State-Quarter.com

HOUSEHOLD ORDER LIMIT RAISED BY AN ADDITIONAL 5 SETS
9-COIN SILVER PROOF SET DELAYED UNTIL OCTOBER Household Order Limit Set at 2; No 5-Coin Option Available

Chicago - Mint Director Philip N. Diehl today announced that the Mint has increased its production estimate for the 9-Coin Proof Set by at least 500,000 sets, and has raised the order limit by another 5 sets per household. Previous purchasers of two sets will be able to buy an additional five sets.

“The limit we placed on the 1999 Proof Sets has had the desired effect,” said Diehl, speaking at the American Numismatic Association’s 1999 World’s Fair of Money. “Over the past two months, we’ve given all our customers a fair shot at getting at least two 9-Coin Proof Sets, and now we are responding to customers who have asked for an opportunity to buy more sets.”

“We are aiming at total production of 2.5 million 9-Coin sets to fulfill the extraordinary demand from the collectors and the general public generated by the 50 State Quarters Program.”

“In order to produce 500,000 additional proof sets, we are pushing back the release of the 1999 Silver Proof Set by one month until October. Our estimated production run for the Silver Proof Set will be 800,000 sets, with an order limit of 2 per household. In order to accomplish this, we will not offer a separate 5-coin silver proof quarters set as we originally planned.”

“I want to reiterate to collectors that all our efforts have been focused on the challenge of making as many Proof Sets available as possible,” said Diehl. “Last year, we sold approximately 2.1 million 5-Coin Proof Sets. To accommodate demand for the numismatic sets containing the 50 State Quarters, we are now planning to manufacture the equivalent of some 5 million 5-Coin Proof Sets. Even so, we do not expect to meet all demand for the proof set.”

The new order limit on the 9-Coin Proof Set allows customers who have already ordered two sets to now order an additional five 9-Coin Proof Sets. New customers now placing orders will also be limited to five sets per household.

Customers may order the 1999 9-Coin or 5-Coin Proof Sets:

* via secure Internet connection, which is exempt from shipping and handling fees, at www.USMINT.gov;

* by mail order forms obtained from the Mint’s Online Catalog at www.USMINT.gov, and mailed to the U.S. Mint at P.O. Box 382604, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-8604;

* by fax at (301) 344-4150;

* and by telephone at 1-800-USA-MINT (1-800-872-6468).

* Hearing and speech impaired customers with TTY equipment may order by calling (301) 344-4144.

The 9-Coin 1999 Proof Set is $19.95, and the 5-Coin State Quarters Proof Set $13.95, plus a shipping fee of $3.95 per order. A limit of 2 sets per household continues in effect for the 5-Coin State Quarters Proof Set. All sets will be shipped by priority mail in customized security containers.

The 9-Coin Proof Set contains a Lincoln cent, Jefferson nickel, Roosevelt dime, and Kennedy half dollar in one sealed presentation case, and the first five 50 State Quarters honoring Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut packaged in a separate case. The 5-Coin State Quarters Proof Set may be purchased separately.

The Mint’s annual proof set is a collection of each coin made for circulation minted using highly polished dies. Produced at the San Francisco Mint, each coin bears the S mint mark and is struck at least twice to ensure fine detail in a frosted cameo image on a mirrored background. The sealed cases containing the coins are inserted into a specially printed sleeve and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

Calls Increase from 41,000 in January to 163,000 During July

Orders Delayed in June Being Prepared for Shipment

Washington, D.C. - The United States Mint announced today that it is adding additional telecommunications resources to its telemarketing and Customer Care Center teams in order to improve access to the Mint by customers calling to order products featuring the new 50 State Quarters.

“We are aware that customers have been frustrated, have endured a great deal of inconvenience, and in many instances have not been able to reach us to place or inquire about their orders,” said Mint Director Philip N. Diehl. “I want to thank them for their patience and assure them that we are committed to resolving the problem, and getting their coins to them as quickly as possible.”

Although the Mint was prepared for a doubling or tripling of calls, the increase has far exceeded that estimate, rising from a total of 41,000 calls in January to 163,000 calls in July. Mail orders increased from 2,600 to 21,000 over the same period.

“We have tripled our telemarketing staff, and, to handle 50 State Quarter inquiries, have added 11 employees at our Customer Care Center, so that during peak hours, nearly 70 Mint representatives will be dedicated to customer calls,” said Diehl.

The extraordinary volume has also resulted in a delay in fully processing some orders that were placed in June. We know that checks were cashed, but some orders were not successfully loaded on the computer system for fulfillment, and coins were not delivered. Those orders have been identified and are currently being prepared for shipment.”

“I want to encourage customers to use online ordering on the Mint’s web site as a way of speeding up delivery of orders. Many Internet orders are now being shipped within a few days.”

Orders may be placed through the web site at www.USMINT.gov., by calling 1-800-USA- MINT, or by calling the Mint’s Customer Care Center at (202) 283-COIN (2646).