Throughout the early years of the American Silver Eagle program, mintage generally expanded with each passing year. As the program matured during its first decade, demand for the coins increased. However, 1991 was a unique year in the program that saw uneven growth between proof and bullion coins. Right now, JM Bullion happily offers the 1991-S Proof American Silver Eagle coin in a commemorative box with Certificate of Authenticity.
Coin Highlights:
- Total proof mintage of 511,925 coins in 1991!
- 6th annual striking of American Silver Eagles.
- Arrives in a commemorative display box with a Certificate of Authenticity.
- Contains 1 oz of .999 pure silver.
- Bears a face value of $1 (USD) backed by the federal government.
- Features an “S” mint mark from the San Francisco Mint.
Between 1986 and 1990, the mintage levels of the American Silver Eagle’s bullion and proof versions both increased. The only exception was the spike in demand during its second year of availability in 1987. In each production year, both the bullion and proof versions saw minor increases in demand during this time period.
The 1991 production year was unique in that overall mintage was up, but the bullion coins experienced a significant spike while the proof coins saw a sharp decline. There were 695,000 proof coins struck in 1990, but that fell to 511,000 for 1991. The number of American Silver Eagle coins produced in 1991 overall increased from 6.5 million to 7.7 million because there was a jump of 1.3 million bullion coins.
A 1991-S Proof American Silver Eagle is one of the rarer coins from the early years of the program, with a mintage level that puts it in the bottom ten for all-time production numbers throughout the coin’s 30-year history.
On the obverse of each of these Proof American Silver Eagles you’ll find the image of Walking Liberty, created in 1916 by Adolph A. Weinman. The reverse side bears the heraldic eagle of the United States, originally introduced by the US Mint as early as 1794, and modernized for this coin series by former-US Mint Chief Engraver John Mercanti.
All of these 1991 Proof American Silver Eagle coins were struck at the San Francisco Mint, as noted by the “S” mint mark. At this point in program history, proof coins were struck in San Francisco and bullion coins at the Philadelphia Mint.
Please direct your questions to a JM Bullion associate at 800-276-6508, or contact us online using our live chat and email options. If you are interested in similar products, check out our full selection of Silver Coins.