WASHINGTON -- They're out of here! After a surge of unprecedented interest, the U.S. Mint has sold out of the $5 gold baseball coins that went on sale at noon Thursday as part of the 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin program.
All 50,000 of the gold coins issued for the program were sold by Monday afternoon, said U.S. Mint spokesman Michael White. The proof gold coins were listed at $424.75 per coin earlier in the day.
Demand also remained high for the $1 silver coin and half-dollar clad coin issued as part of the commemorative program. "I would really say the sales have been unprecedented for a three-coin program," White said.
The mint still had silver dollar and half-dollar coins available as of 4:15 p.m. Monday, White said. More than 150,000 of the silver-dollar coins and more than 73,000 half-dollar coins sold within the first two days last week.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act of 2012 authorized the mint to issue 50,000 of the gold coins, 400,000 silver coins and 750,000 half-dollar coins as part of the program. A surcharge on each coin benefits the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, which turns 75 this year.
The last time the U.S. Mint sold out of a commemorative coin was in 2005. The mint sold all 500,000 of its U.S. Marine Corps silver dollars, and agreed to issue an additional 100,000 to meet demand, White said.
The baseball commemorative coins are the first curved coins issued in the mint's history. U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna, R-Barneveld, whose district includes Cooperstown, and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., sponsored the National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act to authorize their production.
When told of the sales figures today, Hanna said it was welcome news on Opening Day of baseball season.
"We knew from the start this coin would make history as the first domed coin to be produced by the mint," he said. "At no cost to the Treasury or taxpayer, these sales will greatly benefit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and ensure that the history of our national pastime will be chronicled and celebrated for generations to come."
Due to the high demand, the U.S. Mint placed limits of 50 coins per order for the $5 gold coin, 100 coins per order for the silver dollars and 100 coins per order for the half-dollar coins.
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