1986 American Silver Eagle

American Silver Eagles – The Collectible Silver Bullion Coin

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BGASC.com Adds Huge Selection of Back Dated American Silver Eagle Coins to its For Sale Inventory.

For many silver investors the American Silver Eagle coin is their first purchase. Indeed, there are silver investors and collectors who buy American Silver Eagles exclusively. American Silver Eagles are composed of .9993 silver and .0007 copper. These coins are the most widely recognized silver bullion coin with over 500 million minted since their introduction in 1986. As such, American Silver Eagles tend to retain their value with respect to the price of silver better than other silver bullion coins, rounds and bars, and often trade for a premium depending the dates and conditions of the coins.

The American Silver Eagle coin was minted purely as a silver bullion coin to meet the demand of American silver investors. As such, while the U.S. Mint produces American Silver Eagles in Proof and Burnished limited editions, the front and back design of the coin has remained constant throughout its history. The only change to the coin’s design occurred in 2016 when the U.S. commemorated the American Silver Eagle’s 30th anniversary by creating special-edition 30th Anniversary Proof and Uncirculated American Silver Eagles with an inscription on the edge of the coins that reads “30th Anniversary”.

While the American Silver Eagle is legal tender with a face value of $1 these coins do not circulate and are hoarded for their silver content AND collectible value. Over time collectors have sought to build complete sets of American Silver Eagles starting with the first coin of the series the 1986 American Silver Eagle.

American Silver Eagles 1986 – 2018

The First American Silver Eagle – 1986

The U.S. Mint began American Silver Eagle production in 1986 and was the first silver coin produced by the United States Mint since the 1982 George Washington Silver Half-Dollar commemorative coins (GWSHD) were minted as a one-off that year. Prior to the GWSHDs, the last silver coins produced by the U.S. Mint were the dimes, quarters and half dollars dated 1964, minted of 90% pure silver.

1986 American Silver Eagle
Click to Buy 1986 American Silver Eagles

1986 Mintage: 5,096,000

The 1986 American Silver Eagle was released in November of that year, so the mintage reflects just two months of sales.

The Low Mintage Years 1995 – 1998

After selling between 5.5 million to 9.4 million American Silver Eagles each year from 1987-1994, sales dipped below 4.6 million during each of 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998, with a low of just 3,466,000 sold in 1996 and 3,636,000 sold in 1997, making these two years, “key dates” in the American Silver Eagle series.

1997 American Silver Eagle
Click to Buy 1997 American Silver Eagles

1997 Mintage: 3,636,000

Y2K Fears Boost Silver Eagle Sales in 1999

In 1999, there was widespread concern that computer systems around the world might fail to operate when system would not operate when the year 2000 rolled in as the “99” might not roll back to “00”. As such, there were fears that banking systems and supply lines might be disrupted causing a surge in silver and gold sales at the U.S. Mint.

1999 American Silver Eagle
Click to Buy 1999 American Silver Eagles

1999 Mintage: 9,008,500

The High Mintage Years -2008 – present

Starting in 2008, the year of beginning of the Financial Crisis of 2008-2009, American Silver Eagle sales soared, topping forty million for three years in a row from 2013-2015, with a record 48 million sold in 2015.

Selecting, Storing and Displaying Your Silver Eagles

Some people like to buy or give American Silver Eagles as gifts to commemorate birthdays, wedding anniversaries, graduations or other special events. An attractive velvet storage box can display your special and collectible Silver Eagles handsomely.

Velvet Box
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Click here to browse and buy American Silver Eagles from 1986-2018.

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All American Silver Eagle Coins are IRA eligible

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This article by BGASC is not, and should not be regarded as, investment advice or as a recommendation regarding any particular course of action.