One of the more recent silver dollars, the American Silver Eagle dollar coin was struck for the first time in 1986. The coins contain official silver bullion. The United States Mint produced the coins for unique reasons, including a way to help fund Individual Retirement Account investments. The coin is guaranteed to have 99.9 percent pure silver, and contain one troy ounce of it. The coin is only coin to have this combination. It has a nominal face value of one dollar.
Coin collectors may want to consider the American Silver Eagle dollar coin as a collectors piece, since the coins were produced with a proof version specifically for this reason. The coins have been produced at three minutes, including the Philadelphia mint, or “P” mintmark coins. The earlier coins were struck in San Francisco and have an “S” mintmark. The latest proofs come from the West Point, New York mint, and have a “W” mintmark on the reverse.
The coins were designed in with the Walking Liberty design. This design was also used on the half dollar coin that was minted from 1916 through 1947. The image is considered to be an iconic American symbol and a favorite in the country. On the opposite side of the coin is a heraldic eagle, with wings spread. The Walking Liberty design was created by Adolph A Weinman while the eagle was created by John Mercanti.
The American Silver Eagle dollar coin is one that many people enjoy collecting, for various reasons including the fact that it is rather valuable. There are various factors that affect the value of the coins, including the year minted. If the coin is uncirculated, that too raises the value of it, as does being a proof. Before purchasing these coins, do some research to fully understand the true value behind them. Most dates are not expensive, since there is a good supply of these coins today. Some of the coins are valued much higher, such as those from 1993, which are valued well over $100. The 1995W issue of the coin is work several thousand dollars since only a small amount were sold.
The coins were minted beginning in 1986, with a bulk uncirculated at about 5,393,005 and proofs at 1,446,778. The 2008 mintage of the coins were 20,583,000 in standard circulation with an estimated 713,353 as proof. You can learn more about the exact mintage of these coins at the United States Mint.
As with all types of coins, it is important to understand the full value of the coin before investing. With the American Silver Eagle dollar coin, you will find that most coins sell for about $20 to $30, but of course this changes often. If you are hoping to collect the coins, start with the oldest coins, which are traditionally more valuable since there are fewer of them. Also, consider the actual wear on the coins. Coins that have substantial wearing such as on Lady Liberty’s garment or on the wings of the eagle are worth less than those in good condition are.
Rachel Barr