I realize $ is tight, but I think this set is a real "Sleeper"...

Greetings Collectors,

I have seen the Lincoln Coin & Chronicle Set selling in numerous locations for $179.95. I have not checked E-Bay and it may be indeed cheaper there or it could be more. I even called one of the "major" retailers that advertize in both of the "weekly" coin papers. Every month there are three that I can think of that have "multi-page ads in the first dozen or so pages of these publications. When I called, I was told that they had twelve of those Lincoln sets but had sold them. They expected to have a few more before Christmas, but would not pre-sell one for the aforementioned price as in their words, the sets are very hard to get. This was a set that had 50,000 sold. Also the Silver Dollars and the Lincoln cents were available is as many as four other venues. Not a bad return on a $55, $60 if you want to count S&H.

On the other hand, the Braille Set has sold a little over 9,000 total sets. You are able to get the Braille Silver Dollar in Unc. without buying the set but on these uncirculated versions, only 79,572 have been sold up to now. And of that figure, 9,636 are part of those "sets" sold thus far. That means less than 70,000 other unc's have been sold. The total "Proofs" sold to date are 131,726. When you add the two together, 211,298 have been sold total. This is out of a total authorized minting of 400,000 coins Proof & Unc. Now realisticly, 200+ thousand coins total does not make for a "rare coin/coins" but when compared to the previous commemorative ie the Lincoln, which had a 500,000 mintage and they sold every darn one, it gives one pause. Several weeks ago I bought two proofs, one Unc. and two sets. This evening I purchased one additional uncirculated Dollar and one more set. (the set has an Unc. Dollar within). I intend on sending one proof and one uncirculated coin to NGC and that will leave me with one of each in their original mint packaging, and three sets. I try to buy most mint products in "three's" on account of I have three kids. Don't know why I worry about what happens after I'm gone but that's just the way I do it. Of course there are many "Mint issues" that I can not afford "three of", heck there are alot of Mint issues I can't afford "one of". Anyway the bottom line is what ever number of these coins are left after Dec. 11th deadline, they will have to be melted. (Speaking of "melting", I wish they would have melted them all and gave us a "Proof Silver Eagle" but Oh well...) Folks, get your "Red Book" out and look at all the past mintages of Commemorative Silver Dollars and I think you will find this one of the lowest. Now out of these 200,000 minted, I think since there were no limits after the middle of Oct; large "blocks" of these coins were bought by dealers/speculators, hopeing to cash in later if this low mintage holds up. I will go out on a limb and predict that less than 250,000 total coins will end up being sold and of these, less than 85,000 will be the "uncirculated" version. You all aren't stupid, every one of you can see the "math" here. Having bought these coins as a "collector" 1st but as an "investor" running a "close" 2nd, I should be keeping my mouth shut so less would be sold. But frankly, I don't have a "huge" following and so what if another hundred or so of you buy one, that won't change the secondary market very much at all, if any. So do what you want, but in my opinion, this may be a set, that in a couple of years, you will be very glad you bought. There is a fairly large "collector base" for commemoratives in general, and in the future there will be those that pick up the hobby or start to like commemoratives, and when they start to fill in the "holes", the low mintage issues will be the most expensive to aquire For $125.80 you can purchase one Proof, an Unc. & a Set. That gives you the proof and Unc. to send off for grading or just keep it in the boxes and it will give you a pretty cool "Very Low Mintage" set to hang onto as well. Or if you can, it may be wise to purchase two of each, that way when you sell your "extra's a few years from now, you will have paid for the ones you kept. If you can olny afford one of the "three", BUY THE SET! People always have, and always will, continue to "pay big Bucks" for the "packaging". I have a whole lot of fun with this hobby anyway, but even more so when I can do a "deal" that "pays fot itself". Whatever you do, just continue to "have fun" with your coins!

Good luck to all of you no matter what you do. And as always... Happy Collecting!

WKF