Approximately $9 of the $95 list price in the U.S. Mint catalog for the colorized 2022-W National Purple Heart Hall of Honor silver dollar is associated with the cost of applying color to the obverse of each coin.

The product went on sale March 24 and sold out in less than 25 hours.

The only portion of the obverse design being colorized is the purple field surrounding George Washington’s portrait on the image of the medal in the design.

The colorization was limited to 25,000 Proof versions from the maximum 400,000 silver dollars combined to be struck at the West Point Mint in Proof and Uncirculated finishes.

The colorization was executed by LulaRose, a division of The Clancy Group Corp., under a five-year Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a total potential value of $8.375 million.

“This is just a total potential value, but not a guaranteed amount, as we request a proposal from the vendor when a requirement is determined by the program office,” according to U.S. Mint spokesman Michael White. “It gives the Mint the ability to have a vehicle in place in case other colorization requirements arise — with established terms and conditions — so that when we have a need, we send the vendor a request for proposal and issue a delivery order.”

Basketball Hall of Fame contract

LulaRose, based in Winchester, Massachusetts, was originally awarded the contract on Oct. 19, 2019, for the colorization of Proof 2020 National Basketball Hall of Fame silver dollars and copper-nickel clad half dollars.

Colorization of the elements on the reverses of the 75,000 Proof 2020-P Basketball silver dollars and 75,000 2020-S copper-nickel clad Basketball half dollars was accomplished through a process known as inkjet or pad printing, the same process being used for the Purple Heart Hall of Fame coins.

The base contract was for a one-year period, ending Sept. 30, 2020, with the possibility of the Mint exercising up to four one-year contract extensions, running through Sept. 30, 2024.

Contract terms address the vendor’s capacity to colorize coins or medals or both in quantities from several thousands up to 500,000 pieces.

The contract also addresses the capability of colorizing coins struck on square planchets. The U.S. Mint has never produced a coin on a square planchet. Also addressed is the vendor’s capability to colorize curved coins.

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