Presidential Dollar Rolls
One popular way of collecting Presidential Dollars is by the roll. A collector will attempt to acquire one unopened roll for each coin in the series issued for circulation. These are often called BU Rolls, referring to the condition of the coins within the roll as “Brilliant Uncirculated.”
Presidential Dollar Rolls usually come in 25-coin size with a face value of $25 per roll. Currently, Presidential Dollars are minted for circulation from both the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. Most collectors will try to acquire one roll from each mint for each president.
There are three primary sources for acquiring BU Rolls of Presidential Dollars:
- Banks or other Financial Institutions
- The US Mint
- Secondary Market Sources
Banks and Financial Institutions
Rolls of newly minted coins are distributed to banks and other financial institutions from the Federal Reserve. Banks are allowed to order “unmixed quantities” of coins during certain time periods. This means that they can specifically request newly minted coins of a specific design.
There are usually minimum order requirements and handling charges associated with ordering unmixed quantities of coin, so not every bank will order new rolls of Presidential Dollars. You can inquire at a few local banks on their policies to try to find a source for BU Presidential Dollar Rolls. It can take a bit of hunting to find a bank that consistently orders quantities of new coins.
If you do find a source, your persistence will be rewarded. When you acquire rolls from your bank or financial institution, you will only pay face value for the coins.
The US Mint
The US Mint offers Presidential Dollar bags and rolls under a special program. They offer 25-coin rolls and 250-coin bags of “never circulated” coins for each Presidential Dollar. The bags and rolls offered under the program use special packaging from the US Mint.
All Presidents since the start of the series are still currently available for sale at the US Mint. New Presidents are usually offered in conjunction with the official launch into circulation.
The Mint does charge a premium above face value for coins ordered under the program. The 25-coin Rolls are priced at $35.95 each and the 250-coin Bags are priced at $319.95 each. Shipping and handling charges also apply.
The Mint recently started offering rolls of Presidential Dollars under the Circulating Presidential Dollar Coin Direct Ship Program. Boxes of $250 face value coins can be ordered at face value with no charge for shipping and handling. The box will contain ten 25-coin rolls of Presidential Dollars.
So far, the Mint has only offered John Quincy Adams Presidential Dollar Rolls under the program. The initial offerings has sold out, but the Mint will likely follow up with other Presidents as they are released. This is an excellent way to acquire BU Rolls of Presidential Dollars if you are comfortable with the quantity and can place your order before the coins sell out.
The Secondary Market
Presidential Dollars Rolls are also commonly bought and sold on the secondary market. This can be a convenient source for someone who doesn’t want to do the footwork required to locate a bank which orders new rolls and wants to pay a lower premium than the US Mint charges.
Roll offerings are commonly seen on shop at home TV offerings and some mainstream magazines. However, before ordering from one of these sources, you should be careful that you are not entering into a subscription program or paying excessive shipping and handling charges.
A vibrant market for Presidential Dollar Rolls can be found on eBay. At any time, you can usually find BU Rolls available for any President. Premiums are usually reasonable, but make sure to account for shipping and handling charges.