Anyone have info on the San Francisco Mint Commemorative?

[HalfMad-migration]

I received an email the other day form the Mint announcing the San Francisco Mint $5 gold and $1 silver coins for issue this year. Here is what the Mint's website says:

 

Nicknamed the "Granite Lady," the old United States Mint production facility in San Francisco was originally constructed between 1870 and 1874, and opened on November 5, 1874. Built in the Classic Greek Revival style, the formidable structure at Fifth and Mission Streets was one of only a handful of buildings to survive the devastating earthquake and fire of 1906. Thanks to its remarkable construction, and the efforts of United States Mint employees to save the building, the Francisco Old Mint played an integral role in the subsequent rebuilding of San Francisco in the weeks and months that followed the terrifying ordeal.

 

This is the second commemorative coin program for 2006, following the Benjamin Franklin program, which launched in January and quickly sold out. The San Francisco Old Mint Program is a two-coin program, including a $5 gold coin (100,000 coins) and a $1 silver coin (500,000 coins). The coins authorized under this Act "shall be struck at the San Francisco Mint to the greatest extent possible."

 

According to the authorizing legislation, the designs featured on these coins "shall be emblematic of the San Francisco Old Mint Building, its importance to California and the history of the United States, and its role in rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire."

 

I suspect a lot of us in the San Francisco area will want this coin, even non-collectors and that it will sell out its supply pretty readily.

 

The coin is not listed on the Mint's 2006 calendar. Has anyone heard about an issuance timetable?

 

Thanks,

Rich

[jtryka]

I am not sure of the timetable, but last week Coin World had a big article on them, and it appears the obverse of the silver dollar will bear George Morgan's liberty design, while the half eagle obverse will bear the design of James Longacre's liberty from the double eagle. They will sell out fast with those obverse designs. The only timing information in CW was that the program had to be finished by 12/31/06.