The fifth and final commemorative quarter-dollar coin released in 2007 honors Utah, and is the 45th coin in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program. Utah was admitted into the Union on January 4, 1896, becoming our Nation’s 45th state. The reverse of Utah’s quarter features two locomotives moving toward the golden spike that joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads, linking East to West and transforming both the Utah Territory and the Nation with the inscription “Crossroads of the West.” The coin also bears the inscriptions “Utah” and “1896.”

A Denver Mint first-strike ceremony will be held Oct. 15 for dignitaries gathered to honor the state of Utah.

Collectors can purchase the coin through special Mint-created proof sets. In addition, he coin is also included in the uncirculated coin set, which went on sale Oct. 9 for $22.95.

For the second time this year the US Mint has halted the sale of Gold Coins offered on its web site as the result of increasing Gold Prices.

On Sept 13, the US Mint suspended sales of the “W” uncirculated gold American Eagles and bulk sales of four-coin gold American Eagle proof sets. These have yet to be re-offered, though new prices were supposed to be published in the Federal Register today, Oct. 11

The most recent suspension of sales came yesterday when all Platinum “W” uncirculated American Eagle coins sales stopped. A message on the US Mint website read: “Due to the increasing market value of platinum, the American Eagle Platinum Uncirculated Coins are temporarily unavailable while pricing for this option can be adjusted; therefore, no orders can be taken at this time.” The OLD Price was : $1,489.95

This came on the heels of the 2007 Proof Gold Buffalo Coins sale suspension on Oct 9th. A similar statement read: ” Due to the increasing market value of gold, the American Buffalo Gold Proof One Ounce Coin is temporarily unavailable while pricing for this option can be adjusted; therefore, no orders can be taken at this time.” The OLD price for the Proof Gold Buffalo’s was : $825.95. Gold bullion was trading in the $730s per ounce when Buffalo coin sales were suspended.

The price of gold is up 17 percent this year, heading for the seventh straight annual gain as the dollar dropped to the lowest ever against the euro.

Gold futures for December delivery rose $5.60, or 0.8 percent, to $748.70 an ounce at 11:33 a.m. on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The metal reached $755.70 on Oct. 1, the highest for a most-active contract since Jan. 22, 1980, the day after the price reached a record $873.