Buy Silver American Eagle Coins Online

One of the United States Mint's most popular bullion coins is the Silver American Eagle. Today, Silver Eagles are popular and prized collectible coins, but their significance goes beyond sales. One of the few silver bullion coins whose weight, its content, and its purity is guaranteed by the United States government, the American Silver Eagle is a great addition to any collection or investment portfolio.

The United States Mint began selling the bullion and proof versions of the American Silver Eagle in November 1986 after the Liberty Currency Act of 1985 permitted the creation of an official silver bullion coin for the country. This bullion coin and many others are available at BOLD Precious Metals right now!

Silver American Eagle Minting History 

On October 29, 1986, the first American Silver Eagle coin was minted in San Francisco. James A. Baker III, Secretary of the Treasury, presided over the striking ceremony at the San Francisco Assay Office. Baker reportedly quipped, "I don't need a pick and shovel to launch the San Francisco Silver Rush of 1986," as he grabbed for the electronic button on press No. 105, according to a Chicago Sun-Times article.

American Silver Eagle Bullion

The San Francisco Mint made test strikes of bullion Silver Eagle coins in March 2011 in anticipation of the start of full production later that spring. The West Point Mint's output is complemented by the additional production capacity offered by the San Francisco Mint.

Bullion silver coins lack mint marks and were created in the San Francisco Mint from 1986 to 1998. In 199 and 2000 they were minted at the West Point Mint and the Philadelphia Mint. 

Uncirculated Silver Eagle Coins

The United States Mint released a rare uncirculated Silver Eagle coin made at West Point from 2006 to 2008 and starting again in 2011, bearing the "W" mintmark. The coins are frequently referred to as "W Uncirculated" or "Burnished Uncirculated" and are minted on blanks that have been professionally burnished. In addition, a burnished Eagle issue with the "S" mintmark was minted at the San Francisco Mint for inclusion in the "American Eagle 25th Anniversary Silver Coin Set" in 2011.

American Silver Eagle Proof Coins 

American Silver Eagle Proof coins with the "S" mintmark were produced in San Francisco from 1986 to 1992, and those that were struck in Philadelphia from 1993 to 2000 have the "P" mintmark. Coins produced at West Point from 2001 to 2008 have the "W" mintmark, but no proof coins were produced in 2009. Proof production at West Point resumed in 2010.

Varieties in Silver Eagle Coin Series

The 2008-W Silver Eagle Reverse of 2007 Variety was the first notable variation of the Silver Eagle series. Between 2007 and 2008, the United States Mint made minor changes to the reverse design and as a result, some 2008 uncirculated coins were mistakenly struck using the reverse type die from 2007. Differences in the "U" in UNITED STATES and the dash between SILVER and ONE help to further identify the variation.

Difference Between Proof and Burnished

The uncirculated currency lacks any particularly striking visual brilliance, but it is an investment-grade coin with a modest gloss to the finish of the coins. Both the proof and the burnished coins are collectible choices with eye-catching visuals, but they are made differently and have somewhat different visual characteristics. The Walking Liberty on the front and the heraldic eagle on the reverse of the proof coin both include matte, frosted details. The proof coins' backgrounds have mirrored, clear appearances.

The burnished coins look a little bit different. The coins are first burnished by rolling them in a drum with a polishing substance that adds a particular visual brightness that falls between that of the proof coin and the bullion coin. Employees wearing gloves meticulously handle each burnished penny. To avoid any danger of human skin oils or other materials ruining the aesthetic appeal, each blank is separately lifted from the drum by a gloved hand, loaded into the coining press, struck, and then quickly withdrawn and wrapped.

Design Of American Silver Eagle coins 

The "Walking Liberty" design by Adolph A. Weinman, which was first used on the Walking Liberty Half Dollar currency of the United States from 1916 to 1947, served as the inspiration for the image on the coin's obverse. This recognizable design was brought back for the Silver Eagle decades later because it has long been a favourite among the general public and one of the most cherished designs of any modern US coinage. The word LIBERTY, the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and the year of minting or issuance are all written on the coin's obverse.

John Mercanti created the reverse of the coin, which was used from 1986 to 2021. It featured a heraldic eagle behind a shield, holding an olive branch in its right talon and arrows in its left, echoing the United States' Great Seal. Above the eagle were thirteen five-pointed stars, which stood for the Thirteen Colonies. Inscriptions on the reverse are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “1 OZ. FINE SILVER,” “ONE DOLLAR,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” which is on the flag that the eagle clutches in its beak, and the mintmark, if one was present.

Distribution Of Silver Eagle Coins

Silver Eagle Coin Proof, Uncirculated & Special Issues 

The United States Mint offered proof American Silver Eagle coins with dates between 1986 and 2008 at a set price. The coins came with an authenticity certificate and were housed in a protective plastic capsule placed in a satin-lined, velvet-covered presentation case. In October 2002, the United States Mint's subscription service initially offered proof Silver Eagle coins.  The United States Mint marketed uncirculated coins with dates from 2006 through 2008 directly to the general public in packaging like that of proof coins, with the exception of 2006, whose capsule was enclosed in a velvet drawstring bag. The United States Mint offers special issues and sets for direct sale to the general public.

American Silver Eagle Bullion Coin

Beginning on November 24, 1986, sales of American Silver Eagle bullion coins sold out quickly because of very high demand for them.

In addition to American Gold Eagle bullion coins, Silver Eagle coins were intended to be "viable investment alternatives to the gold and silver bullion coins produced by other countries." The United States Mint hired Grey Advertising to help with local and international marketing and publicity in order to assure that the coins would be widely distributed.

American Silver Eagle Certified Coins

The Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) and the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) can certify American Silver Eagle coins in any of the following conditions: uncirculated, proof, or burnished to attest to their visual brilliance and general condition. The Sheldon Scale, a numerical grading system with a range of 1 to 70 (a perfect score) is utilized by both NGC and PCGS. When grading a coin, these grading firms check for visible faults, production flaws, and handling indications. The following labels and certifications from the two grading houses are standard for American Silver Eagle coins for sale.

• Mint State 69: A maximum of two minor blemishes that detract from the coin's near-perfect status. These imperfections are merely minute contact marks or hairlines in nature.

• Mint State 70: Represents a flawless coin with its complete original mint shine and no indication of any glaring defects.

• PF69/PR69: This grade is comparable to Mint State 69, except it is only given to proof copies of the coin.

• PF70/PR70: This grade is only given to proof versions of silver coins and is equivalent to a Mint State 70 coin.

• UCAM/DCAM: The words "ultra-cameo" and "deep-cameo" relate to visual keys that show powerful, frosted matte design features and striking, deeply-mirrored, clear backdrop fields on the coins.

• Early Release/First Strike: This designates a coin that the United States Mint received for certification within 30 days of the coin's first issue date.

Why buy American Silver Eagles from BOLD?

Including precious metals as a part of an investment portfolio is a great way to solidify your portfolio. There are many online dealers, but one should always go with a trusted dealer that has the best prices, the highest quality, and the best customer service. BOLD Precious Metals has the most consistent low prices, availability, and great customer service. Why shop anywhere else?

Affiliation with the most trusted coin service providers

BOLD is proud to be affiliated with the best bullion-related service providers in the world, including:

• The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC), whose focus is to educate and encourage legal compliance through a greater understanding of laws and regulations that apply to the jewelry industry. 

• Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) and Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) are two of the world’s largest and most trusted third-party coin grading service providers. 

• CyberSource and PayPal, are single platform solutions that accept payment worldwide that are secured by industry-standard automated fraud protection.