25th Anniversary American Silver Eagle Set

Silver coin collectors will be treated to a 25th Anniversary American Silver Eagle Set. According to a recent announcement, the special limited edition 5-coin product from the United States Mint will be released this fall. United States Mint Deputy Director Richard A. Peterson announced the plans on Friday at the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money®.

According to the Mint, the American Silver Eagle Set will be produced to a limited mintage of only 100,000 units and will appear late in October. Further enticing the anticipated excitement over the 25th anniversary collection is the fact that two of the strikes may be unique an only available within the set.

If that is truly the case, it will mean that those two coins could wind up being tied for the second lowest mintage in the history of the entire American Silver Eagle program (http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/?action=american_eagles). Only the 1995-W Proof Silver Eagle, which serves as the key date coin for the series, would be lower with its mintage of just 30,125 coins.

The official press release from the Mint states that the following five coins will be included as part of the 25th Anniversary American Silver Eagle Set:

• one 2011 Silver Eagle Proof Coin from the United States Mint at West Point
• one 2011 Silver Eagle Uncirculated Coin from the United States Mint at West Point
• one 2011 Silver Eagle Uncirculated Coin from the United States Mint at San Francisco
• one 2011 Silver Eagle Reverse Proof Coin from the United States Mint at Philadelphia
• one 2011 Silver Eagle Bullion Coin 

Of these five coins, the 2011-S Silver Eagle Uncirculated Coin and the 2011-P Silver Eagle Reverse Proof Coin are not currently known to be issued in an upcoming United States Mint product. If that remains true, the maximum mintage of these two coins would be tied to the mintage of the complete set which has been capped at 100,000 units.

The remaining three strikes of the set are either currently available or are scheduled to be within the next couple of months. American Silver Eagle bullion coins have been sold through the Mint’s network of authorized purchasers since the beginning of the year with the American Silver Eagle proof released for sale to collectors on June 30th. The United States Mint’s Product Schedule lists a release date of September 29, 2011 for the American Silver Eagle uncirculated coin.

American Eagles date back to 1986 when they were first produced in both bullion and proof varieties. The uncirculated coins made their debut twenty years later in 2006. Throughout their history, the obverse of the strike has always contained Adolph A. Weinman’s Walking Liberty design which first appeared on the 1916-1947 half-dollar and is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful designs ever struck on a coin from the United States. The reverse shows United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver John Mercanti’s heraldic eagle with shield.

When issued, the United States Mint indicates that all five coins in the special 25th anniversary set will be mounted in one custom-designed, highly polished, lacquered hardwood presentation case accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. No price has been announced for the set.