Actually, the Mint is in it to make money:
http://lexicon.ft.com/term?term=seigniorage
They may not be doing too well now, but this can generate revenue for the Treasury Department.
The '96 is the key date to the set, but not impossible to find. Production was limited that year. The one I bought a few years ago was about double the other years. You're only going back to 2008, they minted millions, so you should easily find them and pick up for a little over spot.