Silver American Eagles

Silver American Eagles at Silver.com                                                  

Among the most popular silver investment pieces in the world is the Silver American Eagle. These coins debuted in 1986 after the Liberty Coin Act of 1985 which authorized the production of an official silver bullion coin for the United States. A BU and a proof strike were introduced with a burnished strike debuting in the future. Unlike the Gold American Eagle, these coins are available in just a 1 oz weight. Learn more about Silver American Eagles right here at Silver.com.

Design

The Silver American Eagle has had the same obverse design since it debuted in 1986. This design is the famous Walking Liberty design created by Adolph A. Weinman in 1916. This original design was used on the Walking Liberty Half Dollar from 1916 to 1947.

The design features Lady Liberty in left-profile relief, striding into the sun, as she holds oak branches in one hand and has the American flag draped over her shoulder.

The reverse design of the Silver American Eagle has seen two different designs in the history of the coin program. From 1986 until the first half of 2021, the reverse of these coins featured the heraldic eagle of John Mercanti. The eagle was seen in front-facing relief, but looking to its left, with a shield on its chest. Above the eagle, 13 five-pointed stars are displayed. 2021 coins that are designated Type 1 will have this design.

In the latter half of 2021, the design received an update. The design was changed to Emily Damstra’s flying eagle. A bald eagle is seen flying in left-profile relief, holding a branch in its talons. 2021 coins that are designated as Type 2 feature the design.

Types of Silver American Eagles

There are three main types of Silver American Eagles.

• BU: the most popular strike of Silver American Eagles is the BU strikes. These coins are the official silver bullion coin of the United States.
• Burnished: These coins are struck using a similar process as proof strikes. Burnished coins debuted in 2006 and have been issued annually since they debuted, with the exception of 2009 and 2010.
• Proof: Proof coins have frosted design elements with a mirrored background. Proof coins debuted alongside the BU coins in 1986. They’ve been released annually, except for 2009.

Packaging

Silver American Eagles are packaged in a variety of different ways. Individual BU coins will arrive in protective plastic flips. For larger orders, these coins will arrive in tubes of 20, or Monster Boxes of 500. Monster Boxes contain 25 rolls, with each tube containing 20.

Proof and Burnished strikes just have an individual purchase option. These coins will arrive in a presentation box from the US Mint along with a Certificate of Authenticity.

There are other unique forms of packaging known as special occasion Silver American Eagles. These BU strikes are secured in themed clamshell packaging.

Certified Silver American Eagles

Another option is to purchase Certified Silver American Eagles. Certified Silver Coins are coins that were meticulously graded by a professional coin grading provider, such as the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) and the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).

These coins are sent to a coin grading provider where they are analyzed by multiple numismatists, even under 5x magnification. Coins are given a grade from 1 to 70, known as the Sheldon Scale. These coins are then encapsulated in protective plastic slabs and shipped back to the owner. BU, Proof, and Burnished strikes can be sent in for grading.

Purchasing Silver American Eagles at Silver.com

For any questions regarding these Silver American Eagles, contact the Silver.com customer service team at 1-888-989-7223. Our team can also be reached via email or through our online chat feature.