Following one of the most significant Silver American Eagle Proof releases of all time in February of 2021, we’ve built out a list of what we believe are the Top 5 Silver American Eagle Proof 70 coins ever produced.
In its fourth decade, the Silver American Eagle Proof program is one of the most popular coin series offered by the modern United States Mint. Over 130 million coins have been invested in since the program first launched. After being approved by Congress in 1985 under the “Liberty Coin Act,” the first release of the Silver American Eagle was in 1986.
The Silver American Eagle Proof coin holds one troy ounce of 0.999 pure silver. With this, it carries a legal tender face value of $1. The coin’s precious metal contents are guaranteed by the United States Government.
Note: On October 1, 2020, the U.S. Mint revealed a new reverse design that will appear on the Silver American Eagles starting in mid-2021 (pictured below).
5. 2021 Silver American Eagle Proof 70
At number five is the Silver Eagle Proof — just released in February of 2021. This is the last issue to bear the original Silver American Eagle reverse design.
The Silver Eagle’s standard inscriptions surround the eagle image – “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” along the top of the coin, and is mirrored by the coin’s specifications of “1 OZ.” “FINE SILVER” and face value of “ONE DOLLAR” along the bottom edge. The “W” signifying production at the West Point Mint, can be found on the coin’s reverse side.
4. 2017-S Silver American Eagle Proof 70
This coin’s undeniable appeal has not flown under the radar. In 2012, the U.S. Mint issued a limited-time rerun of the beloved S-Mint Silver Eagles, which were included as part of the set commemorating San Francisco Mint’s present-day location’s 75th anniversary.
In 2017, five years later, the U.S. Mint issued two more limited-run S-Mint Silver Eagles series. The first was offered as part of the annual “Congratulations Set,” which, up until then, had only ever comprised of West Point issues of the coin. Later in the year, the second batch was released as a part of the 2017 Limited Edition Silver Proof Set.
There was so much enthusiasm for the 2017 S-Mint Eagles that the Congratulations Set’s quantity of 75,000 sold out within two minutes of its release.
3. 2011 Silver American Eagle Proof 70 & Mint State 70 25th Anniversary Set
To mark the celebration of the United States Mint’s quarter-century anniversary, a bundle of five 2011-dated Silver American Eagles were released in a variety of finishes. These finishes included:
- Bullion
- Uncirculated
- Proof
- Reverse Proof
In addition, the coins were struck at various Mint outposts–therefore, they bore different mint marks. These include “S” for the San Francisco Mint, “W” for the West Point Mint, and “P” for the Philadelphia Mint.
Own a complete set? Sets containing all five coins–officially graded and labeled at the MS70 (for bullion and uncirculated) and PF70 (for proof and reverse proof) levels are proven to be especially valuable pieces within the precious metals market.
2. 2019 Silver American Eagle Enhanced Reverse Proof 70
A standard “Proof” coin finish includes high-sheen, mirror-like fields–in the background areas–as well as frosted devices–which are the actual design elements. Conversely, a “Reverse Proof” coin exhibits the same highly polished and frosted finishes, but these are showcased in an inverted fashion–frosted fields and shiny devices.
An “Enhanced Reverse Proof” coin finish is an exquisite take on both of these concepts. Similar to the standard “Reverse Proof” finish, Enhanced Reverse Proofs boast frosted fields as well as mirror-like devices, but what sets apart this “enhanced” finish is that polishing and frosting are applied to multiple individual areas of the coin’s design. As the United States Mint mentions, this finishing “dramatically enhances the visual impact” of the Silver Eagle’s classic design.
Regardless of their iteration, all Proof coins are created from a rigorous and meticulous production method. Each coin undergoes numerous rounds of striking, polishing, and finishing that results in the exceptional beauties that have come to be so valuable in today’s precious metals world.
1. 1995-W Silver American Eagle Proof 70
Ringing in at number one is the 1995-W coin, created to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the American Eagle coin program. The U.S. Mint released a five-piece set, which included Gold American Eagle Proof coins in all of that program’s denominations:
- one-tenth ounce
- one-fourth ounce
- one-half ounce
- one full ounce
- a “complimentary” one-ounce Silver American Eagle Proof
All five coins of the 10th-anniversary set were struck at the West Point Mint, which makes this set’s Silver Eagle Proof extremely unique.
The U.S. Mint released the anniversary set and customers simply had to mark whether or not they also wanted to receive the “bonus” 1995-W Silver Eagle Proof. Either way, the price of the set was $999.
The 1995 Silver American Eagle Proof that bears the “W” mint mark is one of the rarest of all the U.S. Mint coins–only 30,125 coins were ever produced. With such a low population figure, these mid-1990s coins have experienced extremely high valuations, currently sitting well over $20,000. These levels of returns position the“W” mint marked 1995 Silver American Eagle Proof as more valuable than all the Gold American Eagle Proofs in the anniversary set combined!
What are your coins worth?
Have an old coin collection sitting around? It’s definitely the time to check up on the value and consider parting with your collection. The Gold Guys are dedicated to getting you a high price for your precious metals while ensuring the process is easy and painless. We work with you to ensure you’re in control of the transaction from start to finish at no cost to you.
Need help assessing the worth of your coins or other precious metals? The experts at Gold Guys are happy to help. Give us a call, send us an email, or stop into one of our Gold Guys locations. We look forward to serving you!