The American Silver Eagle has proven to be a very popular coin since its debut back in 1986. The reasons for this are many, including its beautiful design, investment value, and 99.9 percent purity. The American Silver Eagle has appeared over the years in several different variations, including bullion, enhanced finish, proof, reversed proof, and burnished versions. However, the Burnished Silver Eagle is the most noteworthy of the bunch. Learn more about this special coin from the experts at First National Bullion and Coin. San Diego collectors trust us for our industry knowledge and high-quality service.

These coins cost roughly $200 to purchase if they have a perfect grade of 70. They serve as a fairly rare product that can be bought for an amount that doesn’t completely break the bank. For starters, the Burnished Silver Eagle is uncirculated. This version of the coin first appeared in 2006 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Silver Eagle and is considered fairly rare. The reason for this is because the burnished version has low mintage numbers and requires more effort to process. The largest minting of these coins was approximately 621,333 in 2007, while the lowest was just under 131,000 in 2018. The annual average production during this period was around 300,000. This might seem like a lot, but as far as coins go, this is an extremely low number.

By comparison, each year, there are about 650,000 Proof Silver Eagles and 15 million Bullion Strike Silver Eagles minted. Furthermore, fewer than five million Burnished Silver Eagles have been printed over the last dozen years. There’s also the possibility that none will be printed in any given year. The coins weren’t printed in 2009 and 2010 because the U.S. Mint encountered a shortage of silver blanks. 

Another thing worth noting is that this version of the coin is released last during the year, after all the other versions have been released. These coins are produced in the West Point Mint, which is utilized much less than the other U.S. mints. This gives these coins a “W” mint designation that isn’t seen very often.

According to the U.S. Mint, “uncirculated” indicates a minting process that’s highly specialized, and these coins have marks to indicate this. The coins also use burnished coin blanks to be pressed in meticulous fashion. This coin has a matte-like finish with a slightly different mint mark than the other Silver Eagles.

The coin gets its smooth look from a process that rolls the silver blanks in a container filled with many tiny balls. Doing this removes any blemishes and gives the coin its beautiful finish. The coin is only struck one time before being moved to the encapsulation stage. From there, it’s released to the public.

If you live in San Diego, silver bars and coins of the highest quality are available at First National Bullion and Coin. We buy and sell all kinds of precious metals, including silver, platinum, gold, and palladium. San Diego collectors who are looking for trustworthy dealers and high-quality service should give us a call at 858-666-6570 to speak with one of our precious metals experts. 

The statements made in this blog are opinions, and past performance is not indicative of future returns. Precious metals, like all investments, carry risk. Precious metals and coins may appreciate, depreciate, or stay the same in cash value depending on a variety of factors. First National Bullion does not guarantee, and its website and employees make no representation, that any metals for sale will appreciate sufficiently to earn the customers a profit. The decision to buy, sell, or borrow precious metals and which precious metals to purchase, borrow, or sell are made at the customer’s sole discretion.