 to hsn and the rest to the public conspiracy lol $3995 for 70s are you crazy hsn.
alvaro: HSN is the last place I would go for a set !!! The sets are not even released yet !!TV is sometimes a myth, this is a problem with your mind process and the grading services and those with the $$ !! If you want to deal with them GOOD LUCK !! Last place I would go….
Not sure I’ll get mine. Order placed on backorder. From the comments, everyone seems to think the 2011-S and 2011-P reverse proof will now be the # 2 key behind the 1995-W because of the low 100,000 mintage. Not so. The 2008-W w/reverse of 2007 has only about 47,000 strikes and for the time being will remain the # 2 key. A complete set of Silver Eagles is not possible without it.
Was on the web site at 11:55. Wanted 2 sets but because of getting kicked off I ended up with 5 sets at 12:28. Used the quick check-out. After waiting 5 minutes for the order to get thru, I was able to get to my email without losing the web site. Guess what? I got an email saying my order went thru. Went back to the web site and the order there had not gone thru. I finally gave up since I had a confirmation number. Told my son-in-law and he offered to buy the other 3.
I lucked out and was able to place my order 14 minutes after the sets went on sale. I received my order receipt e-mail at 9:14 Pacific Time saying that it was backordered 11/10/2011. I received an e-mail today (10/31) saying that the sets are on backorder and the shipping date is now 11/14/2011.
I got the same email rich, by now it says 11/15/11. It will keep adding one day till the mint starts sending the first orders. so probably the mint wil shipped by the end of november if were lucky. I say mid december well get the coins. Certified coins will be probably till next year mid january. everybody is on hold status cause the mint hasnt even check you order yet. They dont even have the coins yet thats why is pre order.
i mean backorder cause the mint dont have the sets ready yet, it wasnt a sale it was a pre-sale. Means selling before having the item lol. On hold means the mint cant check your order and check your credit card yet till they have the item. When the mint has check your info it will say in progress. a lot of orders are gonna get cancel cause lots of people made orders with different credit cards and addresses but the mint will know that they were made by the same IP address meaning same computer or same internet provider address. Cant cheat the mint people. Unless you run from your pc to your neighbors pc to place another order lol.
This 25th Annaversary Silver Eagle Set is really getting wild…….I recently looked on Ebay and I see ONE “Mint Sealed” 5 Coin Set is buy-it-now for………………..$1,795.00…. How are these sets being delivered from the US Mint…in armored cars/