U.S. Mint officials met face-to-face Aug. 12 with secondary market distributors who buy bulk quantities of the bureau’s numismatic products.

The meeting, conducted in conjunction with the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money in Rosemont, Ill., and closed to the public and the media, was sparsely attended.

Many dealers were unaware the closed-door meeting was scheduled. Those who did attend saw the meeting noted in the show’s program.

Mint calls session ‘productive’

“The meeting with bulk dealers at ANA was very productive,” Tom Jurkowsky, director of the Mint’s Office of Corporate Communications, said via email. “It was a very informal session in which Jon Cameron, the acting associate director of sales and marketing, and Mary Lhotsky, the deputy associate director of sales and marketing, listened to various concerns and comments about a range of issues.

“These issues concerned packaging, pricing and ordering. The session was an excellent opportunity for some candid dialog and communication. Meeting in a face-to-face setting and engaging in two-way communication is always productive and helpful.”

The Bulk Purchase Program allows dealers to buy specific numismatic products, when available, at prices discounted from the regular issue price.

The discounts are applied to all total purchases of $5,000 or more.

Not for limited-edition sets

The bulk discounts do not apply to limited-edition releases such as the Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower Coin and Chronicles sets, both of which were recently offered and sold out in a matter of minutes despite restrictive household ordering limits. 

The bulk discounts are usually offered on products offered annually, like Proof sets.

Details on the Bulk Purchase  Program can be found by visiting the Mint online at catalog.usmint.gov. Click on the Bulk Purchase link at the bottom of the webpage, under the Customer Service category.