Jamestown Commemorative Coins Selling Briskly

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WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- April 10, 2007 -- Time may be running out to buy Jamestown commemorative coins as a way of remembering America's 400th Anniversary.

 

The limited-edition coins from the United States Mint are selling briskly and Jamestown 400th commemoration planners anticipate a spike in demand during the next month. Two international events at Jamestown in May -- a visit by Queen Elizabeth II and America's Anniversary Weekend -- are expected to focus the world's attention on Jamestown and further drive demand for the coins.

 

Since January 11, more than 60 percent of the gold $5 coins and more than half of the silver $1 coins have sold. The Mint has had very few commemorative coins sell out in the last several decades, but if sales continue at the current pace Jamestown coins may join the list.

 

The coins will be on sale until the end of 2007 or until they sell out. Congress authorized the production of up to 100,000 $5 gold coins and up to 500,000 silver dollars honoring Jamestown and America's 400th Anniversary.

 

The coins complement the telling of a "new" Jamestown story during the 400th anniversary made possible by recent archaeological discoveries and compelling new research. This story, which focuses on Jamestown's legacies of democracy, free enterprise and a culturally diverse society, is reflected in the coin designs.

 

The obverse of the $5 gold coin depicts Captain John Smith conversing with a Virginia Indian. The coin's reverse pictures the Jamestown Memorial Church -- the only structure remaining from the settlement's earliest years. The gold coin sells for $255.

 

The obverse of the silver dollar depicts "Three Faces of Diversity," representing the Indian, European and African cultures that converged at Jamestown. The reverse depicts the three ships -- Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery -- that brought the first settlers to Jamestown. The silver coin sells for $39.

 

Customers may order coins online at http://catalog.usmint.gov or by calling 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

 

Jamestown 2007, a sub-agency of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, is coordinating efforts to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Va., the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The nation's first representative government, free enterprise system and culturally diverse society began at Jamestown. State, national, and international commemorative events to salute these legacies began in May 2006 and continue into 2008. Major corporate sponsors of America's 400th Anniversary include Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC), Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Other supporters include Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. (NYSE: BUD), AirTran Airways (NYSE: AAI), Consol Energy and CNX Gas Corporation, Dominion, James City County, Lockheed-Martin, McGuireWoods LLP, Philip Morris USA, SunTrust, TowneBank and Wolseley PLC/Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. Contributors include the City of Poquoson and Rutherfoord Insurance. More information about the commemoration is available at www.Americas400thAnniversary.com.