Precious metals coins have been found by archaeologists and historians that date back thousands of years.
Historians and archaeologists from around the world have unearthed precious metal coins from cultures that vanished long ago. Many notable examples from China, India, Ancient Greece and Egypt are on display in museums.
Silver, Gold and other precious metals are found in natural deposits throughout the world. Coins minted from silver and gold have been valued, exchanged as the purest form of money since ancient civilizations.
The earliest known was the Lydians, an ancient Mediterranean civilization that has been discovered in part of modern day Turkey.
The Lydians are the first known culture to create coins from gold and silver. The earliest coins discovered were minted of an alloy similar to electrum. Electrum is a naturally occurring alloy containing gold and silver that also contains trace amounts of copper and other metals.
The Lydian stater coins have often been reported to be struck from this naturally-occurring alloy. However, modern analysis has shown that many were actually made from a specific and rather consistent alloy. A mixture of approximately 55% gold, 45% silver, and a small balance of copper.
In Ancient Greece, the silver drachma was the standard used for hundreds of years even into the early Roman Empire. Each drachma was minted with 4.3 grams of silver. the largest know, the Decadrachm contained 43 grams of silver.
Colonial times and long ocean voyages to the new world helped to establish a new routes for international trade. The economies of the Europe were funded by exploits gained through colonial expansion. Ships returning to Europe brought goods like sugar, corn and tobacco. The New World was also filled with treasures made from gold and silver.
Locally struck coins dating to as early as 1497 have been discovered at early settlements in the Caribbean.
The Spanish were the first to establish a mint in the New World in what is today in Mexico City. La Casa de Moneda was built by Spanish Colonial settlers in 1536 by order of King Charles I of Spain.
La Casa de Moneda has operated continuously as the oldest operating mint in North America. The flagship bullion coin is the Mexican Libertad Silver Coins which are minted on an annual basis.
Silver coins were also struck in mints established throughout the British colonies. The US Mint was established in Philadelphia in 1792 following the American Revolution.
Silver Coinage in the US economy
Silver is a store of value and wealth that has stood the test of time and technology. Silver was part of the bedrock that the American economy was built on. The Founding Fathers even included a mention of gold and silver in the Constitution.
Everyday Americans carried and used silver coins in everyday life for more than 173 years. Coins minted from alloys of silver were in circulation up until the 1960s.
Congress passed the Coinage Act of 1965. The passage of this act led to further debasement and ushered in the transitioned the dollar away from a gold-standard.
Prior to 1965, all dimes, quarters, half-dollar and dollar coins were 90% silver. Half dollar coins were debased to 40% silver in 1965. The final 40% silver coins intended for circulation were minted in 1970.
The debasement of the dollar and removal from the gold standard continued during Nixon’s first term as president.
For good reason, people began to horde old circulated silver coins. Sometimes old jars of these coins are found buried in someones backyard while doing renovations.
Today, these old circulated silver coins are referred to as Junk Silver. They are bought, sold, traded by investors, stackers, preppers, collectors. Having a few rolls or stacks of old silver coins provides some additional financial security. It’s easy to buy
Modern Silver Bullion Coins
In the late 1970s the Hunt Brothers manipulated prices in the silver market. Their manipulation led to the famed Silver Thursday event in 1980.
The price of silver was driven up to over $50 per ounce on January 18, 1980. At the time the Hunt Brothers were reported to have been holding over 100 million physical ounces at the time.
In response, COMEX created a new trading rule called the “Silver Rule 7”. The new rule suddenly forced the brothers into covering debt borrowed to finance futures contracts. The abrupt change of rules caused the price of silver to drop by more than 50% in just four days.
American Silver Eagle Coins
The US economy suffered through a three year long recession in the early 1980s. In 1985, Congress passed the Liberty Coin Act as a way to help restore faith.
The law established that the first coins were to be released the following year meeting specifications for composition. The US Mint debuted the 1986 American Eagle, minted from .999 fine silver with a design that remained for 35 years.
In 2021, the US Mint updated the reverse with a new design that was introduced part-way into year. There are two distinct reverse designs for the 2021 American Silver Eagle.
During the first part of the year, the coins continued to be minted using the existing design. The coins featuring the new reverse that shows an eagle grasping an olive branch with both talons.
Today, American Silver Eagle investment coins are considered to be the most widely trusted and recognized silver bullion coin worldwide.
The number of coins manufactured each year varies on demand from investors. The coins are minted based on sales. This helps the US Mint to implement a business model that allows for flexibility in scaling capacity.
Silver bullion coins are sold only to Authorized Purchasers who are approved US Mint. The wholesalers acquire freshly minted silver eagle coins from the mint at a fixed premium over spot price. The premium from the mint to wholesalers is $2.35 over the LMBA silver spot price.
The list of Authorized Purchasers includes investment banks and online bullion dealers APMEX and A-Mark. A-Mark is the parent company of well-known online bullion dealers including JM Bullion, Silver.com, Provident Metals and BGASC.
This year, it has been widely reported that the US Mint has been unable to keep up with investor demand. This is the first time in the 36 year history of minting bullion coins. High premiums at retail have led to some investors to buy generic silver bullion.
Manufacturing delays of planchets from private refineries forced the mint to cancel several eagerly anticipated releases.
The American Silver Eagle coin is only available in a one troy ounce denomination which has a $1 USD face value legal tender designation.