Silver Eagle Dollar Coins

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American Silver Eagle

The American Silver Eagle is the official silver bullion coin of the United States. It was first released by the United States Mint on November 24, 1986. It is struck only in the 1 troy oz denomination which has a nominal face value of one dollar and is guaranteed to contain one troy ounce of .999 pure silver. It is authorized by the United States Congress and its weight and content is certified by the United States Mint. The American Silver Eagle bullion coin may be used to fund Individual Retirement Account investments. The United States Mint also produces a proof version for coin collectors. The Silver Eagle has been produced at three mints. One is the Philadelphia mint, and some of those issued there carry a "P" mintmark. In the early years of the series, the San Francisco mint issued proofs and these bear an "S". More recent proofs are from the mint at West Point, New York. The latter have a "W" on the reverse.

The design on the obverse has been borrowed from the "Walking Liberty" design by Adolph A. Weinman, which was originally used on the United States' half-dollar coin from 1916 to 1947. This was probably the public's favorite design on any United States silver coin; hence the choice of this design for the Silver Eagle. The reverse portrays a heraldic eagle and was designed by John Mercanti.

Value

Mintages, and thus prices, of uncirculated and proof specimens have varied widely, and the potential collector is advised to check a standard reference book before buying them. Generally the business strikes have minted in the millions, while the proofs were issued in the hundreds of thousands. Thus, most dates are not particularly expensive ($15-$20 each), although some of the early 1990s proofs sell for over $100. Also, the special 1995W issue (30,125 sold) is worth several thousand dollars. The 2006 Silver Eagle 20th Anniversary boxed set, with uncirculated, proof, and the previously-unreleased reverse proof pieces, had a maximum mintage of 250,000 and quickly sold out from the Mint at a catalog price of $100. As of May 2007 it is selling for over $500.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Silver_Eagle

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The Mints

United States Philadelphia Mint Facility

The nation's first mint provides a wide array of coins and manufacturing services. Like the Denver facility, Philadelphia makes circulating coins of all denominations, commemorative coins as authorized by Congress, and produces the dies for stamping coins and medals. Philadelphia manufactures the "P" mint mark portion of the uncirculated coin sets. In addition, the Philadelphia Mint employs the elite team of sculptor-engravers who are entrusted with creating designs and sculptural models for the production of all the Nation's coins and medals.

United States Mint at San Francisco

The United States Mint at San Francisco plays an important role in our nation's coinage. Although it does not currently produce circulating coins, it is the exclusive manufacturer of regular proof and silver proof coin sets that set the standard for numismatic excellence with their brilliant artistry, fine craftsmanship and enduring quality.

West Point Mint Facility

Located near the U.S. Military Academy in New York state, the United States Mint at West Point manufactures the entire family of American Eagle proof and uncirculated coins in gold, silver, and platinum. The gold and platinum coins are manufactured in denominations of one-ounce, half-ounce, quarter-ounce and tenth -ounce. Silver bullion coins are manufactured in one-ounce denomination.

Erected in 1937 as the West Point Bullion Depository, this was originally a storage facility for silver bullion and was nicknamed "The Fort Knox of Silver." From 1973 to 1986, West Point produced cents, and in 1980 began striking gold medallions. Shortly afterward, approximately 20 billion dollars worth of gold was stored in its vaults, making it second only to Fort Knox for gold storage. Today, it is also the major producer of gold coins.

The red letter date for West Point was March 31, 1988, when it gained official status as a United States Mint. Today, it is still a storage facility, but also manufactures, packages and ships gold and silver commemorative coins, and American Eagle Bullion coins in proof and uncirculated condition. Its Platinum Eagles have been very popular since their first issuance in 1997. In 2000, it struck the first ever Gold and Platinum Bi-Metallic Coin.

[bigjarofwasps]

U.S. Mint Shifts Silver Proof Eagle Production to West Point Mint

Washington, D.C.,-- The U.S. Mint today announced it is shifting production of the Proof Silver Eagle from the Philadelphia Mint to the West Point Mint for the launch of the 2001 Proof American Eagle Coins.

"As part of the Mint’s commitment to continuous improvement, we felt it was time to integrate and consolidate production of all the Proof American Eagle Coins at one facility," said Mint Director Johnson. "The entire family of Eagles - gold, platinum and silver - will now be manufactured at the West Point Mint, where we’re renovating and expanding our production facilities."

"The modernization program we’re pursing will ensure continuous process improvement in the production of the highest quality proof precious metals products," said Associate Director for Numismatics David Pickens. "We’re anticipating a great deal of interest in the 2001 W Mint mark Proof Silver Eagle, so we’ve raised the mintage level to 750,000 coins this year."

The Mint plans to continue striking the Silver Proof Eagle at West Point in the future. Uncirculated American Eagle Bullion Coins will continue to be manufactured at the West Point Mint with no Mint mark. Silver Proof Eagles were produced at West Point on only one other occasion, for the 1995 Anniversary Set, which contained one-ounce, half-ounce, quarter-ounce and tenth-ounce proof gold coins and a one-ounce proof silver coin (30,125 of those sets were sold).

[bigjarofwasps]

Found this, thought it might be of interest.......

http://coins.about.com/od/goldrarecoininve..._coin_fraud.htm

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FINAL MINTAGE FIGURES FOR AMERICAN EAGLE BULLION

1986 ? 2006

1986 5,393,005

1987 11,442,335

1988 5,004,646

1989 5,203,327

1990 5,840,110

1991 7,191,066

1992 5,540,068

1993 6,763,762

1994 4,227,319

1995 4,672,051

1996 3,603,386

1997 4,295,004

1998 4,847,549

1999 7,408,640

2000 9,239,132

2001 9,001,711

2002 10,539,026

2003 8,495,008

2004 8,882,754

2005 8,891,025

2006 10,021,000

2007 9,028,036

2008 Jan - Sep: 12,902,500

http://bestcoin.com/us-silver-eagles-mintage.htm

Edited September 28, 2008 by bigjarofwasps

[Schwartzvogel2008]

Found this one on Ebay, can`t decide whether I like it or not? :speechless1:

[Schwartzvogel2008]

Here`s another attractive eagle. A gold plated 2008, very nice. :cheers: