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The Statue of Liberty's 100th anniversary party in New York harbor is still a month away, but people who bought U.S. coins minted to commemorate the event are already celebrating. The Liberty coins, which are available in sets containing a $5 gold piece, a silver dollar and a copper-and-nickel half- dollar, were originally put up for sale by the Treasury last October for $175 a set. They were an immediate hit with both Americans and foreign tourists. People bought the coins not only as souvenirs but as gifts for weddings, graduations and birthdays. In two months, the sets were gone, and now some prominent coin dealers are selling them for as much as $750 apiece.

The unexpected rise in the value of Liberty coins reflects a misjudgment on the part of Congress, dealers say. Two years ago, the lawmakers authorized the Treasury to mint 2 million commemorative gold coins honoring the Los Angeles Olympics, the first such special issue since 1932. Demand, however, was slack, possibly because collectors thought that additional Olympic coins might be issued every four years. Determined not to flood the market again, Congress this time ordered Treasury officials to mint only 500,000 of the gold coins for the Liberty series. But collectors, realizing that Miss Liberty's centennial is unique, drove up the price of the once-in-a-lifetime souvenirs.