2012-W American Silver Eagle Uncirculated Coin Available

Sales of the 2012-W American Silver Eagle Uncirculated Coin kicked off Thursday, August 2, 2012.

The United States Mint at noon ET began accepting orders for the collector product with the West Point "W" mint mark for $45.95, the same price of the 2011-W American Silver Eagle Uncirculated Coin which remains on sale.

(The latest sales figures for the 2011-dated Eagle is 2,371 shy of 300,000, as of Monday, July 30, 2012.)

Coin Collectors can visit the U.S. Mint’s online site at http://www.usmint.gov/catalog or call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468) to place an order. There is no stated maximum mintage or household ordering limits. With such coins, demand generally dictates how many are produced.

Pricing for the uncirculated Silver Eagle was first revealed in mid-January, but the price of silver could have resulted in a change, and can trigger adjustments down the road.

The U.S. Mint recently reaffirmed the Eagle’s price in a Federal Register notice that was dated July 2, 2012 when silver in London was at $27.36 an ounce. Every American Silver Eagle has 1 troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver, which means each has a melt value that is variable depending on the silver market. In the case of the uncirculated coin, the premium above its silver value is about $18.50 when using today’s silver price of $27.42 an ounce.

The appearance of the uncirculated American Silver Eagle is close to that of the bullion American Silver Eagle, although this latter coin does not have the "W" mint mark. Buyers can find bullion Silver Eagles for just a few dollars over the cost of silver.

American Silver Eagle Uncirculated Coins have been around since 2006, which is a short lifespan compared to the aforementioned bullion piece or the companion proof Silver Eagle that have been issued annually since 1986. This year’s uncirculated coin marks the 5th issuance since the U.S. Mint did not offer them in calendar years 2009 and 2010.

Later this year, on September 24, 2012, the U.S. Mint has scheduled the release of the 2012 Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set. This set is expected to contain one 2012-W American Silver Eagle Uncirculated Coin along with the four 2012 Presidential $1 coins and the 2012 Native American $1 Coin. A price for the annual set has not been announced.

Adolph A. Weinman’s classic Walking Liberty design adorns the Eagle’s obverse while John Mercanti’s heraldic eagle with shield is shown on the reverse.