1986 – Present
The American Silver Eagle was first produced by the U.S. Mint in November of 1986. This coin contains 9.999% pure silver and although it bears a One Dollar face value it has never been circulated nor has it ever been available at face value. The American Silver Eagle is an ideal way to collect silver as it is recognized and trusted around the world for its silver content. The American Silver Eagle has been minted at three different mints; Philadelphia, San Francisco, and West Point.
The value of the American Silver Eagle is based on more than just its silver content. Due to the limited numbers produced and the varying numbers minted each year this coin also enjoys “collectable value” with some years and mint mark combinations bringing much more than others.
The design for the obverse of the American Silver Eagle is the same as the now classic “Walking Liberty” or “Walker” half dollar which was designed by Adolph A. Weinman and produced from 1916 through 1947. Lady Liberty is walking toward the sunset with an olive branch in her left hand. The word “LIBERTY” arcs across the coin from left to right and the words “IN GOD WE TRUST” appears on the left just above her right leg. The date appears at the bottom directly below Liberty’s right foot.
The design on the reverse of the Silver Eagle coin features the Heraldic Eagle designed by John Mercanti. Thirteen starts to represent the thirteen original colonies are arranged in rows centered and above the 
eagle’s head. The words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” appear in an arc around the upper half of the coin and the words “1 OZ. FINE SILVER ~ ONE DOLLAR” appear around the edge on the lower half of the coin. The mintmark appears on the left below the eagle’s right wing.
If you are interested in purchasing American Silver Eagles you should be aware that each year of issue for the “business” strikes were produced in the millions and most dates can be obtained for less than $25.00. Proof issues ranged from 372,168 in 1994 to 1,446,778 in 1986 and vary widely in other years. Prices for proof examples varies widely depending upon the year and can often exceed $100.00.
In 2006 the U.S. Mint produced the Silver Eagle 20th Anniversary boxed set which includes the uncirculated “business” strike and reverse proof specimens. This special set was limited to a maximum of 250,000 units and was originally sold in the mint catalog for $100.00. Currently, as of this writing, these sets are selling for more than $350.00.
American Silver Eagle Specifications:
Minted: 1986 – Present
Diameter: 40.60 mm
Thickness: 2.98 mm
Weight: 31.103 g
Composition: 99.99% Silver
Edge: Reeded
Designer: Adolph A. Weinman & John Mercanti
Written by D Slone, Copyright 2008 CoinCollectorGuide.com
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Silver Eagle Mintage Numbers
| Year 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1995-W 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 |
Bullion Issue 5,393,005 11,442,335 5,004,646 5,203,327 5,840,110 7,191,066 5,540,068 6,763,762 4,227,319 4,672,051 – 3,603,386 4,295,004 4,847,549 7,408,640 9,239,132 9,001,711 10,539,026 8,495,008 8,882,754 8,891,025 10,676,522 9,028,036 20,583,000 30,459,000 |
Proof 1,446,778 904,732 557,370 617,694 695,510 511,924 498,543 405,913 372,168 407,822 30,125* 498,293 440,315 450,728 549,330 600,743 746,398 647,342 747,831 801,602 816,663 1,092,477* 821,759 700,979 30,459,000 |
Uncirculated – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 4-66,573* 621,333* 533,757* |
*Notes:
1995-W: Proofs issued only as part of the 10th Anniversary Gold Eagle Proof Set.
2006: Proof mintage includes 248,875 coins sold in the 20th Anniversary Set. Uncirculated mintage includes 248,875 coins sold in the 20th Anniversary Set and 19,145 coins sold in the Gold and Silver 20th Anniversary Set.
2007: Uncirculated mintage includes coins sold in the 2007 Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set.
2008: Uncirculated mintage includes coins sold in the 2008 Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set.
2009: Collectible uncirculated and proof coins were not issued this year.