US Silver Eagle

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US Silver Eagles

Buying US Silver Eagles

The American Silver Eagle is an official gold bullion coin of the United States.

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 99.9% pure silver. It is authorized by the United States Congress and its weight and content is certified by the United States Mint.

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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.

Design
The design on the obverse was taken from the classic "Walking Liberty" design by Adolph A. Weinman, which had originally been used on the half-dollar coin of the United States from 1916 to 1947.

As this iconic design had been a public favourite –and indeed one of the most beloved designs of any United States coinage of modern times, silver or otherwise– it was revived for the Silver Eagle decades later.

The reverse portrays a heraldic eagle 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 at around $23 each, although some of the early 1990s proofs sell for over $100 (1993 for example). 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 January 2008 it was selling for over $350.

Minting History

Year	Bulk Uncirculated	Proof
1986	5,393,005	1,446,778
1987	11,442,335	904,732
1988	5,004,646	557,370
1989	5,203,327	617,694
1990	5,840,210	695,510
1991	7,191,066	511,924
1992	5,540,068	498,552
1993	6,763,762	403,625
1994	4,227,319	372,168
1995	4,672,051	425,512
1996	3,603,386	473,021
1997	4,295,004	429,682
1998	4,847,549	452,319
1999	7,408,640	549,769
2000	9,239,132	600,000
2001	9,001,711	746,154
2002	10,539,026	647,342
2003	8,495,008	747,831
2004	8,882,754	801,602
2005	8,891,025	701,606
2006	10,676,522	843,602
2007	9,028,036	821,759
2008	20,583,000	est. 713,353

United States Silver Eagle coin has several advantages for collectors:

•The Silver Eagle coin is the legal tender silver coin for the United States with a $1 face value, however, its intrinsic silver market value is far higher.

•The Silver Eagle is an extremely liquid silver investment backed by the United States government.

•The Silver Eagle can be used in legal contracts based on their $1 face value, but they are traded according to the market rate for silver.

•The Silver Eagle has a beautiful design recognized and highly tradable all over the world.

•The Silver Eagle garners the highest bid prices for silver bullion in North America.

•The Silver Eagle in the United States is the most recognized and trusted silver investment vehicle on the market.

•The Silver Eagle is .999 fine silver and acceptable for your precious metal IRA.

•The Silver Eagle has 1 oz fine silver stamped in English on the coin.

•US Silver Eagles are .999 fine silver bullion coins making them an excellent hedge against a currency crisis and a great option for emergency coinage

•The Silver Eagle is exempt from IRS 1099B brokerage reporting which makes the American Silver Eagle one of the most private investments in the world.

PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE BEFORE YOU BUY OR SELL GOLD, SILVER & COINS.

Last modified: 05/06/10