WASHINGTON – The United States Mint announced today that it will begin selling the 2005 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set on May 31, 2005, at 12:00 noon (ET), and for the first time ever, the set will have a satin finish. The release for this set is three weeks earlier than in 2004, as part of the United States Mint’s commitment to making many of its products available earlier in the year, at the request of its customers.

The United States Mint has chosen the new satin finish because it is handsome and provides consistency for United States Mint uncirculated products, including the Uncirculated Coin Set, Commemorative Coins and American Eagle Silver Bullion (uncirculated) coins. The satin finish, which will be continued on uncirculated coin sets in the future, will also help collectors differentiate between Uncirculated Coins in the United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Sets and those coins in bags and rolls that have never circulated.

This year’s 22-coin United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set – available for $16.95 – includes versions of each 2005-dated circulating United States coin, bearing the Philadelphia ‘P’ and Denver ‘D’ mint mark: the Lincoln cent, the Jefferson “American Bison” and “Ocean in View” 5-cent coins (nickels) from the Westward Journey Nickel SeriesTM, the Roosevelt dime, the Kennedy half-dollar and the Golden Dollar (Note: the one-cent coin struck in Philadelphia does not bear a mint mark). The set also includes all five of the 2005-dated coins in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program – California, Minnesota, Oregon, Kansas and West Virginia. Each set is packaged in polyester film and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.

Customers can purchase the United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set through the United States Mint’s secure website at www.usmint.gov, or by calling toll-free 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468) 8:00 a.m. to midnight (ET), seven days a week. Hearing- and speech-impaired customers may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468) 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (ET), Monday through Friday. Also, orders may be mailed to the United States Mint, P.O. Box 382601, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-8601.

As an added convenience, customers can participate in a Subscription Program in which specific products, such as the United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set, are charged and shipped to the customer automatically as each set is released. A shipping and handling fee of $4.95 per order will be added to all orders. Please allow approximately three to four weeks for delivery.