American Silver Eagle
1986 - Present
The American Silver Eagle was first produced by the U.S. Mint in November of 1986. This coin contains 
99.999% pure silver and although it bears a One Dollar face value it has never been circulated nor has it ever been available at face value. The American Silver Eagle is an ideal way to collect silver as it is recognized and trusted around the world for its silver content. The American Silver Eagle has been minted at three different mints; Philadelphia, San Francisco, and West Point.
The value of the American Silver Eagle is based on more than just its silver content. Due to the limited numbers produced and the varying numbers minted each year this coin also enjoys “collectable value” with some years and mint mark combinations bringing much more than others.
The design for the obverse of the American Silver Eagle is the same as the now classic “Walking Liberty” or “Walker” half dollar which was designed by Adolph A. Weinman and produced from 1916 through 1947. Lady Liberty is walking toward the sunset with an olive branch in her left hand. The word “LIBERTY” arcs across the coin from left to right and the words “IN GOD WE TRUST” appears on the left just above her right leg. The date appears at the bottom directly below Liberty’s right foot.
The design on the reverse of the Silver Eagle coin features the Heraldic Eagle designed by John Mercanti. Thirteen starts to represent the thirteen original colonies are arranged in rows centered and above the 
eagle’s head. The words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” appear in an arc around the upper half of the coin and the words “1 OZ. FINE SILVER ~ ONE DOLLAR” appear around the edge on the lower half of the coin. The mintmark appears on the left below the eagle’s right wing.
If you are interested in purchasing American Silver Eagles you should be aware that each year of issue for the “business” strikes were produced in the millions and most dates can be obtained for less than $25.00. Proof issues ranged from 372,168 in 1994 to 1,446,778 in 1986 and vary widely in other years. Prices for proof examples varies widely depending upon the year and can often exceed $100.00.
In 2006 the U.S. Mint produced the Silver Eagle 20th Anniversary boxed set which includes the uncirculated “business” strike and reverse proof specimens. This special set was limited to a maximum of 250,000 units and was originally sold in the mint catalog for $100.00. Currently, as of this writing, these sets are selling for more than $350.00.
American Silver Eagle Specifications:
Minted: 1986 - Present
Diameter: 40.60 mm
Thickness: 2.98 mm
Weight: 31.103 g
Composition: 99.99% Silver
Edge: Reeded
Designer: Adolph A. Weinman & John Mercanti