American Silver Eagle Coins
The American Silver Eagle is the official silver bullion coin of the United States, minted by the US Mint.
Silver Eagles were first issued in 1986 along with the golden counterpart, the American Gold Eagle.
All American Silver Eagles are 99.9% pure silver bullion, struck in the one-troy-ounce size you can buy here. The Silver American Eagle is legal tender in the U.S., with a face value of USD 1. Nevertheless, mostare independently traded based on their silver content.
Silver Eagles are the World's Favorite Silver Coin
US Mint American Silver Eagles
Dating back to 1986, the American Eagle coin is the official silver bullion coin of the United States. The United States Government authorized the production of silver bullion coins for the U.S. with the Liberty Coin Act of 1985.
The United States Mint strikes Silver Eagles and distributes to silver bullion dealers like us here at SD Bullion to buy and sell from the investing public.
They also produce proof, reverse proof coins and burnished silver eagle coins intended for collectors. The Burnished coins and the proof versions undergo a more complex minting process that intensifies their brilliant luster, and, in the case of proof silver eagle coins, create a mirror-like finish.
Crafted with a minimum .999 fine silver bullion, and only struck in a US government-guaranteed one troy ounce size (enforced by the US Secret Service). The Silver American Eagle Coin is legal tender in the USA with a face value of $1. Yet, they are actively traded on their overall silver content and rarity.
The Silver Eagle is considered one of the most beautiful silver coins produced in the world today.
Learn more about how the American Silver Eagle Coins are made
The Silver Eagle Design
The Silver Eagle is an iconic design that is recognized around the world. Adolph A Weinman created the Walking Liberty coin obverse for the Walking Liberty Half Dollar back in 1916.
The obverse side portrays Lady Liberty walking forward with the American flag draped around her shoulder, holding laurel branches in her left arm. The text on the obverse boldly states "Liberty" and "In God We Trust" along with the year of issue.
The American Silver Eagle receives its moniker due to the reverse. The original design, conceived by John Mercanti, portrayed a heraldic eagle with wings lifted high and 13 stars representing the 13 original states. The eagle grasps arrows in its left talon and an olive branch on the right talon.
The heraldic eagle design was replaced in 2021 by a more naturally depicted bald eagle in mid-flight, carrying an oak branch, as if to add it to its nest. The design is a creation of artist Emily Damstra. The inscriptions on the reverse side read "United States of America," "1 oz Fine Silver ~ One Dollar", and "E Pluribus Unum." This design continues to get used throughout the current year.
Bullion and Proof Coins
Unlike silver bars and silver rounds, silver coins are considered to be more collectible. And proof coins are the most collectible types of coins as they have more exquisite detail, a shinier finish, and are far rarer than their bullion coin versions. Proof silver eagle coins also come with a higher price tag.
Silver bullion coins are also called “Brilliant Uncirculated,” and are the more common type. These coins were initially intended to create a silver-rich market, an option for investors to buy silver as a private investment, driving the silver price down during the mid-1980s.
Since the year 2000, the production has again been on the rise. By 2010, there were more than 34 million American Eagle silver dollar coins on the market.
Certified and Uncirculated American Eagle Coins
These two types of US American Eagles are often confused with one another.
Certified Silver Eagles are coins that have been appraised, authenticated, graded, and certified by a professional rating company, such as PCGS or NGC. The higher grades are the ones in Mint State, or in uncirculated condition.
The confusing part is that the US Mint also produces a numismatic version of the Silver Eagles with the same term: Uncirculated.
This Uncirculated Coin is a variation of the bullion version that undergoes a burnishing process to clean the oxides released by the blanks in the annealing furnace, resulting in shinier blanks. It receives the moniker of Uncirculated because they are originally intended for collecting, not investing.
Sell Your American Silver Eagles to the Most Trusted Online Precious Metal Dealer
Do you have American Eagles that you are ready to sell? SD Bullion will buy your coins at the best prices online guaranteed! We make selling your coins easy, and we are always actively looking to buy American Silver Eagle proof sets, rolls, sealed monster boxes, and BU-rated ASE coins.
Our experienced sales team will guide you in how to sell your silver eagles to us based on current market value. Give us a call at 1-800-294-8732 to speak to our trade desk.
SD Bullion’s Take on the U.S. Mint American Silver Eagles
Are you interested in investing in the precious metals market? Perhaps you're also seeking a thoughtful gift for your younger family members. Look no further! This exceptional collection serves as an ideal choice, not only as a personal investment opportunity but also as a means to impart the importance of investing for the future to your loved ones.
The beautiful American Silver Eagle is, without a doubt, one of the most recognizable government-minted coins in the world. The Silver American Eagle also retains its value as one of the highest premiums available within the silver investment coin market.
Despite the ramped-up production of American Silver Eagles in the US market, silver continues to be one of the steadiest investments a person can make. For example, 1 oz of silver today has nearly the same purchase power that it did 30 years ago; the dollar, on the other hand, has drastically dropped in value.
Buying Silver Eagles to pass on to the next generation could be a much wiser option than putting away savings in dollars, for that very reason. Additionally, it makes an excellent diversifier for your portfolio, offering you a globally recognized, valuable asset that gets used for everything from currency to medicine and industry.
And because silver is, ultimately, a finite resource, now is the perfect time to invest in this precious metal.
Investing for Beginners
If you are a beginner looking to invest in precious metals, then American Silver Eagles are a great place to start.
Due to their popularity, they are the most accessible silver coins to buy and sell in the world. This makes them very attractive for newbies.
See how the 'Monster Boxes' of American Silver Eagles are created
What Year is the Most Valuable American Silver Eagle Coin?
When it comes to back-dated Silver Eagle, a lot of people wonder which year is the most valuable year. Especially if you are a coin collector of old American Silver Eagles, you'll probably want to understand this question.
For the most part, the anniversary dates are the key dates that make specific years more valuable. And those are the first year (1986), 10-year anniversary (1996), 20-year anniversary (2006), and 30-year anniversary (2016).
2021 is also a key date for the Silver Eagles, as it was the first time it underwent a design change. For the first half of that year, the 2021 American Silver Eagles Type 1 contained the original reverse design. That was the last strike of John Mercanti's heraldic eagle design. The second half of that year saw the release of the 2021 American Silver Eagle Type 2, with Emily Damstra's bald eagle debuting on the reverse.
How Much is a Silver Eagle Worth?
Like all precious metals, the spot price and weight of the coin are the basic contributing factors to its value. On top of that base value, dealers add a premium, which is a percentage above the spot price of any given bullion coin.
For the current year silver eagles, this premium price is set by the U.S. Mint. For back-dated ones (dates that are no longer minted), the premium price is set by supply and demand for that specific year; as well as the mintage figures for that specific year. All these factors determine the value or worth of Silver American Eagle Coins.
About the US Mint
The US Mint, exclusive maker of the American Eagle Silver Coin, was the first establishment instituted by the newly freed American Republic, who had just thrown off the yoke of British rule.
In 1792, the U.S. Mint was founded in Philadelphia, in a relatively small building called the ‘Ye Olde Mint.'
United States Mint Branches
Today, the US Mint boasts of four operational minting facilities and an excellent, secure storage facility. The branches are all located in Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point (New York - where most bullion Silver American Eagles are produced).
Furthermore, the world-famous bullion depository, Fort Knox in Kentucky, is under the authority of the United States Mint as well. When the Mint of the United States got instituted in 1792, it was a part of the State Department. However, it was given independent agency status in 1799.
Although one of the primary functions involves the striking of legal coinage for circulation, it is responsible for other areas like – producing national commemorative medals, Congressional gold medals, and special coinage.
Additionally, it also disburses gold and silver for specific authorized purposes, safeguards and controls the movement of bullion in the United States, and distributes coins from its various facilities to Federal Reserve Banks.
Philadelphia Mint
The Philadelphia Mint was the first facility and remained the sole producer of official proof coinage until the year 1968. Moreover, the famed ‘P' mintmark got added to coins only after 1980; coins struck at Philadelphia before 1980 did not bear the ‘P' mintmark (except the Susan B. Anthony dollar and the wartime Jefferson nickel).
Denver Mint
Another facility of the U.S. Mint, Denver, was established in 1863. However, it initially began operations as a local assay office. In 1906, a newer Denver branch was inaugurated, and coins with the ‘D' mint mark started appearing in circulation.
SAN FRANCISCO MINT
The San Francisco Mint was opened in 1854 to serve the California Gold Rush. After 1968, the San Francisco facility handled proof coin production, when the Philadelphia Mint was relieved of this duty. It uses the ‘S' mint mark to mark coins struck in San Francisco.
West Point Mint
The West Point facility is the newest addition to the branches. Established in 1988, it initially served as a storage facility for United States' gold bullion reserves. However, it now also strikes American Eagles in platinum, gold, and silver variants.
The American Eagle Series
Started in 1986, the Silver Eagles program is one of the most successful coin programs in the world. The US Mint annually releases BU, circulation, and proof coin options to fulfill the extraordinary and diverse demand, which encompasses demand from collectors and investors.
Moreover, seeing the popularity of the American Eagle program in gold and silver versions, platinum coins were launched in 1997. A palladium variant was also added to the series in 2018.
Other famous coin programs are – Gold Buffalo, America the Beautiful, among many others.
The U.S. Mint, being the official mint of an influential and respected sovereign nation, enjoy particular popularity that drums up demand for its products recognized worldwide. This ensures the investor will have a continuous fluid market to buy and sell U.S. Mint products with ease.
Purchase U.S. Silver Eagles Online from SD Bullion
You can buy American Silver Eagles for the lowest price at SD Bullion. Shop online anytime or call our trade desk at 1-800-294-8732. American Silver Eagle Coins are also IRA eligible and make a great addition to any silver coin collection.
