I got 2001-D Golden Dollar Mint Bag from my bank!

After weeks of waiting, I finally got my first (and hopefully not last)
bag of 2001-D Golden Dollars from one of my banks.

Here is the procedu

Tell bank about phone message on local Federal Reserve cash services
info line that says that Mint Bags of 2000 Golden Dollars are available
as of January 10, 2005 and that all financial institutions can now
special order them using the online form on the Fed website.

Listen as bank teller tells me that "we can't order Golden Dollars".

Slowly repeat exactly what was stated above.
Hand teller a copy of the fax form with the Fed info line telephone
number circled.
Tell teller to call their regional bank cash vault and talk to a human
(instead of the automated ordering system). Have them explain to the
human EXACTLY what was stated above and provide them with a copy of the
form and the Fed telephone number so they can verify that it's true.

Wait anywhere from a day to a week for confirmation from the bank
teller that the bank cash vault folks now understand that they can
indeed order mint bags of Golden Dollars. Also find out if they
actually WILL order some and when they might arrive at the bank branch.

Now for the fun part. One bank's regional cash vault made them jump
through additional hoops. The branch could indeed get the bag, BUT they
had to call the cash vault and not use the autromated system (in other
words they had to get a human on the phone) the day before their
regular delivery of coin/cash and they had to get the bag added to the
order over the phone.

I'm still waiting for a different bank to have a bag show up. It has
been on it's way for 2 weeks...

By the way, the mint bag had a big rummer stamped code near the bottom
that read:
D290JAN302001.

I assumed it was indeed Denver 2001 Golden Dollars from the marking and
so I opened the bag and put on my cotton gloves and pulled a bunch out.
VERY nice condition. Somehow they are superior to the 2002 GDs that I
overpayed for directly from the mint.

And I repeat that I have no plans to buy the 2005 GD bags at the new
smaller size and higher price. I'm betting that the supply is finally
getting low enough that they may actually have to make more GDs for
distribution to the banking system this year. I'll have to make some
phone calls to see if anyone knows what the inventory level is at the
Mint and the Federal Reserve system. When it drops too low at the Fed,
they order more - either shipped between Fed districts or from the
mint.

-Fred Shecter