American Silver Eagle Collection
The Complete Guide to the ASE
2022 · SILVER EAGLE · UNITED STATES MINT
Introduced by the United States Mint in 1986 under the Liberty Coin Act, the American Silver Eagle is the official sovereign silver bullion coin of the United States. Each coin is struck containing exactly one troy ounce (31.103 grams) of 99.9% pure silver and carries a legal tender face value of one US dollar, fully backed by the United States government for its weight, content, and purity.
The coin’s design features Adolph A. Weinman’s iconic “Walking Liberty” on the obverse, originally created for the 1916 circulating half dollar—making it widely recognized as one of the most visually striking pieces of modern government-issued bullion.
1oz Silver Bullion
The standard bullion variant of the American Silver Eagle is manufactured specifically to meet global investment demand and is produced in massive quantities dictated entirely by market conditions. Struck across three branch minting facilities, West Point, San Francisco, and Philadelphia, the regular bullion issue features a standard uncirculated finish and intentionally bears no mint mark on the reverse.
The front of the American Silver Eagle features Adolph A. Weinman’s iconic “Walking Liberty” design alongside the coin’s year of issue. While this beautifully detailed face remained virtually untouched for decades, it contains a major transition point that year-set collectors watch out for:
1986 to Mid-2021 (The Classic Front): For the first 35 years of the series, the area directly beneath the motto “In God We Trust” is completely blank.
Mid-2021 to Present (The Refined Front): Starting with the mid-2021 “Type 2” release, the U.S. Mint updated the face using the artist’s original 1916 master moulds. This update permanently added Weinman’s traditional “AW” artist monogram (the tiny overlapping letters) right under the word “Trust,” while also updating the font style of the date to its historic 1916 look.
1986
5,393,005 Mintage
1987
11,442,335 Mintage
1988
5,004,646 Mintage
1989
5,203,327 Mintage
1990
5,840,110 Mintage
1991
7,191,066 Mintage
1992
5,540,068 Mintage
1993
6,763,762 Mintage
1994
4,227,319 Mintage
1995
4,672,051 Mintage
1996
3,603,386 Mintage
1997
4,295,004 Mintage
1998
4,847,549 Mintage
1999
7,408,640 Mintage
2000
9,239,132 Mintage
2001
9,001,711 Mintage
2002
10,539,026 Mintage
2003
8,495,008 Mintage
2004
8,882,754 Mintage
2005
8,891,025 Mintage
2006
10,676,522 Mintage
2007
9,028,036 Mintage
2008
20,583,000 Mintage
2009
30,459,000 Mintage
2010
34,764,500 Mintage
2011
40,020,000 Mintage
2012
33,742,500 Mintage
2013
42,675,000 Mintage
2014
44,006,000 Mintage
2015
47,000,000 Mintage
2016
37,701,500 Mintage
2017
18,065,500 Mintage
2018
15,700,000 Mintage
2019
14,863,000 Mintage
2020
30,089,500 Mintage
2021
5,393,005 Mintage
2022
16,000,000 Mintage
2023
24,750,000 Mintage
2024
24,862,000 Mintage
2025
11,568,000 Mintage
2026
Unknown Mintage
1oz Silver Bullion Reverse
1986 to Mid-2021 (Type 1 – Heraldic Eagle): Features John Mercanti’s formal eagle design holding a shield, a ribbon in its beak, and 13 stars overhead.
Mid-2021 to Present (Type 2 – Landing Eagle): Features Emily Damstra’s realistic, dynamic design of an eagle preparing to land while clutching an oak branch.
1986 – 2021
Reverse
2021 – Present
Reverse
1oz Silver Proof
While standard bullion issues are struck in massive quantities for precious metal content, the American Silver Eagle Proof Series is minted as a specialised collector’s edition. First appearing at the series’ launch in 1986, proof coins are produced in strictly limited annual quantities.
Rather than entering general circulation or bulk commodity stockpiles, each proof coin is individually struck multiple times on specially polished planchets. This meticulous process creates a distinct, high-contrast finish featuring frosted raised details against a mirrored background.
Because the front (obverse) of a Proof Silver Eagle is visually identical to a standard bullion coin, collectors rely on the reverse (tails) side to identify a proof coin. Unlike bullion issues, which intentionally omit any indication of where they were struck, Proof Silver Eagles prominently display a physical mint mark.
Over the history of the series, standard proof production has moved across three main United States Mint facilities:
- West Point Mint (‘W’ Mint Mark): Has served as the main production home for standard Proof Silver Eagles from 2001 to the present day.
- San Francisco Mint (‘S’ Mint Mark): Produced the inaugural proof issues from 1986 through 1992. The “S” mark sits on the reverse side of the coin.
- Philadelphia Mint (‘P’ Mint Mark): Struck the primary proof coins from 1993 through 2000.
The Type 1 to Type 2 Reverse Overhaul (2021)
In mid-2021, the U.S. Mint retired the original reverse design for the first time in the program’s 35-year history, creating a historic “crossover” year:
- The Mercanti Reverse (Type 1): Found on all coins from 1986 through the first half of 2021. It features the formal, static Heraldic Eagle behind a Union shield, clutching an olive branch and arrows.
- The Damstra Reverse (Type 2): Introduced in July 2021 and used today. Designed by Emily Damstra, this dynamic, lifelike design depicts a bald eagle preparing to land while carrying an oak branch.
1986
1,446,778 Mintage
1987
904,732 Mintage
1988
557,370 Mintage
1989
617,694 Mintage
1990
695,510 Mintage
1991
511,924 Mintage
1992
498,543 Mintage
1993
405,913 Mintage
1994
372,168 Mintage
1995
407,822 Mintage
1995-W
30,125 Mintage
1996
500,000 Mintage
1997
440,315 Mintage
1998
450,728 Mintage
1999
549,330 Mintage
2000
600,743 Mintage
2001
746,398 Mintage
2002
647,342 Mintage
2003
747,831 Mintage
2004
801,602 Mintage
2005
816,663 Mintage
2006
1,092,477 Mintage
2006-P
Reverse Proof
248,875 Mintage
2007
821,759 Mintage
2008
700,979 Mintage
2010
849,861 Mintage
2011
947,355 Mintage
2011-P
Reverse Proof
99,882 Mintage
2012
877,731 Mintage
2012-S
S Proof
281,792 Mintage
2012-S
Reverse Proof
224,935 Mintage
2013
934,818 Mintage
2013-W
Reverse Proof
235,689 Mintage
2014
944,757 Mintage
2015
707,518 Mintage
2016
521,432 Mintage
2017-W
440,596 Mintage
2017-S
123,799 Mintage
2018-W
430,053 Mintage
2018-S
197,005 Mintage
2019-W
375,180 Mintage
2019-S
200,696 Mintage
2019-W
Enhanced Rev Proof
99,675 Mintage
2019-S
Enhanced Rev Proof
29,909 Mintage
2020-W
357,111 Mintage
2020-S
191,271 Mintage
2020-W
V75 Privy
74,742 Mintage
2021
416,044 Mintage
2021
Reverse Proof
124,916 Mintage
2021-W
434,488 Mintage
2021-S
225,661 Mintage
2021-S
Reverse Proof
124,916 Mintage
2022-W
663,834 Mintage
2022-S
316,698 Mintage
2023-W
560,462 Mintage
2023-S
241,301 Mintage
2024-W
381,214 Mintage
2024-S
213,066 Mintage
2025-W
330,981 Mintage
2025-S
131,744 Mintage
2025-W
Army Privy
99,964 Mintage
2025-S
Navy Privy
99,894 Mintage
2025-P
Marine Corps Privy
96,986 Mintage
2026-W
Dual Date
Unknown Mintage
2026-P
Congratulations Set
60,000 Limit
1oz Silver Special Editions
2024 Star Privy: Features a 5-pointed star on the obverse. Developed through a collaboration with Nice Gang, creators of the mobile game Eighth Era, the initial 50,000 coins were distributed to Nice Gang to support their games promotion. Limited to 500,000.
2025 Eagle Privy: Featuring a tiny soaring eagle silhouette stamped on the obverse. Limited to 500,000.
2024-P
Star Privy
500,000 Mintage
2025-P
Eagle Privy
500,000 Mintage