Packaging issues hurt notes in American $1 Coin and Currency set
- Published: Sep 6, 2015, 12 PM
The plastic enclosure encasing the Series 2013 Federal Reserve note in some packaging for the 2015 American $1 Coin and Currency set is apparently coming apart, allowing the note to slip out of position and stick to the adhesive intended to keep the packaging together.
“We are currently looking into the packaging issues for the 2015 American $1 Coin and Currency sets,” Adam Stump, deputy director of the U.S. Mint’s Office of Corporate Communications, said via email Sept. 3. “The sets were manually packaged in San Francisco through a multi-step process. If for any reason within 21 days of receiving a product a customer is dissatisfied with the purchase, a customer can return the entire product for a refund. We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers.”
The normal return privilege is generally seven days, but was extended to 21 days for this product.
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While the sets were assembled manually at the San Francisco Mint, the Native American dollar coin in the set was struck at the West Point Mint and the $1 Federal Reserve note was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing at the BEP’s main factory, in Washington, D.C.
Customer complaints
Coin World fielded a growing number of complaints from collectors beginning Sept. 2. Having received the sets they ordered, in almost every instance each set the complaining collectors received contained a note that had slipped beyond the borders of its retaining compartment in the packaging.
Many of these defective sets are being returned to the U.S. Mint for replacement, according to the Mint customers who bought them.
The Mint incurs the expenses associated with each set’s return to the Mint as well as the cost of shipping a replacement set and the loss from the damaged packaging and notes.
The Mint will likely be able to use the coins from the returned sets, since the coins are housed in plastic coin capsules.
Coin World’s post at its Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CoinWorld) generated a number of collector responses; the post included reader images illustrating the packaging problems. The packaging problems were also fodder for discussion on the Collectors Universe U.S. Coin Forum at http://forums.collectors.com/.
The 2015 American $1 Coin & Currency set went on sale at noon Eastern Time Aug. 24 at $14.95 each, with a household ordering limit of five sets and product limit of 90,000.
The sets contain an Enhanced Uncirculated 2015-W Native American dollar recognizing the Mohawk ironworkers on the reverse and a Series 2013 $1 Federal Reserve note from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
The note features a serial number beginning with “911,” in recognition of the Mohawk ironworkers’ contributions to the construction of the World Trade Center Twin Towers, as well as their volunteer work in the recovery efforts following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
As of the Aug. 30 United States Mint sales report, 51,605 of the sets were recorded sold, with 44,344 of those purchased on the opening day of sales.
Collector comments
Here are some comments collectors posted on Coin World’s Facebook page after seeing illustrated evidence of one of the sets with a slipped note:
Raymond Munson: Ordered three sets, after the first day, prompt confirmation, picked them up at Post Office this morning (9/3). Then the fun set in. Only one of three ok, one bill about a quarter inch off, another more than an inch, actually sticking out of the packaging. Really bad quality control at a high price. Likely will not buy again.
David Lemme: The five sets I received were misaligned. The bills were stuck in the adhesive. Sent all of them back.
Joseph Promisco: A couple of mine were like that.
Ken Lemke: Yes ... I ordered 2 sets ... the notes were ok but the coins were not properly seated in the plastic capsules ... they were wedged at an angle and very difficult to remove and reinsert properly.
Michael Bruni: Yes, I had this issue with one of my sets and have returned it for replacement.
Cody Iannelli: Mine were fine all five of them.
Paul Medica III: I ordered a 5 lot, 3 out of 5 were way off center.
Tom Smalley: Bought two sets, got one like that, but I don’t care because I’m more interested in the coin honoring my Mohawk ancestors.
Louis Golino: I also have one like that and have heard many others received them too.
Johnny White: Mine is askew. I tried to shake it straight, but it won’t budge.
Some users posted these comments to the Collectors Universe site:
mbogoman: Opened my second box of 5 yesterday. 4 out of the 5 dollar bills were way outside the window. All 4 were about an inch into the cardboard and all 4 had visible creases. That makes 9 out of 10 that I received that had dollar bills way outside the window. QC [quality control] definitely failed on these. I don’t know how you could miss something so obvious. The only thing I can think is that they aren’t looking at each and every one — maybe just looking at every 50th one or something like that ...
Bochiman: The mint is REALLY making it much more difficult to open the box than it used to be! The coins all look nice at a quick glance. 3/5 of the paper bills were slightly askew. I was able to tap the packaging and get them back straight ... not hung up on any glue. The 5 SNs [serial numbers] were not sequential.
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