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The
American Silver Eagle is the official silver bullion coin of the
United States. It was first released by the United States Mint on
November 24, 1986. It is struck only in the 1 troy oz denomination
which has a nominal face value of one dollar and is guaranteed to
contain one troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver. It is authorized by
the United States Congress and its weight and content is certified
by the United States Mint. The American Silver Eagle bullion coin
may be used to fund Individual Retirement Account investments. The
United States Mint also produces a proof version for coin collectors.
The Silver Eagle has been produced at three mints. One is the Philadelphia
mint, and some of those issued there carry a "P" mintmark.
In the early years of the series, the San Francisco mint issued
proofs and these bear an "S". More recent proofs are from
the mint at West Point, New York. The latter have a "W"
on the reverse, as illustrated here.
The
design on the obverse was taken from the classic "Walking Liberty"
design by Adolph A. Weinman, which had originally been used on the
half-dollar coin of the United States from 1916 to 1947. As this
iconic design had been a public favorite –and indeed one of the
most beloved designs of any United States coinage of modern times,
silver or otherwise– it was revived for the Silver Eagle decades
later. The reverse portrays a heraldic eagle designed by John Mercanti.|
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