Back in 1997, the US Mint released the Botanic Garden commemorative silver dollar. It was released as an individually packaged set, as part of the 1997 Prestige Set – the last year of Prestige Sets, and as part of the Botanic Garden Coin and Currency Set.
On February 21, 1997, the US Mint announced the release of the Botanic Garden commemorative dollar. In their press release, they mentioned the Prestige Sets would be limited to 80,000 and the limit for the Coin and Currency Sets would be 25,000.
On March 4, 1997, the Mint’s press release alerted the public that the Botanic Garden Coin and Currency Set at a limit of 25,000 had sold out. Shortly thereafter on March 24, the Mint announced via another press release that the 1997 Prestige set of 80,000 copies had also sold out.
In 1997, the Mint did not have the advantage of the internet and their web presence to help alert collectors of the various Botanic Garden sets. Instead, they mailed a letter and a brochure to the potential collectors on their mailing lists.
The US Mint took advantage of the botanical artistry of Angela Overy in their letter and brochure which provided a hint of the artistry also included in their Botanic Garden Coin and Currency Booklet.
The letter from the Director of the Mint, Philip N. Diehl, was included on the opposite side of the flowered design.
The back of the brochure showed the various versions of the Botanic Garden coin: the proof version in a clam shell holder, the uncirculated version in a velvet lined box, the colorful coin and currency set and the green velvet covered Prestige Set “book.”
Partially unfolded, the brochure tells of the importance of the Founding Fathers and their ideas for a national garden. Initiated by George Washington, both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison provided their support as well. (Note the beautiful botanical illustration on the right.) More information of their contributions can be found in the booklet accompanying the coin and currency set.
Fully opened, the brochure provides more detail of the coin’s designs – obverse and reverse – and the contents of the various sets available for the Botanic Garden coin.
Of course, in today’s world, this type of information is readily available via the US Mint’s web site for the variety of coins being offered as collectible commemoratives, as collectible proof and uncirculated sets and as newly released circulating coins such as the presidential dollars and the national park quarters.
But, in 1997, the Mint’s mailer provided a beautiful introduction into the Botanic Garden commemorative coin and the various sets.
Yes, the internet makes information easier to find and to share when you are looking for it. But, in all likelihood, the beauty of the Mint’s mailer sent to potential collectors helped to sell out the Botanic Garden Prestige Sets and the Botanic Garden Coin and Currency Sets as quickly as they did.