Q. David Bowers
Mrs. Pope went on to relate that she was having difficulty obtaining a wide spectrum of designs from the Mint Engraving Department and decided to enlist the services of outside artists.
Further: "We have an arrangement whereby we ask various art organizations and societies and ask for their recommendations of artists who they feel would be able to do what is required. We take six to eight of their recommendations and ask those artists to submit an obverse and reverse design. We pay them $500 (for each the obverse and reverse), for a total of $1,000. This is paid for all designs whether or not they are accepted. The artists know that this doesn't really compensate for their time, but they know if their designs are chosen their initials will appear on a coin that the public will keep and put in their collections. It is a matter of prestige and a bit of immortality."
Production and Distribution
Olympic silver dollars bearing the 1984 date were produced at three mints under the package options given in the present text under 1983 Olympic dollars and also with new options (refer to earlier listing for Options 1 through 10, of which Options 1 and 4 through 7, repeated below, included 1984-S dollars):
(1) Three-piece Uncirculated sets consisted of a 1983-P dollar, 1984-P dollar, and 1984-W $10 gold coin, offered for $395 until August 15, 1983, and available only to the early orderers of Option 5 describes below. (The dates given in these options are the times during which orders were accepted at the prices listed.) 29,975 three-piece sets were eventually distributed. The coins were mounted in plastic capsules and housed in a maroon velvet presentation case with a hinged lid and a plaque of the Great Seal on the lid. The case and descriptive certificates were housed in a maroon cardboard box imprinted with the Great Seal and "United States Silver & Gold."
(Options 2 and 3 were not relevant to 1984 Olympic Games silver dollars.)
(4) Cased six-coin sets consisted of 1983-P and S dollars, 1984-P and S dollars, each in Uncirculated finish, plus 1984-W Uncirculated and 1984-P Proof $10 pieces. The six coins were offered for $850. Some-what over 8,926 sets were sold. Coins in plastic capsules were housed in a cherry wood box lined with maroon velvet (the underside of the lid was lined with maroon satin). The lid was imprinted with the Great Seal. The cherry wood box and descriptive literature were contained in a black cardboard box lined inside with maroon velvet and imprinted on the lid with the Treasury Seal and "United States Mint."
(5) Three-piece Proof sets consisted of the 1983-S dollar, 1984-S dollar, and 1984-W $10, and were offered at $352 from October 15, 1982 to January 25, 1983, and at $416 to those who ordered from January 26, 1983, through June 5, 1983. 260,083 of these sets were sold. Coins in plastic capsules were housed in a maroon velvet presentation case with a hinged lid. The case and descriptive literature were contained in a maroon cardboard box imprinted with the Great Seal and "United States Silver & Gold."
(6) Coliseum three-piece Proof sets consisted of the 1983-S dollar, 1984-S dollar, and 1984-S $10, all Proofs. At the Olympic Games in the summer of 1984, 4,000 sets were distributed this way. The packaging was identical to Option 5.
(7) Proof silver dollar sets consisted of a pair of 1983-S and 1984-S Proof dollars offered at $48 from October 15, 1982, through January 25, 1983, and for $58 from January 26, 1983, to June 5, 1983. 386,609 were sold. Coins in plastic capsules were housed in a maroon velvet presentation case with a hinged lid on which was mounted a plaque of a heraldic eagle.
(Options 8-10 were not relevant to 1984 Olympic Games silver dollars.)
(11) 1984-P individual Uncirculated silver dollar coins, $28 each. Each coin was mounted in a plastic capsule set on a gray felt lined tray housed in a blue cardboard box imprinted with the Great Seal and "United States of America Silver Dollar."
(5) Three-piece Proof sets consisted of the 1983-S dollar, 1984-S dollar, and 1984-W $10, and were offered at $352 from October 15, 1982 to January25, 1983, and at $416 to those who ordered from January 26, 1983, through June 5, 1983. 260,083 of these sets were sold. Coins in plastic capsules were housed in a maroon velvet presentation case with a hinged lid. The case and descriptive literature were contained in a maroon cardboard box imprinted with the Great Seal and "United States Silver & Gold."
(6) Coliseum three-piece Proof sets consisted of the 1983-S dollar, 1984-S dollar, and 1984-S $10, all Proofs. At the Olympic Games in the summer of 1984, 4,000 sets were distributed this way. The packaging was identical to Option 5.
(7) Proof silver dollar sets consisted of a pair of 1983-S and 1984-S Proof dollars offered at $48 from October 15, 1982, through January 25, 1983, and for $58 from January 26, 1983, to June 5, 1983. 386,609 were sold. Coins in plastic capsules were housed in a maroon velvet presentation case with a hinged lid on which was mounted a plaque of a heraldic eagle.
(Options 8-10 were not relevant to 1984 Olympic Games silver dollars.)
(11) 1984-P individual Uncirculated silver dollar coins, $28 each. Each coin was mounted in a plastic capsule set on a gray felt lined tray housed in a blue cardboard box imprinted with the Great Seal and "United States of America Silver Dollar."
(12) 1984-S individual silver dollar Proof coins, marketed at $32 (later, $35) each, first available at the 1984 Florida United Numismatists Convention January 4-7, 1984. Each coin was mounted in a plastic capsule set on a maroon velvet tray in a small maroon velvet presentation case with a hinged lid, the latter having a heraldic eagle plaque mounted on it. The case was housed in a cardboard box with a white bottom and maroon top, the top imprinted with the Great Seal and "United States of America Silver Dollar."
(13) 1984 Uncirculated dollar sets consisted of one silver dollar from each of the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints for $89 (later, $100). Coins in plastic capsules were housed in a gray flannel display tray bearing a plaque of a heraldic eagle. The coins, tray, and descriptive certificates were contained in a blue box with a lid imprinted with the Great Seal and "United States of America Silver Dollars."
(14) 1984-S Prestige Proof sets consisted of a 1984-S Proof dollar added to a regular Proof set containing coins from the Lincoln cent through the half dollar and were sold for $59 beginning in March 1984. Each set was mounted in a maroon plastic case hinged between two leatherette covers with " 1984" imprinted in silver on a booktype binding with a plaque of a heraldic eagle mounted on the front cover; the case was contained in a maroon cardboard box.