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2012 Annual Sales of American Silver Eagle Bullion Coins
December 27, 2012 by Rhonda Kay · Leave a Comment
The United States Mint’s inventory of 2012 American Silver Eagle bullion coins was depleted on December 17, yet 2012 annual sales still hit third highest in the silver coin’s 26-year history.
In a memo to its distributors, the U.S. Mint not only declared that its 2012 inventory had sold out but also that "no additional coins will be struck." Instead, it will begin accepting orders for the 2013-dated silver coins on January 7, 2013.
Final 2012 sales of Silver Eagle bullion coins landed at 33,742,500. Sales this year were on pace to surpass 2010’s total of 34,662,500, but that failed due to the stoppage. They were further off from 2011’s annual sales record of 39,868,500. Sales this year did, however, fare better than 2009. Below is a chart of the program’s topmost annual totals.
Top Five Annual Sales of American Silver Eagle Bullion Coins
| Rank | Year | Sales Total* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011 | 39,868,500 |
| 2 | 2010 | 34,662,500 |
| 3 | 2012 | 33,742,500 |
| 4 | 2009 | 28,766,500 |
| 5 | 2008 | 19,583,500 |
*These annual sales totals include coins minted in multiple years. In a typical year, the U.S. Mint has excess Silver Eagle inventory and sells them well into January of the new year.
The U.S. Mint began selling this year’s strikes on January 3, 2012. January finished with the highest monthly sales this year, and the second best monthly total in the Eagle’s history. On the other hand, December sales are on the low end at 1,635,000. The table below ranks 2012 monthly sales from highest to lowest.
2012 Monthly Sales of American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins
| Rank | Month | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | January | 6,107,000 |
| 2 | September | 3,255,000 |
| 3 | November | 3,159,500 |
| 4 | October | 3,153,000 |
| 5 | May | 2,875,000 |
| 6 | August | 2,870,000 |
| 7 | June | 2,858,000 |
| 8 | March | 2,542,000 |
| 9 | July | 2,278,000 |
| 10 | December | 1,635,000 |
| 11 | April | 1,520,000 |
| 12 | February | 1,490,000 |
The U.S. Mint started selling Silver Eagle bullion coins in 1986, but has never sold them directly to the public. A network of U.S. Mint Authorized Purchasers buys them in large volumes for a small premium over the value of the precious metals they contain. In turn, their inventory is then distributed in smaller quantities to coin and bullion dealers or directly to the public as physical investment products.
From October 1986 through December 2012, the U.S. Mint has sold 314,888,000 Silver Eagle bullion coins.
As mentioned earlier, the U.S. Mint will begin accepting orders from its Authorized Purchasers for 2013 American Silver Eagle bullion coins on January 7, 2013. There is still inventory of American Gold Eagle bullion coins, and the Mint plans to continue selling those through the end of the year and if necessary, into 2013. January 2, 2013 is the release date of 2013 American Gold Eagles in one ounce, half ounce, quarter-ounce and tenth-ounce sizes.
