Category Archives: US silver coins

1986 American Silver Eagle Bullion Coin : History and Value

 

1986 American Silver Eagle.

With the American Silver Eagle, the United States Enters the Bullion Coin Business

The American Silver Eagle is a one ounce silver bullion coin, produced by the United States Mint under the authority of the 1985 Liberty Coin Act (Public Law 99-61 – PDF Link).

Congress’s intent for producing the coin was born out of a desire to deplete the Federal Government’s massive silver stockpile, which at the time exceeded 139 million ounces.[1]The Liberty Coin Act called for the Mint to strike .999 fine silver coins measuring 40.6 millimeters in diameter and weighing 31.103 grams. The coin was to feature a design “symbolic of Liberty on the obverse side; and… of an eagle on the reverse side…”[2]

John Mercanti, the former Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint and designer of the American Silver Eagle reverse, says in his 2012 book American Silver Eagles: A Guide to the U.S. Bullion Coin Program that the coin’s obverse design (featuring Adolph Weinman’s “Walking Liberty”) was predetermined – although he didn’t know by whom.[3] Research published later established that the choice to use the Weinman design on the American Silver Eagle, as well as the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle design on the American Gold Eagle, was made almost immediately as the Mint did not have a sufficient amount of time to develop designs from outside artists.

But even with the convenience of having a classic design ready to use, a series of technical challenges had to be overcome to get the coin to fully strike up, and by the time it was finally ready, 1986 was almost over. The first coins didn’t roll off the press until Secretary of the Treasury James Baker initiated Coin Press 105 at the United States Assay Office in San Francisco at a striking ceremony for the coin held on October 29, 1986.[4] A number of coins were struck for and by VIPs in attendance.

November sales totaled 1,400,000 pieces, and 3,696,000 American Silver Eagles were sold in December.[5]

1986-dated Eagles were produced in two finishes: a bullion strike, which bore no mintmark but was struck exclusively at the San Francisco Mint (a fact the numismatic community did not know until a 2020 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was fulfilled by the government, leading to a lengthy Coin World feature article by veteran journalist Paul Gilkes); and a Proof issue, which also was struck exclusively at San Francisco but did bear the ‘S’ mintmark.

The 1986 American Silver Eagle: A Popular Collector Coin and a Cautionary Tale of Vanishing Value

The American Silver Eagle is a bullion coin that is both widely held as a commodity and traded as a collectible. As a bullion play, American Silver Eagles from any date are seen as interchangeable. As a collectible, however, the first-year issue 1986 bullion strike is usually offered at a 15-30% premium over generic issues struck throughout the series’ 37-year run. This premium puts the 1986 issue on or near par with the scarcer bullion strike issues of 1995 and 1997.

With a mintage of 5,393,005 pieces, one should not confuse the 1986 American Silver Eagle with a scarce or rare coin. Pay a couple of dollars “numismatic premium” over spot for raw examples that come especially nice. Otherwise, pass.

Certified examples do carry a premium over raw ones and a very interesting story can be told about them.

To understand today’s pricing levels we must first take a step back and look at the certified Silver Eagle scene of 2013-2015.

Through the end of 2013, PCGS and NGC treated the 1986 American Silver Eagle (as well as other 1980s and early ’90s issues) differently. NGC owned a lion’s share of the market and represented in their census report bullion strikes in the grades MS69 and MS70. Some dates were tougher than others, but no dates were prohibitively rare.

PCGS took a different approach. While PCGS’ submission numbers for American Silver Eagles were lower, there were some dates where MS69 was the highest grade that submitters could reasonably expect to earn. So stingy was the PCGS policy pertaining to certifying MS70s that some dates had no MS70 coins, and others had MS70 populations in the single digits.

1986 was one of the latter dates, and for a time, the PCGS population of MS70 coins sat at just three.

In February 2013, Heritage Auctions sold one of those three PCGS MS70 coins for the brain-cracking sum of $21,150 USD. In the NGC white core holder, with a population of just over 1,200, the same coin would sell for about $775. The Heritage sale was not an outlier. Two years later, with the population still at three, GreatCollections sold another 1986 PCGS MS70 coin for $22,000.

Then something changed. In the summer of 2015, PCGS certified 30 Silver Eagles dated 1986 as MS70. The price level dropped to $5,000.

An insider bulk submitter told us on background at the time that the company was now giving out grades that it previously wouldn’t, and that this led to their company increasing the number of bulk submissions that they would give to PCGS. This is not to suggest the PCGS had told him that they would grade coins looser, just that his recent Monster Box submissions were netting a handful of valuable MS70 coins.

The 1986 Silver Eagle wasn’t the only conditional rarity date to see the impact of this seeming shift in direction.

While the service has never explicitly stated that it would not grade American Silver Eagles at 70, we believe that the milk spotting issue may have played a major factor in the company’s dearth of perfect coins.

We also observed, through cert number analysis, that several of the low-pop 70 issues saw the 70-graded coins come in groupings from a handful of submissions. For one date, half of all of the 70s came from one monster box and every coin in that Monster Box was represented after CoinWeek conducted a sequential cert number analysis.

Moving ahead to the present day, we see that PCGS MS70 Silver Eagles from 1986 have advanced to the point where NGC was in the fall of 2014. Current pop data published on PCGS CoinFacts shows 1,763 MS70s. CoinWeek’s market research puts the pricing level of these coins at between $750 and $800.

While we’re not in the habit of patting ourselves on the back when it comes to coin market analysis, we did predict a collapse in the 1986 MS70 price after the 2013 Heritage sale, writing that “[s]afer money could be probably be ‘invested’ elsewhere.” We held firm to that belief even when, in April 2015, GreatCollections sold another example for $22,000. We said the same thing about the record-breaking 1995-W American Silver Eagle, which we called a “burial coin” (the owner would be “buried” in it at that level).

Now that we see a sustainable yield for MS69 and MS70 coins from both services, we believe that prices for PCGS- and NGC-certified Silver Eagles will approach equilibrium. NGC maintains a clear lead on the number of submissions, due in large part to long-term relationships they have developed with major submitters of modern bullion material.

The 1986 American Silver Eagle and the Phantom “S” Mintmark Designation

Since the 2020 disclosure mentioned above that all Uncirculated strike American Silver Eagles came from the San Francisco Mint, the grading services have allowed submitters to market coins with the parenthetic “(S)” label. Coins in those holders are no different than the rest of the certified population. They do not warrant a special premium for the notation.

Design

Obverse:

Adolph A. Weinman’s Lady Liberty is depicted mid stride. She is seen as a full-body figure, dressed in a flowing gown, and draped with a large billowing American flag. She holds laurel and oak branches in her left hand that symbolize the civil and military glories of America, respectively. As Liberty strides confidently towards the rising sun, she also reaches out and presents a welcoming and open hand. So large is Lady Liberty that she is superimposed over the obverse legend “LIBERTY” ringing the obverse – in fact, she obscures half of the “BE” and almost the entire “R”. Above Liberty’s outstretched rear foot is IN GOD WE TRUST and below her is the date (1986).

The design bears a notable resemblance to sculptor Oscar Roty’s The Sower, a common image on French coins. Numismatist Roger Burdette posited in his book Renaissance of American Coinage (2007) that this was not a coincidence and while Adolph Weinman did not directly copy, he did derive significant inspiration from Roty’s work. Weinman’s Liberty Walking design quickly became one of America’s most iconic numismatic images and would be used with minor modifications on the American Silver Eagle bullion coin starting in 1986.

Reverse:

John Mercanti’s Heraldic Eagle is positioned at the center of the reverse. Clutched in its beak is a ribbon that bears the motto: E PLURIBUS UNUM. Above its head, is a constellation of thirteen stars configured in an upside-down pyramid formation. Wrapping around the design is the legend (top): UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; and the fineness and denomination (bottom): 1 OZ. FINE SILVER. ONE DOLLAR.

Edge:

The edge of the 1986 American Silver Eagle bullion coin is reeded.

Coin Specifications

American Silver Eagle Bullion Coin
Year Of Issue: 1986
Mintage: 5,393,005
Alloy: 99.9% silver
Weight: 31.10 grams
Diameter: 40.60 mm
Edge: Reeded
OBV Designer Adolph A. Weinman
REV Designer John M. Mercanti

 

* * *

Notes

[1] http://www.gao.gov/products/LCD-79-410. First accessed 1/31/15.

[2] “Liberty Coin Act” (PL 99-61, July 9, 1985). 99th Congress. 99 STAT. 113.

[3] Mercanti, John. American Silver Eagles: A Guide to the U.S. Bullion Coin Program. Whitman Publishing, LLC. Atlanta, Georgia. 2012. 24, 29-31.

[4] Rochette, Ed. “Sales Start Slowly for the New Silver Eagle Dollars”, Chicago Sun-Times. December 28, 1986.

[5]  http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/index.cfm?action=PreciousMetals&type=bullion. First accessed 1/31/15.

* * *

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neworleansmint

Unique Proof 1891-O Seated Liberty Dime Among New Orleans Special Strikes

By Mike Byers for Mint Error News ……
This is the only known 1891-O Seated Liberty Dime struck in Proof. Authenticated and certified by NGC as Proof 66, this unique branch mint Proof is a world-class rarity. It is listed in The Official 2024 Mega Red Book of U.S. Coins, Deluxe 9th Edition on page 422 and described as extremely rare.

This dime has been recently reholdered in the latest NGC holder with an enhanced label, better visibility and a higher-security hologram.

The New Orleans Mint.
The New Orleans Mint.

The United States Mint in New Orleans has one of the most interesting histories of all the mints. At one point, it was taken over and the United States of America no longer held control of it due to the Civil War. The New Orleans Mint officially became a branch mint on March 3, 1835, and first produced coins in 1838, staying in operation until 1861 when the war started. After the period of Reconstruction, it began operations again in 1879 and continued until 1909.

The New Orleans Mint resumed striking Seated Liberty Dimes in 1891, which had not been struck since 1860. This created a lot of publicity – which included a New Orleans Times-Picayune article published on July 26, 1891. This article reported the resumption of the silver dime production:

“The United States mint is now engaged in coining one million dimes a month. The dime banks and other causes have created a scarcity and Uncle Sam has ordered his money factories to the rescue. There is considerable demand for the dimes. They are the first coins of that smallness the mint has made, and the same presses with which the dollars were coined are used, the ingots being also of similar size. The new dies reached here about the 1st of the month, and the dimes commenced to roll out on the 5th.

The mint has on hand the bullion representing 3,000,000 trade dollars, shipped from the Philadelphia mint about two months ago, and the 863,000 ounces of uncurrent money sent from various sub-treasuries; so that there is no lack of silver to keep the presses going.”

1891-O Liberty Seated Dime as a Branch Mint Proof. Image: Mike Byers.
1891-O Liberty Seated Dime as a Branch Mint Proof. Image: Mike Byers.

This was the only Proof silver dime struck by the New Orleans Mint in 1891. It was unknown to Walter Breen and was not recorded in his Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Proof Coins (1987). It is widely believed that this Proof striking commemorated the New Orleans Mint in 1891.

This unique proof 1891-O Seated Liberty Dime is not recorded on numismatist Gerry Fortin’s website (seateddimevarieties.com), but he researched this dime and determined that:

“The obverse is unlisted and the reverse is Reverse P. The obverse die is perfect, with no trace of date repunching, no clash marks, and no die cracks. There is no evidence of die lapping on the obverse. Similarly, the reverse die is perfect, also with no repunching of the mintmark, no clash marks, no die cracks, and no evidence of die lapping. The mintmark is close to the bow knot, and tilted sharply to the left.”

A “perfect” and “unlisted” die was used to strike this dime. It is in Gem Proof condition with exceptional eye appeal and original toning. It has a full strike with full detail since it was struck on a large press setup for silver dollar coinage. This piece was most likely struck as a special Proof presentation piece, prior to striking regular dime coinage at New Orleans on Sunday, July 5, which was the first day reported.

There are also two known 1891-O Seated Liberty Quarters, both certified by specimens by NGC, which are obviously special strikes as well. Both of these are valued at and have traded for six figures.

1891-O Liberty Seated Dime in Proof, reverse.

The New Orleans Mint, throughout its history, struck unique Proof and specimen coinage. A few examples are the classic 1838-O Proof Cap Bust Half Dollar, the 1839-O Proof Cap Bust Half Dollar, the 1844-O Proof $5 Eagle and Proof $10 Eagle, the 1895-O Proof Morgan Dollar, and the 1883-O Proof Proof Morgan Dollar.

This unique 1891-O Branch Mint Proof Seated Liberty Dime is in a category by itself; the closest comparison would be the extremely rare 1894-S Branch Mint Proof Barber Dime. Although there is not any official documentation or Mint records pertaining to the striking of this unique Proof dime, not every unique Proof coin struck at the New Orleans branch mint or at any other U.S. Mint has official records or documentation. Although not nearly as famous as the 1894-S Branch Mint Proof Dime, of which 24 were struck, the 1891-O Branch Mint Proof Dime merits comparison to the 1894-S Branch Mint Proof Dime that sells for seven figures.

Many ultra-rare coins struck by the Mint in Philadelphia and in the branch mints are unique or produced in extremely small numbers under clandestine circumstances. A few examples are the 1804 silver dollar and the 1913 Liberty Head nickels. Other examples include the gold Indian Head cents and the unique 1913 Liberty Head nickel struck in gold. Although the 1894-S Barber Dime is documented in U.S. Mint records, there is still controversy surrounding the purpose for striking these. Additionally, many branch mint Proofs and specimens are controversial and lack official U.S. Mint documentation.

This unique 1891-O Branch Mint Seated Liberty Dime combines rarity, quality and history and belongs in an advanced collection of Seated Liberty coinage or unique coinage from the United States Mints.

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United States 1964 Washington Quarter Dollar Silver Proof Coin

  Description – Washington Quarter Intended to be a circulating commemorative coin honoring the bicentennial of the birth of America’s first president, the Washington quarter as originally designed was struck from 1932 to 1998 – save for a two-year run in 1975 and ’76, when the coin’s reverse was swapped out for the “drummer boy” design […]

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Counterfeit Coin Detection – 1854-O Arrows Seated Liberty Half Dollar

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Stack’s Bowers to Showcase the Famous 1894-S Dime at ANA World’s Fair of Money Auction

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Gem 1834 Capped Bust Quarter Featured in Stack’s Bowers May 2019 Baltimore Auction

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Third 2017 America the Beautiful 5oz Silver Uncirculated Coin on Sale July 11

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Third 2017 America the Beautiful 5oz Silver Uncirculated Coin on Sale July 11

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How Certified American Silver Eagles of the 2010s Have Fared in the Marketplace

  By Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez for CoinWeek.com …… Since their debut in 1986, American Silver Eagles (ASEs) have been one of the most popular bullion coin series in the world, but their appeal extends well beyond the arena of precious metals investing. The American Silver Eagle, authorized by the passage of the Liberty Coin Act of […]

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Gem 1851-O Half Dollar at Stack’s Bowers June 2017 Baltimore Auction

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Counterfeit Coin Detection – 1854-O Arrows Seated Liberty Half Dollar

Counterfeit 1854-O Arrows Seated Liberty Half Dollar Numismatic Guaranty Corporation ………. Numerous issues, such as depressions, raised lines, porosity and die damage, presented plenty of evidence to prove this coin not genuine. The Coinage Act of 1853 reduced the weight of the silver half dime, dime, quarter and half dollar as part of an effort […]

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2016 Fort Moultrie ATB 5 Ounce Silver Uncirculated Coin Avail. Dec. 8

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U.S. Mint Limited Edition 2016 Silver Proof Set Available November 25

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Newly Discovered, Unique Dual-Plugged 1795 Silver Dollar Offered by Heritage Auctions

Authenticated by NGC, this discovery coin will be featured in the Heritage Platinum Night Auction at the ANA Anaheim World’s Fair of Money, August 10, 2016 A first-of-its-kind, recently-discovered 1795 U.S. Flowing Hair silver dollar with two separate “plugs” has been authenticated by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) and will be a featured highlight of the […]

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Classic U.S. Silver Coins highlight Winter ANA Coin Auction

Coin Rarities & Related Topics: News and Analysis regarding scarce coins, coin markets, and the coin collecting community #267 A Weekly CoinWeek Column by Greg Reynolds Among major, ‘live’ coin auctions, smaller events with relatively modest offerings tend to draw more attention to coins that are not extremely expensive. In large events, six-figure coins often […]

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