In the brief twenty-three year period since its introduction, the American Silver Eagle has become the most widely traded silver bullion coin in the world, continuing silver’s five thousand year history of desirability and value. As a further testament to the American government’s belief in the soundness of these coins and their suitability as investments, American Silver Eagles were the only silver items of any kind allowed to fund Individual Retirement Accounts (i.e., IRAs) prior to 1997. Affordable, versatile, beautiful: the American Silver Eagle.
The American Silver Eagle is the only silver bullion coin in the world whose purity is guaranteed by the government of the United States. It stands at the summit of a two hundred year history of American silver coinage. The American Silver Eagle program was authorized by Congress in late 1985 with the first coins appearing the following summer. Since their introduction, over seventy million American Silver Eagles have been sold to collectors and investors around the world. As stipulated by law, American Silver Eagles are composed of silver mined exclusively in the United States with a purity of .999, making them the purest silver bullion coins ever minted and offered to the public by the United States. All American Silver Eagles are struck in the one troy ounce denomination with a stated face value of $1. They are substantial coins, measuring 40.6mm in diameter and 2.98mm thick, and have a heft befitting their quality.
The American Silver Eagle is considered by many to be the most beautiful coin in production today. It takes its design directly from one of the most popular and iconic coins in U.S. history, Adolph A. Weinman’s Walking Liberty half-dollar of 1916-1947. The reverse of the coin features a new design created expressly for the American Silver Eagle by John Mercanti, the chief engraver at the U.S. Mint. It depicts a proud heraldic eagle placed directly beneath thirteen stars representing the original thirteen colonies. By combining the classic with the modern, the American Silver Eagle coins are able to capture the unique spirit of our country: proud of our history while moving toward our future with purpose.