Uncirculated American Silver Eagles

Explore the Uncirculated American Silver Eagle Coins Available at JM Bullion

Established by the July 9, 1985 passage of the Liberty Coin Act, the uncirculated American Silver Eagle Coin is the official silver bullion product of the United States. These beautiful bullion coins are a beacon to investors around the globe, with each coin containing 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver backed by the United States government. The American Silver Eagle is arguably the most popular silver bullion coin available to investors today.

Details of the Uncirculated American Silver Eagle

The American Silver Eagle coins from the United States Mint are available in three different versions. The two collectible versions of the Silver Eagle are known as the Proof Silver Eagle and Burnished Silver Eagle. Both coins have beautiful luster, matte finishes, and some mirrored elements with low mintage figures that collectors prefer. The uncirculated American Silver Eagle is the bullion version of the coin, an investment-grade silver coin that is ideal for diversifying any retirement portfolio.

The United States Mint released the American Silver Eagle for the first time in 1986, with the first coins available to purchase on November 24, 1986. The Silver Eagle is only issued in a 1 oz silver coin with a face value of $1 (USD) backed by the federal government. The uncirculated Silver Eagles arrive in BU condition from the US Mint. A brilliant uncirculated coin has no signs of wear and tear, but you may notice minor flaws such as contact marks, spotted surfaces, breaks in the luster.

Under the stipulations of the Liberty Coin Act, the United States Mint is legally obligated to produce the uncirculated American Silver Eagle each year to meet investor demand. In 2009, with silver prices surging higher and silver stores stretched, the US Mint suspended the production of its proof and burnished coins to redirect all silver bullion blanks to the production of uncirculated Silver Eagles. The uncirculated coin has been struck in every year since 1986, while the proof coin was suspended in 2009 and the burnished coin in 2009 and 2010.

Obverse of the Uncirculated American Silver Eagle

All versions of the American Silver Eagle coin feature the same design elements. The obverse side carries one of the more iconic images ever to feature on an American coin. Adolph A. Weinman’s depiction of Walking Liberty from the nation’s half-dollar coin (1916-1947) is found on the Silver Eagle’s obverse. Here, Lady Liberty walks toward the sun on the horizon with the American flag over her shoulders and the oak and laurel branches in her left arm. Engravings on this face include the word “Liberty” above her figure, “In God We Trust” at her heel, and the year of issue along the bottom of the design field.

Reverse of the Uncirculated American Silver Eagle

The initial design on the reverse of the uncirculated American Silver Eagle came from John Mercanti, the 12th Chief Engraver of the United States. It remained the design on the coin for 35 years.

However, the Mint unveiled a new design for the reverse of the Silver Eagle in 2021. The design, a product of the US Mint’s own Emily Damstra, features a bald eagle in the process of building its nest.

One of the biggest changes yielded by the new design is the level of detail afforded to the eagle. Where Mercanti’s eagle was more heraldic in nature, Damstra’s eagle captures the essence of the bird itself, with individual feathers and articulated talons visible.

American Silver Eagles with Mercanti’s design are thus dubbed Type I. Coins featuring Damstra’s design are Type II.

JM Bullion MintSealed Tubes

One of the more distinctive options available to you at JM Bullion is our MintSealed program. The coins in the MintSealed program come from Monster Boxes from the respective mint. When the Monster Box arrives at our vault, our team members assess the condition of the tubes inside the Monster Box. Once we’ve verified that these tubes of 20 American Silver Eagles have not been handled or tampered with in any way, we seal each of the mint tubes in protective plastic and enclose the plastic seal with a MintSealed sticker that includes a QR code for greater details on the coins within.

Production History and Mintage Figures for the Uncirculated American Silver Eagle

Most uncirculated American Silver Eagles have been minted by the West Point Mint. Since 2001, the upstate New York location has been the primary source for these collectibles.

Initially, the San Francisco Mint handled the production of the proofs and uncirculated Silver Eagles when they first debuted in 1986. The westernmost location stamped them until 1998.

After a transition period in Philadelphia in 1999 and 2000, the production moved to the then-new West Point location. However, in periods of increased demand, the San Francisco Mint does serve as an auxiliary production facility for them.

Below are the production figures for uncirculated American Silver Eagles over the years. However, please note that the numbers prior to 2006 are a combination of the uncirculated pieces and the proof versions, as there did not seem to be much information to delineate the two before then.

• 2024 – 113,130
• 2023 – 199,533
• 2022 – 212,609
• 2021 (Type 2) – 185,791
• 2021 (Type 1) – 0
• 2020 – 154,863
• 2019 – 141,030
• 2018 – 138,947
• 2017 – 176,739
• 2016 – 172,802
• 2015 – 223,879
• 2014 – 253,169
• 2013 (Special West Point release) – 235,689
• 2013 – 221,981
• 2012 – 226,120
• 2011 (San Francisco) – 99,882
• 2011 – 409,766
• 2010 – 0
• 2009 – 0
• 2008 – 533,757
• 2007 – 621,333
• 2006 – 466,573
• 2005 – 816,663
• 2004 – 801,602
• 2003 – 747,831
• 2002 – 647,342
• 2001 – 746,398
• 2000 – 600,743
• 1999 – 549,330
• 1998 – 450,728
• 1997 – 440,315
• 1996 – 498,293
• 1995 (West Point) – 30,125
• 1995 – 30,125
• 1994 – 372,168
• 1993 – 405,913
• 1992 – 498,543
• 1991 – 511,924
• 1990 – 695,510
• 1989 – 617,694
• 1988 – 557,370
• 1987 – 904,732
• 1986 – 1,446,778

Source: https://silvereagleguide.com/mintages/

Please note: We have a reasonable degree of confidence about these numbers, as we confirmed them across multiple sites. However, in fairness, the US Mint does not readily confirm its production numbers, and most of its information pertains to sales figures instead. So, don’t make any life-altering decisions based on the exact figures above.

American Silver Eagle Packaging Info

American Silver Eagle coins are packaged differently depending upon the version of the coin purchased. The Silver Eagle bullion coins are available in one of three types of packaging. Individual coins in the Silver Eagle bullion series are available inside of protective packaging. For multiples of 20 coins, the US Mint offers the Silver Eagles inside of protective plastic tubes. For multiples of 500 coins, the US Mint houses the coins inside of Monster Boxes that feature a US Mint strap seal around the box. The box itself contains a total of 25 tubes of 20 coins.

Variations of the Uncirculated American Silver Eagle

While the standard uncirculated American Silver Eagle coin is struck each year by the United States Mint for investors, there are also variations in the types of uncirculated American Silver Eagle coins available. Some of these may attract collectors in addition to investors. The United States Mint does not apply colorization or gilded finishes to any of its products, but third-party dealers will take the bullion version of the coin and apply these finishes for a unique look. Here’s a rundown of these variations on the uncirculated American Silver Eagle:

• Gilded American Silver Eagle: These coins include a thin layer of 24-karat gold applied to the image of Walking Liberty on the obverse face. The gold is not significant enough to increase the price or value of the coin as an investment piece, but the contrasting visuals of gold and silver do add some collectible value for certain buyers.
• Colorized American Silver Eagle: Colorized coins have a lot of variations. In most cases, the American flag receives the traditional red, white, and blue colors, while Liberty’s gown is often colorized white and other features are added to the background to alter the time of day visuals. There’s no shortage of creativity in colorized American Silver Eagles for sale!

Buying Uncirculated American Silver Eagles from JM Bullion

As you look to buy silver, you’ll find the uncirculated American Silver Eagle coins available in individual packaging or bulk options. Individual American Silver Eagle coins are available in protective plastic. Multiples of 20 are available inside of plastic tubes. Multiples of 500 are offered inside of a US Mint Monster Box. If you have any questions about uncirculated American Silver Eagles, please feel free to reach out to JM Bullion. You can call us at 800-276-6508, chat with us live online, or email us directly.