Silver Eagles – What You May Not Know

The American silver eagles are the official bullion silver coins of the US.

The first release was in 1986 by the United States Mint, with it being struck in the one troy ounce size.

This coin has a face value (nominal) of 1 dollar and has a guaranteed content of one troy ounce of silver that is 99.9% pure.

The silver eagle design is among the most beautiful in the US coins, having been taken from the Walking Liberty Half Dollar. A beautiful heraldic eagle is on the reverse side of the coin.

Purchasing the Silver Eagles

These silver eagle bullions are not directly sold to the public but are distributed via a network of bullion purchasers who are authorized by the United States Mint.

The dealers buy the coins in large quantities which they then sell to the general public, as well as to other coin dealers and bullion dealers.

They also must, by requirement, keep open, a two way market, allowing the public to both buy from and sell to them for liquidity to be ensured and sustained.

You can acquire the silver eagles in a number of ways.

For instance, a bulk purchase can be done through buying the “monster boxes”.

These are green boxes that hold 25 rolls of Silver eagles, with each roll containing 20 coins.

Due to the large coin number purchased this way, one enjoys lower premiums per coin.

The other purchasing option is buying individual 20 coin rolls. Each of these rolls contains the United States Treasury Seal on the distinctive green top.

You can also purchase individual coins, which is the most expensive option in terms of the premiums charged.

Silver Eagle Coins Collection

Besides the bullion investors, the silver eagles have also elicited interest for the coin collectors.

They are perceived as the modern equivalent of the silver dollars because they are also struck in silver while at the same time carrying the one dollar face value.

Dedicated coin collectors obtain and add to their collection a coin to represent each date as each release comes out.

Other collectors put together high grade sets of the PCGS and NGC silver eagles which command higher premiums above the bullion values.

There are also some different versions that are specific to the coin collectors which the United States Mint produces, for instance the proof silver eagles, which are struck with special dyes that bring out sharp features, frosted design elements and mirror like backgrounds.

There are also other versions that have been offered to match with the 10th, 20th and the 25th silver eagle bullion anniversaries.

Bullion Coins Rising Demand – An investment opportunity

Due to the recent increased demand for the American silver eagle bullion, which resulted from the economic uncertainties that arose around the second half of the year 2008, the United States Mint has experienced a lot of difficulties trying to meet this sudden rise in demand for these bullion coins.

Savvy investors have moved swiftly to invest in the physical precious metals, including the silver eagles to shield themselves from these economic uncertainties.

The demand has been so high such that in just a couple of years, the Mint has had to suspend silver eagle sales for a number of occasions, with an imposition of a rationing program quickly following.

This has meant that the available supplies are only distributed amongst the authorized purchasers only.

However, despite all the suspensions, the demand has continued to rise, with new sales records being broken over and over, year after the other.

The effect of this high demand among the investors has also spilled over to the collectors, who have seen cancellations of some of the most popular collectible versions like the proof, as well as the uncirculated versions.

For instance, in 2009, a cancellation occurred for the proof version, with the incoming supplies of silver blanks being diverted to the production of bullion coins.

This has only been reversed recently, with new collector coins production resuming and availability resulting.

Affordable Investments and Beautiful Collectibles

The bottom line is that the American Eagle Silver bullion coins are beautiful collectibles, memorable rewards/incentives, thoughtful gifts and affordable investments.

Above all, they are the only legal tender with a United States Government guarantee on purity and weight, on top of being the only allowed silver coins in an IRA.

These coins are easy to sell or buy at most precious metal, coin and brokerage companies, there being many authorized dealers available.  The most trusted company we work with is Regal Assets. They have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and highly recommended.

The Silver Eagles speak credibility, affordability and beauty, making them the world’s best selling silver coins.