On 1 Jan 2021, the United States Mint followed through on a promise to raise their prices on 3-inch Bronze Medals from $39.95 to $160.00, a 400 percent price increase.�

Following is a direct quote from a Coin-World article of Sep 28, 2020, by William T. Gibbs,

“There is a guaranteed way to kill a U.S. Mint program: raise prices by 400 percent.”

This for a coin with no precious metal content & no mintage limits.� The price is less than $19.00 difference from the 3-inch 5-ounce .999 fine silver quarter dollar from the ATB program.� Where is the logic in that?

The official Mint position is that they are losing money on the program and have been for some time.� The price increase is to ensure that costs for this and other programs are met, since the Mint must pay their way, the operating costs cannot come out of tax-payers pockets.�

I completely understand the reasoning behind raising prices, especially when the Mint must pay its way, without tax payers support, but raising the 3-inch Bronze Medal 400 percent in cost while the 1.5-inch Bronze Medal with the same design sells for $20.00…really?� These decisions have to be made by someone who is just looking at the revenue stream, not the reason for it (a sold coin or token), without realizing that without the sales there is no revenue stream, much less an increase.�

The key to the above mint logic is in the wording, they mentioned that they needed to raise the Medal prices “to ensure that costs for this and other programs are met”.� They are going to make the Bronze 3-inch Medals pay for the programs that are not meeting costs.�

Newsflash to whom ever wrote this into law, this “ID 10 T” management style will not work.� Rather than increasing revenue, they are going to kill it.� Then they will have to look else where for their costs covering.� At the same time, they are going to have a bunch of 3-inch Medals that don’t sell to melt down also.�

In a nutshell, look at the management of the U.S. Mint and the laws written and passed by congress, without consulting The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, Major Sellers, or even a sampling of average collectors. This committee already advises the Mint on coin and medal designs and future programs. They could warn the proponents of this action of the probable reaction to this price increase, especially at the levels set, 400% increase, are they crazy?

In closing I want to show you again the obvious management style of the current Mint, Congress, and anyone else associated with this price increase, “IDI0T” Management.�

Please thank you for allowing me to publish this opinion on our Medal program since I doubt, I will ever purchase another one.� Nuff Said!

Photo 1 & 2; Examples of Bronze 3-Inch Medals released lately