2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coin Sales Begin
Sales of the 2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coin began on January 22, 2009 at 12:00 Noon ET. Reports indicate that the US Mint's phone lines were jammed, with many calls answered by an automated message. The US Mint's website was also slowed to a crawl by the influx of traffic. As one of the most highly anticipated coin releases in recent memory, to some extent this was expected.
The coins were listed with a price of $1,189.00, which was based on the average weekly price of gold. This price is subject to adjustment each week if this price of gold rises or falls above certain levels. The coins had an ordering limit of one per household. This limit may be raised or removed at a later date. The US Mint indicated that some coins may take up to nine months to ship, although early orders are indicated shipping dates within the next few weeks.
The release also created a flurry of activity online, as collectors reported their successful orders or frustrations in attempting to place orders. By the end of the day, most collectors who wanted place order were able to do so.
Sales for the first few days of offering were relatively strong. After five days of release, the US Mint indicated that more than 40,000 coins had been ordered.
On January 28, 2009, the US Mint briefly suspended sales of the 2009 Ultra High Relief in order to reprice the coins in response to higher gold prices. The coins went back on sale the following day priced at $1,239.00. The coins will potentially be repriced weekly depending on the price of gold.
