DICK JOHNSON ON U.S. MINT PACKAGING

The recent U.S. Mint Forum held earlier this month with collectors and dealers sought opinions on a number of U.S. Mint products and procedures for collectors and the public. One of the seven working groups within the forum attacked the problem of the Mint’s packaging practices, a long running contention among collectors who purchase coins from the Mint.

To their credit the members of this forum group came up with three recommendations, all excellent. But they went only half way, not far enough. Their three areas: full mint packaging, flat card plastic holders, and some form of bulk containers for volume purchasers.

Much of the Mint packaging is thrown away, unnecessary for use by the buyer. Wasteful and takes so much time to unwrap and place the coin or coins in a preferred container for later viewing, storage or for retail sales.

The Paris Mint’s packaging practices were suggested as a model to be emulated by American Mints. I recall once a consignor to one of my auctions had purchased six gold medals from the Paris Mint at $4,000 apiece. He complained they arrived in a cheap cardboard box. So there are many factors to be considered in choosing packaging for numismatic items.

The forum’s recommendation of a three-tier system is, I believe, still shortsighted. The Mint should consider who the buyers are -- plus what they are selling -- in planning their packaging. Here, then, is a more precise analysis (who is the buyer and how they would like their Mint coins packaged):

1) Sophisticated collectors and museums – No packaging at all, cheapest disposable container, so the raw coin can be placed in a cabinet drawer, often in an individual box, like found in all the major museums.

2) High volume buyers – Even cheaper disposable method. Suggestion: a row of raw coins layered on anti-tarnish tissue paper, folded over, another row of coins placed on top, folded over and so on. Say fifty or one hundred items in such a way, rolled over in the remainder of the tissue sheet. A large quantity of coins can be shipped this way completely protected. Quantities of commercial medals have been wrapped and shipped this way for decades. This forms easy retrieval by the volume dealer for whatever use the dealer wants. (and he can even reuse the tissue).

3) Gift buyer – Here is where the Mint can put the coin or coins in the nicest packaging, as grandmother buying for her grandchild, or, say, a business gift.

4) Special event buyer – Enclose in a plastic holder with ample area for lettering to be imprinted on the holder, as a birth year or graduation year remembrance. Whether the Mint wants to do the imprinting for an increased price is their decision. Or perhaps standard pre-imprinted holders for birth, graduation, thank you, happy birthday, whatever, or subcontract the imprinting.

5) Investor – Slab it with date, mint and condition identified. That’s all they want.

6) Individual collector – Coin or coins in an inexpensive disposable plastic envelope to be sold at the very lowest price without the cost of expensive packaging included. Then offer a line of display devices, stands, holders for every size item the Mint makes for add-on ordering. Sands for large medals are most popular with collectors, both metal and plastic stands are available.

This seems like a large product line the Mint must offer. However if this were private industry they would be more than active to serve the buyer. If the Mint wants to be in such business they must consider what the buyers want and fulfill their demands.

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