American Silver Eagle was first released on November 24, 1986. This bullion coin contains one troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver and has a nominal face value of one dollar.
The obverse features the iconic Walking Liberty, a design by Adolph A. Weinman. The reverse was designed by former chief engraver of the United States Mint John Mercanti. However, the reverse design was revised in 2021. The latest coins feature the artwork of Emily Damstra.
Besides the bullion coins, the US mint occasionally released Proof and uncirculated versions of Silver Eagle for the collectors. The Silver Eagle has been minted in three mints, San Francisco Mint, Philadelphia Mint, and West Point Mint.
Here we list 8 of the rarest Silver Eagle coins ever produced by the US mint. Many of them were special issues, released in low numbers to commemorate some event.
8. 2006-P Reverse Proof Silver Eagle
Mint: Philadelphia
Highest auction price: $3,025
photo source: images.pcgs.com
2006-P Reverse Proof was released as part of a three-piece set to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Silver Eagle coin program. The other two coins in that set were a burnished Silver Eagle coin struct in West Point Mint and a regular proof Silver Eagle. The former was the first uncirculated Silver Eagle that had a W mint mark.
The set was launched on August 30, 2006. The mintage was the second lowest in the Proof Silver Eagle series. The design of the coin feature mirror-like luster, and the field is frosty.
The three-piece set was priced at $100 each, and no household was allowed to purchase more than 10 sets. The stock was depleted by mid-September. By then, the price was increased to double or more in the secondary market.
One example of this coin was sold for $3,025 at the Great Collections Coin Auction on September 16, 2012.
Did you know?
This was the first reverse-proof coin released in the US. In a reverse-proof coin, the fields are frosted, and the devices are mirror-like.
6. 2019-W Enhanced Reverse Proof Silver Eagle
Mint: West Point
Highest auction price: $910
photo source: images.pcgs.com
2019-W Enhanced Reverse Proof Siver Eagle was sold as part of the Pride of Two Nations silver coin set. It was a collaborative effort between The United States Mint and Royal Canadian Mint. The set included a special version of the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin and this one.
The Canadian coin was minted at the Ottawa Mint, and the US coin was struck at the West Point Mint. The Canadian coin featured a proof finish and a modified reverse design, and the American featured a reverse cameo proof finish.
A total of 110,000 sets were released; 100,000 were sold in the US and the rest in Canada.
Did you know?
This coin is considered one of the most beautiful coins in the Silver Eagle series. The set was sold out in the US the very day it was released.
5. 2011-S and 2011-P Reverse Proof Silver Eagle
Mint: San Francisco and Philadelphia, respectively
Highest auction price: $1,541and $1,495
photo source: images.pcgs.com
2011-S and 2011-P Reverse Proof Silver Eagle coins were released as part of the American Eagle 25th Anniversary Silver Coin Set. Both had the same mintage of 99,882.
The set had a total of five coins: one uncirculated coin minted at San Francisco Mint, one reserved proof coin minted at Philadelphia Mint, one proof coin and one proof coin and one uncirculated coin minted at West Point Mint, and one bullion coin. The set came in a beautiful, lacquered presentation case.
Did you know?
The US Mint began striking bullion 2011 Silver Eagle at the San Francisco facility in early 2011 as West Point didn’t have the capability to deliver the quantity. PCGS, ANACS, and NGC decided to grade the coins as 2011–(S) and 2011–(W). However, in October that year, the 25th Anniversary set was released.
The San Francisco minted coin of the set was graded as 2011-S. Sometimes, it creates confusion among the collectors.
4. 2020-W V75 Silver Eagle
Mint: West Point
Highest auction price: $780
photo source: images.pcgs.com
2020-W V75 Proof Silver Eagle,along with its gold counterpart, was released on November 5, 2020. These special coins were released to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in 1945.
2020-W V75 Proof was the first Silver Eagle that had a privy mark. The privy mark on the obverse of the coin reads “V75”. The coin had a limited mintage of 75,000 and is rare to find.
Did you know?
The West Point Mint was shut down on March 28, 2020, after one of its employees tested positive for Covid19. It was when bullion US Silver Eagles were produced only at this facility. The operation resumed on April 1 but was again shut down on April 15 due to the pandemic. Philadelphia Mint produced 240,000 Silver Eagles in April that year to make up for the suspension. These coins are known as the Emergency Issues.
3. 2008-W Silver Eagle with Reverse of 2007
Mint: West Point
Highest auction price: $1,700
photo source: images.pcgs.com
It is the only known error coin in the Silver Eagles series. US Mint brought some changes in the reverse design of Silver Eagles, including proofs, from 2008 onwards.
On March 17, 2008, 2008-W Uncirculated Silver Eagles were released featuring the new design. The Burnished Uncirculated coins were directly sold to the collectors.
About a month later, it was found by John Nanney from Georgia that some of the new coins had the reverse design from the previous batch. While investigating the issue, the Mint found that at least 15 reverse dies from the previous year were used to strike the new coin. So, they estimated that around 45,000 Uncirculated collector’s edition Silver Eagles were released with the wrong reverse design.
Did you know?
The difference between the two reverse designs was insignificant but fairly easy to identify. The U of the United was bowl-shaped in the previous design. On the reverse of 2008, the U had a sheriff on its bottom right. Additionally. The dash between the words “Silver” and “One” was tilde-shaped in the 2007 design; in the later one, it was angled.
2. 1995 10th Anniversary Eagle Set
Mint: West Point
Highest auction price: $16,450
photo source: www.pcgs.com
A five-coin set of Proof coins were released by the United State Mint to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Silver Eagle bullion coin program. It is the first anniversary set in the Silver Eagle series.
The set included four Proof American Gold Eagles and one Proof American Silver Eagle. The Silver Proof was struck in the West Point Mint and marked with a “W”. In fact, it is the first W Proof Silver Eagle.
This coin is highly sought after mainly due to its low mintage. A total of 30,125 sets were ever sold of this set.
Did you know?
The same year, US Mint released the “Philadelphia Set” that included three Proof American Gold Eagles, a Proof Silver Eagle, and a medal. The set was released to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the first coin minted at the Philadelphia Mint.
1. 2019-S Enhanced Reverse Proof
Mint: San Francisco
Highest auction price: $5,760
photo source: www.pcgs.com
2019-S Enhanced Reverse Proof is the rarest Silver Eagle ever released by the US Mint. The coin was officially released on November 14, 2019. The coins were sold out within 20 minutes after it was launched.
Over 100,000 people queued up online and in person from the previous night to get their hands on this rarest issue of Silver Eagle. A restriction of one coin per household was in place.
The price of the coin jumped up in the secondary market as soon as the inventory was diminished at the Mint. Collectors expressed their dissatisfaction with how the Mint authorities handled the situation.
Did you know?
A total of 97 2019-S Enhanced Reverse Proofs were made available on August 5, 2020. These coins were the surplus from canceled orders. However, due to some glitch, the coin was offered online without prior notice. By the time the prospective buyers who requested advance intimation about the availability of the coin received emails and texts, the coins were already sold out.
