The American Silver Eagle 25th Anniversary Set is now available from the United States Mint for $299.95, plus the standard shipping and handling fee of $4.95. The anniversary set, as expected, went on sale at Noon Eastern Time on Thursday, October 27, 2011.
This special release celebrates 25 years of the American Silver Eagle coin (read about this year’s coins). The United States Mint has been striking the one ounce .999 fine silver coins every year since 1986 in the bullion version and all but one year, 2009, in the numismatic proof version. The collector uncirculated strike has only been around a few times in the last five years.
Order Directly from United States Mint
[Update: All 100,000 sets have sold. The United States Mint placed the sets on a "waiting list" before 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday. Those joining the waiting list "may" see their order processed if an old order is canceled. Details of the list process may be found on the product’s online store page at http://catalog.usmint.gov.]
[Update 2: The Mint on Friday morning announced that the sets were sold out.]
Ever since the set was first announced in August, there has been a buzz about them. Demand is expected to be fierce, with likely delays in the early going for ordering online and through the phone. Proposed prices in the secondary market are already sky-high based on anticipated collector interest.
Orders for the 2011 American Silver Eagle Anniversary Set may be placed on the United States Mint website (http://catalog.usmint.gov), or its toll free number 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
100,000 units will be sold, and there is an initial limit of 5 per household.
Eagle Coins in Anniversary Set
Each anniversary set contains five of the one ounce coins, each slightly different, and comes in a highly polished, lacquered hardwood presentation case with a Certificate of Authenticity. The coins are:
| Coin | Mint Mark | Released Individually | Price | Latest Sales Figures* |
| 2011 Bullion American Silver Eagle | None | January 3 | Variable | 36,375,500 |
| 2011 Proof American Silver Eagle | W | June 30 | $58.95 | 783,787 |
| 2011 Uncirculated American Silver Eagle | W | September 15 | $50.95 | 195,507 |
| 2011 Reverse Proof American Silver Eagle | P | No | N/A | N/A |
| 2011 Uncirculated American Silver Eagle | S | No | N/A | N/A |
**Sales figures are as of Monday, October 24, 2011, with the exception of the bullion coin which has an as of date of Wednesday, October 26, 201
The first three listed above have been available individually this year, as described in more detail later in this article. The last two, however, are unique and can only be acquired from the Mint in this 25th Anniversary Set — at least that is the expectations, thus making the set extra special to collectors. Tens of thousands of them will sell for that reason alone.
Investors and collector demand has skyrocketed in recent years for Silver Eagles, another indication that the anniversary set will be a top seller in the Mint’s line-up.
American Silver Eagle 25th Anniversary Set Additional Details
The United States Mint has been selling the 2011 Bullion American Silver Eagle coins to its network of Authorized Purchasers in bulk orders since January 3, 2011. As of Wednesday, October 26, 2011, an impressive 36,375,500 bullion strikes have sold. The coin’s smashed the annual record earlier this month.
The bullion version is the only investment grade coin in the set. It has a brilliant finish and no mint mark. The two United States Mint facilities producing these are West Point and San Francisco. Since the bureau does not sell bullion coins to anyone except their Authorized Purchasers, this anniversary set is the only means for the public to buy the bullion version directly from the Mint.
When the 2011-W Proof American Silver Eagle coins hit the scene this summer, they sold like hotcakes. A cool $22 million was made in six days after 367,623 of them were ordered. The most recent sales figures showed 783,787 sold as of Monday, October 24, 2011.
In 2006, the United States Mint began making the Uncirculated American Silver Eagle coin. It was sold as a stand-alone product and also part of a 3-coin 20th Anniversary Silver Eagle Set. Then in 2007 and 2008, the Mint kept it available for individual sales but had to stop its production in 2009 and 2010 in order to keep up with demand for the bullion counterparts.
On September 15, 2011, the Mint started selling the 2011-W Uncirculated American Silver Eagle. Year-to-date sales were at 195,507 in the most recent report.
A 2011-S Uncirculated American Silver Eagle is also in the new set. The only thing differentiating it from the other uncirculated issue in the set is the mint mark. The "S" denotes the coin’s origin in San Francisco, while the "W" indicates its origin in West Point. Also, as stated earlier, expectations are that this 2011 uncirculated San Francisco strike can only be purchased through the 25th Anniversary Set.
The final, and the other expected unique coin in the set, is the 2011-P Reverse Proof American Silver Eagle. The last time the United States Mint made a reverse proof Silver Eagle was 2006 when it was part of the 3-coin 20th Anniversary Silver Eagle Set. A "reverse proof" means the background is frosted and the raised design and inscriptions are brilliant and mirror-like.
Although the mint marks and or finishes vary from coin to coin, the designs are all the same. On the obverse is Adolph A. Weinman’s full-length figure of Liberty in stride. Her right hand is extended and branches of laurel and oak are in her left hand.
The reverse was designed by John Mercanti and features the heraldic eagle with shield. It is carrying an olive branch in the right talon and arrows in the left talon.
Learn more about the Mint’s American Eagle coin program at http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/?action=american_eagles.
