The Sunshine Mint

Sunshine Minting Products Online at Silver.com

The number of private mints operating in the United States, and around the globe, has grown in recent years with the uptick in popularity of and demand for precious metal items. Everything from sovereign mint silver and gold coins to gold, silver, and platinum bars and rounds are in high demand at the moment. Among the many mints operating in the US, Sunshine Minting has one of the largest profiles in the industry.

Sunshine Minting Inc. is a privately-owned mint that was formed in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho in 1979. Today, it has operational facilities in Idaho and Nevada, with sales offices in Las Vegas, Nevada and Shanghai, China. It produces a wide variety of silver rounds and bars, with its bars the more popular of the two products.

In the following sections you can learn more about the variety of Sunshine Minting products available for investors and collectors to purchase from the online catalog at Silver.com.

Sunshine Minting Silver Rounds

The vast majority of precious metal enthusiasts, collectors, and investors usually await the annual release of popular bullion coin programs from sovereign mints. However, silver rounds are an increasingly popular option regardless of an individual’s financial means. Silver rounds are available with lower premiums over the spot price of silver, often have no maximum mintage figures set, and many bear the historic coin designs of some of the world’s most popular coins. In fact, American circulation currency designs from the early 20^th century are a particularly popular design motif at the moment.

Sunshine Minting offers a variety of silver rounds, both branded with the company logo for first-time investors to grab or those featuring historic coin designs that attract those with a taste for investing and collecting in precious metals. First up is the Sunshine Mint silver round. These rounds are available in a ½ oz option and a 1 oz option, and both weights feature .999 fine silver content. Design features include:

• The obverse side of the round features a blazing sun in the background while a flying eagle is depicted in the foreground. This image has become somewhat of a mint mark for sunshine and is widely recognized by investors and collectors of all types. The detail featured on the image of the eagle is unparalleled in quality. Above the images is the word “Sunshine” while the word “Minting” is featured below the front side’s images.
• On the reverse side of the round has an image of a sun much like the front side, while around the outer rim of the round are the words “One Troy Ounce .999 Fine Silver.” In the center of the reverse side of the round is a small, dull circle with tiny words reading “Mintmark SI.” This small feature is known as the V2 anti-fraud mintmark.

Additionally, Sunshine Minting is one of the many private US mints that produces silver round collections bearing some of the classic images from American coinage history. All of these rounds include .999 fine silver content and feature the “SMI” mint mark of the Sunshine Minting Inc. on the primary design side. Examples of options in this realm include:

• Morgan Silver Round: The Morgan Silver Round precisely replicates the Morgan Silver Dollar, which was first released by the United States Mint in 1878. When it was released, it featured a brilliant Liberty design from Assistant Engraver George T. Morgan on the obverse, as well as a heraldic eagle depiction on the reverse. The Morgan Silver Dollar was in circulation from 1878 to 1904, and is widely considered the best dollar-coin design of all time.
• Walking Liberty Silver Rounds: The Walking Liberty Silver round brings Adolph A. Weinman’s iconic depiction of Liberty to life on an affordable silver round. Originally used on the Walking Liberty Half Dollar from 1916 to 1947, Weinman’s vision of Liberty shows her walking toward the setting sun draped in the American flag, and is representative of the nation’s constant march toward a brighter tomorrow.
• Buffalo Silver Rounds: The Buffalo Nickel (or Indian Head Nickel) design from James Earle Fraser graced America’s five-cent piece from 1913 to 1938. The design featured a left-profile portrait of a tribal leader on the obverse, and a depiction of Black Diamond on the reverse. Black Diamond was a bison housed at the Central Park Zoo in New York City during the early 20^th This popular design is currently on the American Gold Buffalo bullion coin from the US Mint.

Sunshine Minting Silver Coins

While Sunshine Minting does not have the sovereign mint standing to produce official currency or sovereign coinage of the United States, the doesn’t mean it hasn’t secured contracts and deals to work with foreign governments to produce bullion and proof coinage on their behalf. In fact, Sunshine Minting has recently released two different coins or coin programs on behalf of foreign governments.

The more robust of the two celebrated the 2016 blockbuster release of Captain America: Civil War. The recently released feature film takes fans further into the world of the Avengers, a group of superheroes working together to protect mankind from villainous plots and heinously evil masterminds. The group is spearheaded by Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, and Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America.

As Civil War opens, the group is beset by a tough decision. After a recent incident involving the Avengers resulted in harm to the public, the government is seeking to impose stricter oversight and accountability on the group. In a surprising turn of events, Iron Man actually sides with the government, believing that greater oversight is important. Captain America, on the other hand, believes the group should continue to operate with the freedom it needs to defend humanity from any threats.

The result of the opposing viewpoints of these larger-than-life superheroes is a fracture in the group, with fellow Avengers choosing to side with either Iron Man or Captain America. The rift creates two teams: Team Stark and Team Cap. The Captain America Proof Silver Coin series includes six coins in total, each one featuring full-color, graphic artwork from the feature film.

In this six-coin series, there are a number of common features. Each of the coins struck in the Captain America Proof Silver Coin series is a 1 oz proof coin with a .999 pure silver content. The company issued each coin on behalf of the nation of Fiji, with each individual coin shipping in a themed, colorized collectible tin that bears artwork from the feature film representing the superhero from the coin’s obverse face.

While the obverse of each coin released in the Captain America Proof Silver Coin set features a different design, all of the coins have the same reverse face. The reverse of each coin features the national crest of Fiji in the center of the design. This is accompanied by engravings around the outer edge that identify the nation of issue, year of issue, the coin’s weight, purity and metal content, and its face value. Each coin has a face value of One Dollar and is legal tender in Fiji.

Most importantly, the coins in this series have an extremely limited mintage level. Each individual coin has a set maximum of just 3,000 coins in total, with the available six-coin set struck to the same maximum mintage of just 3,000 coins. With demand high and availability low, these Captain America Proof Silver coins won’t last long!

As for the specific obverse designs, here is a quick breakdown of the six coins in the collection:

• Silver Winter Soldier Proof: the 2016 1 oz Captain America Winter Soldier coin features obverse artwork depicting the Winter Soldier. A member of Team Cap, the design reflects the superhero identity of Bucky Barnes, a former allied soldier of Captain America who was separated from his group during the war. The Russians eventually rescued Barnes and remade him into a programmed assassin with a bionic arm. Engravings on the obverse include the Marvel Comics logo and the name of “Winter Soldier.”
• Silver Black Panther Proof: Sometimes referred to as T’Challa, the Black Panther has enhanced senses and physical attributes due to a heart-shaped herb he consumed. The herb gave him superhuman powers and the specialization of unarmed combat. On the obverse side you’ll find the colorized image of Black Panther, just as he appears in the feature film Captain America: Civil War. Additional engravings on this face include his character name, the Marvel Comic’s logo, and the coin’s identifying features.
• Silver Falcon Proof: Silver Falcon has a unique skillset that allows him to mentally connect with birds. With his power, he can communicate telepathically with birds to receive mental images of everything the birds might see. He also has a suit with wings that enables him to fly. The obverse design of this coin features Silver Falcon in flight, along with the same engravings featured on the obverse of other coins in the series. You’ll find the Marvel logo, as well as “Silver Falcon,” and the coin’s weight, purity, and metal content along the bottom.
• Silver Black Widow Proof: An expert spy, athlete, and gifted assassin, Black Widow is a valuable member of the Avengers, and her image appears on the obverse face of this coin in the series. Known by Natasha Romanova, and many other aliases, Black Widow was trained by the KGB’s infamous Red Room Academy and originally appeared in the comic series as an enemy to the Avengers. She eventually became an ally of the Avengers, breaking free of the USSR and joining as a top agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Her imagery is accompanied the Marvel Comics logo, and the coin’s identifying features.
• Silver Iron Man vs. Captain America Proof: The final product in the series is perhaps the most unique. Although the 2 oz. Captain America: Iron Man vs. Captain America Proof coin looks like one solid 2 oz coin, it is in fact a split coin that separates along a predetermined fracture line into two separate 1 oz. coins, each with a 1 oz weight and .999 pure silver. Each individual coin has a One Dollar face value, and on the reverse it features the Fijian crest on both halves. The reverse design also features the words “United We Stand” on one half, and “Divided We Fall” on the other. On the obverse of the coin are the colorized images of Captain America and Iron Man, each superhero split by the dividing line onto his own half of the coin. The imagery comes straight from the feature film and brings the conflict to life.

For those that couldn’t decide on a singular coin in this collection, Sunshine Minting offered the entire set in a six-coin proof collection. The set includes one of each of the six coins from the series. Each individual coin ships to you in its collectible tin with imagery straight from the feature film for each superhero. The entire set ships to you inside a Captain America: Civil War-themed tin lunchbox, the perfect item to display these Marvel Comic-themed precious metal products.

There’s also a silver bullion coin available from Sunshine Minting Inc. in the form of the Silver Congo African Lion Coin. These coins contain One Troy ounce of .999 fine silver and bear a face value of 5,000 Francs that is considered legal tender in Congo. Sunshine Minting has contracted with the government of the Republic of Congo to strike the new African Lion Silver coins for 2016, featuring a different design compared to the 2015 design used when the coins were issued on behalf of Burundi. Just 50,000 coins were struck in total for 2016.

On the obverse face of the coin you’ll find the image of a male leader of the pride, and one of the female hunters from the group. The two lions appear to be stalking their prey, and the phrase “African Lion” is engraved along the upper-left edge of the design field.

The reverse face of the coin features the coat of arms for the Republic of Congo, along with the engravings of “Republique du Congo” above the design field and the coin’s face value, year of issue, weight, purity, and metal content below.

Sunshine Minting Silver Bars

Currently, there are two types of silver bars available from Sunshine Minting. First and foremost are the Sunshine Minting branded silver bars. These are all minted ingots that feature the Sunshine Minting logo as the primary design featured. Aimed primarily at investors, each bar contains a minimum purity of .999 fine silver content.

All Sunshine Minting silver bars are instantly recognizable for the silver eagle symbol that stands for premium quality. This eagle image is located on the top of the bar along with the Sunshine Minting company name, the purity marking of .999 fine silver, and the weight of 100 oz. This leaves no doubt to the excellence and quality of the silver bar received. Each brand new bar is shipped in its own special packaging to keep the bar in mint condition.

Another notable trait of the Sunshine Mint of Idaho company that makes it so popular is the use of Mintmark SI technology. This technology places a special marking on each silver bar that can only be seen when using a specialize lens. This helps to ensure the authenticity of each silver bar and certainly adds to its overall value.

Available weights currently in the Sunshine Minting silver bars portfolio include the following:

• 1 oz Silver Bars
• 5 oz Silver Bars
• 10 oz Silver Bars
• 100 oz Silver Bars

In addition to the Sunshine Minting branded bars, you’ll find a truly special silver bar available from Silver.com and Sunshine Minting. There are many symbols of American pride, power, and sacrifice visible across the country and around the world. Above all of those symbols, one common image is found: the American flag. Known by many nicknames, from “Union” to “the Stars and Stripes,” the American flag represents American ideals and values wherever it flies.

On the reverse side of the 1 oz Sunshine Mint Silver American Flag Bar you’ll find muted design features. The middle of the bar features a stamped mint mark that reads “Mint Mark SI.” The Sunshine Mint logo and corporate name are engraved below that, with the bar’s weight, purity, and metal content along the bottom.

The obverse side of the bar features the “Star-Spangled Banner” in all of its glory. The white stripes and blue background field of the bar are featured in a matte silver, giving them a rough appearance. The red stripes and white stars of the flag are finished with a deeply-mirrored black enamel that creates a stark contrast between the two design sets.

About Sunshine Minting Inc.

One of America’s largest private minting facilities is the full-service operation known as Sunshine Minting. Founded in 1979 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Sunshine Minting plays a major role both in the production of US Mint coins, as well as its own lineup of silver bars and rounds.

Sunshine Minting provides the vast majority of the 1 oz. silver blanks used by the United States Mint in the production of its popular American Silver Eagle coins. It also provides quality blanks to other world mints, though the specific list is unknown to the general public. The in-house capabilities of Sunshine Minting include everything from art and design development, tool and die work, melting and continuous casting, to edge lettering and gold plating.

The profile of Sunshine Minting has grown to such a degree that it has locations outside of Idaho that have expanded its brand around the globe. A location was commissioned in Shanghai, China in 2011, and another in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2013. Among its many popular products is the Silver Buffalo Round, which brilliantly recreates the Buffalo Nickel design from James Earle Fraser on an affordable, widely available silver round.

Purchase Your Sunshine Minting Products Online with Silver.com

At Silver.com you’ll be able to pay for your Sunshine Minting products in a variety of ways. We accept Visa and MasterCard credit/debit cards, paper checks, bank wire transfers, and PayPal transfers. Credit and debit card purchases process within one business day, while paper checks take upwards of six business days to process. Bank wire and PayPal transfers are immediate, releasing your purchases to our shipping queue with the greatest speed.

Silver.com offers an affordable shipping scale to ensure you get the best price for shipping on your Sunshine Minting products. The scale ends at $3,000 in total purchase, after which all shipments are free of charge and include free insurance as well. All packages are handled and delivered by the United States Postal Service or UPS. Should your package be lost during shipping, we’ll work with the carrier to recover your shipment. If it’s damaged or stolen, we’ll initiate an insurance claim on your behalf to secure a refund of your purchase price.

If you have any questions about Sunshine Minting products from Silver.com, please feel free to reach out to our associates at 888-989-7223. You can also locate us conveniently online through our website’s hosted live web chat, or submit your questions to us via email.