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1986 American Silver Eagle

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1986 Silver Eagle BU

In 1986, the United States Mint launched the American Eagle program. The American Gold Eagle and American Silver Eagle were established as the nation’s first official bullion coins.

In this first production year, the Mint issued more than 5 million Silver Eagle coins, which led to high demand the following year as well.

Inaugural Issue

The 1986 Silver Eagle was the first year the series was minted. It was also the first .999 fine silver bullion coin produced by the US Mint designed for investment. The coin was released late in the year and was only sold for two months. The mintage for BU American Eagle in 1986 was relatively high with over over 5 million coins issued.

1986 American Silver Eagle Proof

It also marked the first year that Silver Eagle proofs were struck. American Silver Eagle proofs are marketed towards collectors. More than one-million proof Silver Eagle coins were sold in 1986.

1986 Silver Eagle Proof Coin
1986 Silver Eagle Proof Finish

Coin Highlights:

  • 1ST Mintage Year of the American Silver Eagle coin from the US Mint.
  • 5,393,005 1986 Silver Eagle BU Coins Minted.
  • 1,446,778 1986 Silver Eagle Proof Coins Minted.
  • Contains 1 oz of .999 pure silver.
  • Carries a face value of $1 (USD) and is backed by the US Government for purity, weight and quality.
  • Features the iconic Walking Liberty design on the obverse.
  • Includes a heraldic eagle design with shield and talons holding an olive branch and arrows.
  • S mint marks on the proof coins from the San Francisco Mint.

With a mintage of almost 1.5 million coins, the 1986 Silver Eagle Proof is the largest Proof Silver Eagle mintage to date.

The obverse is Adolph A. Weinman’s Walking Liberty design from 1916, which was also featured on the Walking Liberty half-dollar coin. This is complemented with the reverse design of the heraldic eagle of the United States by then-Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, John Mercanti.

American Silver Eagle Minting Locations Timeline

The inaugural release of the American Silver Eagle coin was produced by the San Francisco Mint. The San Francisco mint struck both the BU and Proof Strikes of the coin. Bullion production remained at the San Francisco Mint until 1999, after which production shifted to West Point, with some bullion coins also produced at Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Mint began producing proof Silver Eagles in 1993.

Since 2001, the West Point Mint has been the primary mint for both proof and bullion Silver Eagles.

1986 – Inaugural Release:

  • The American Silver Eagle was first introduced in 1986, with the San Francisco Mint initially handling both the bullion (uncirculated) and proof versions of the coin.

1986-1992 – San Francisco Mint Production:

  • The San Francisco Mint struck both the bullion and proof versions from the coin’s launch in 1986 through 1992.

1993 – Proof Coin Production Moves to Philadelphia:

  • Starting in 1993, the Philadelphia Mint took over proof coin production from San Francisco. The bullion version, however, continued to be produced at San Francisco.

1999 – Bullion Production Shifts to Philadelphia and West Point:

  • In 1999, the West Point Mint became the primary producer of bullion American Silver Eagles. The Philadelphia Mint also produced some bullion coins, although West Point became the main production location.

2001 – West Point as Primary Mint for Bullion and Proof:

  • By 2001, both the proof and bullion Silver Eagles were produced primarily at the West Point Mint, which remains the primary minting location to this day.
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Top 4 Sovereign Gold Coins for Investing

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american gold eagle coin

Uncertainty in the traditional investment markets brings a lot of interest in precious metals. Precious metals provide a stable investment and store of wealth when the stock market is wavering. Gold has always been looked at as a safe-haven way to hold onto wealth during an economic recession. Gold coins for investing are the best way having physical precious metals in your portfolio.

Gold has historically been a way for investors to preserve buying power from inflation.

Gold has been on the rise this year. All major financial experts are predicting that gold is going to continue to rise. Hedge fund leaders and financial analysts alike are recommending investments in precious metals.

There are ways to invest in gold like traditional stock or mutual fund investments. There are gold-mining stocks whose performance often tracks the price of gold in relation to the expenses of mining operations. There are ETF (electronically traded funds), some of which are backed by physical metals.

However, the safest way to invest in gold is to buy physical bullion.

Gold Bullion comes in different forms. The most common ways to invest in physical gold is to buy coins and bars.

Gold coins are minted, backed and guaranteed by sovereign governments.

Gold bars and rounds are minted by private companies that assure the assay of the gold you’re buying.

If you want exposure to gold in your investment portfolio, then buying and holding gold coins is the best way to achieve that.

Gold Coins are different from rounds in that coins are issued by sovereign government authorities and carry legal tender status. In the majority of cases, the face value that is present on gold coins is nominal and is a fraction of the intrinsic value of the metal in the coin.

Government issued coins are more widely recognized world-wide when it comes time to sell. They are standardized and are manufactured to exacting specifications that are well known and documented.

This makes them much easier to authenticate without requiring expensive equipment to assay. With a digital scale and measuring calipers even a novice in precious metals can often be taught to easily determine the authenticity of a coin.

  1. American Gold Eagle Coins

    The American Gold Eagle is one of the most recognizable modern gold coins worldwide. It’s design embodies the spirit of America. The obverse (front) of the coin features the Walking Liberty design that also appeared on the St Gauden’s Double Eagle coin. The reverse (back) of the coin shows a bald eagle soaring above it’s nest.

    It was introduced in 1986 and is backed in full faith for it’s purity and weight by the US Mint. Each Gold Eagle coin contains 1 troy ounce of gold. The coin also contains small amounts of silver and copper to provide strength, durability and protections from scratches while being handled.

    The composition of the Gold American Eagle is 91.67% Au, 3% Ag, 5.33% Cu. It is 22 karat, which was the alloy used in American Gold coins minted prior to 1837.

    Gold Eagles are widely recognized by investors. They are typically sold by dealers as individual coins. Though they are also available in tubes of 20 coins or Monster Boxes containing  25 full tubes.

  2. American Gold Buffalo Coins

    The American Gold Buffalo coin was introduced in 2006. It is a 24k bullion coin produced from .9999 fine gold. It was the first 24k gold bullion coin produced by the US Mint.

    The Gold Buffalo mimics the design of the Buffalo Nickel. It is produced annually at the West Point Mint. Random Year Gold Buffalo coins will carry the lowest premiums over spot price, which is ideal for investors.

  3. Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coins

    The Canadian Maple Leaf is one of the world’s most popular coin programs. It is the official bullion coin series of the Royal Canadian Mint and the nation of Canadian. First introduced in 1979, the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins were the first in the world to compete with the South African Krugerrand in terms of gold bullion demand. Prior to the release of the Gold Canadian Maple Leaf no other coin beside the Krugerrand had ever been offered strictly for investment purposes.

    The obverse of all Gold Maple Leafs feature the right-profile portrait sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II. Three different incarnations of Her Majesty’s profile have appeared over the years. These include the following:

    -1979 to 1989 – The image of a 39-year-old Queen Elizabeth II.

    -1990 to 2004 – A depiction of Queen Elizabeth II at 64 years of age.

    -2005 to Present – Susanna Blunt’s depiction of Her Majesty at the age of 79.

    The reverse of all Canadian Maple Leaf coins features the image of the sugar maple leaf. Used on the reverse since the introduction of the gold version in 1979, this image has never changed. The only additions have been security measures, notably radial lines and a microscopic maple leaf privy.

  4. South African Gold Krugerrand Coins

    The gold Krugerrand quickly became the number one choice for investors worldwide during the bull gold market in the 1970’s. Between 1974-1985 it is estimated that 22 million gold Krugerrand coins were imported into the United States.

    The success of the South African Gold Krugerrand inspired other gold-producing countries to mint and issue gold bullion coins. Including Canada, with the gold Canadian Maple Leaf; China, with the Chinese Gold Panda; the United States, with the American Gold Eagle; and the United Kingdom, with the British Gold Britannia.

    The dimensions of the 1 oz South African Gold Krugerrand is 32.77 mm in diameter and 2.84 mm thick. It is minted from a gold alloy that is 91.67% pure (22 karats) so that the coin contains one troy ounce (31.1035 grams) of gold. The remaining 8.33% of the of the coins weight is copper which gives the Krugerrand it’s orange appearance. As a result, the Krugerrand’s actual weight is 1.0909 troy ounces (33.93 grams).

    In 1980, the South African Mint began producing gold Krugerrand coins in fractional ounce sizes, containing 1/2 oz (15.5 grams), 1/4 ounce (7.78 grams), and 1/10 ounce (3.11 grams) of pure gold.

Many experts suggest that every investment portfolio is diversified with 10% to 15% invested in precious metals. Many investors choose to buy gold coins because of their ability to retain and maintain purchasing power over time.

The one troy ounce gold coin is the most popular size and denomination of gold bullion coins available today. These gold coins are widely recognized worldwide and can easily be authenticated with simple tools. One ounce gold coins are small and compact and many of them can be stored discreetly in a very small amount of space.

One standard mint tube of gold eagle coins contains 20 troy ounces of gold and is only slightly larger than an average pill bottle. With the spot price of gold hovering between $1,500 to $1,600 per ounce, a full tube of Gold Eagles has a bit over $30,000 in gold value. That is a remarkable store of wealth in a compact size.

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About Mexican Dos Peso Gold Coins

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Dos Pesos Gold Coins production began at La Casa De Moneda in Mexico City beginning in 1919. In 1919, roughly 1,670,000 coins were minted. Production continued briefly through 1920 before it was halted.

Production of the Dos Pesos was restarted in 1944 and continued through 1948.

From 1951-1972 the mint began production again. During this time 4,590,493 coins were restruck, most dated 1945.

In 1996 additional restrikes were produced with a matte finish. An additional 260,000 restrike coins dated 1945 were struck minted 2000-2009.

Dos Pesos coins that were produced at La Casa De Moneda carry the “Mo” mint mark, with the lowercase o being centered above the uppercase M.

On most Gold Dos Pesos coins the mint mark is most commonly located on the reverse, at the bottom below the bow in the wreath.

Coin Highlights:

  • Denomination: 2 Pesos
  • Total Weight: 1.666 grams
  • Actual Gold Weight (AGW): .0482 troy ounces (1.499 grams)
  • Composition: 90% Gold, 10%
  • Diameter: 13 millimeters
  • Thickness: 1.02 millimeters

Dos Pesos Mintage Chart

Year Mintage Comments
1919 Mo 1,670,000
1920 Mo 4,282,000
1944 Mo 10,000
1945 Mo 140,000 1945 original strikes
1945 Mo 4,590,493 1951-1972 restrikes (dated 1945)
1945 Mo 1996 Matte restrikes (dated 1945)
1946 Mo 168,000
1947 Mo 25,000
1948 Mo 45,000

The mintage years for the Dos Pesos Gold coin spanned 90 years. The majority of the coins produced and available in the market are restrikes dated 1945.

Throughout the 90 year production run 10,930,493 Dos Pesos Gold coins were produced.

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PCGS Awards $5,000 Bounty for Circulated W Mint Mark Quarters

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In celebration of the US Mint releasing the 2019-W Quarters into the wild, the coin grading company PCGS, has announced a number of rewards and bounty programs to those who submit some of the first coins for grading.

The reward of $5,000 for first qualifying 2019-W Lowell quarter submitted and certified to PCGS has been confirmed, and we are now proud to announce a $2,000 reward to the first person to submit a 2019-W American Memorial Park quarter to PCGS for grading and encapsulation.

The reward for the first qualifying 2019-W Lowell quarter was split between two nearly simultaneous submissions.

Additional rewards of up to $2,000 are being offered for additional W mint mark quarters that are scheduled to be released this year by the US Mint.

Any quarters submitted for grading with PCGS during the early release period will receive special designations noted on the coin holder labels for those discovered and submitted during the first week of release, noted as “First Week of Discovery”. Those submitted during the first 45 days following the release will receive a designation as “Early Find”.

More information about the rewards bounties and special designations celebrating the 2019-W West Point minted quarters can be found on the PCGS 2019-W Quarter Quest Website.