2012 Silver Eagle
The United States Mint will start accepting orders for the 2012 Silver Eagle bullion coins from authorized purchasers on January 3, 2012. Most dealers are expecting that the coins will be available for delivery to collectors by the second week of January.
In recent years, there has been incredible demand for the one ounce bullion Silver Eagle coins, leading to record annual sales for the past four consecutive years. During 2009 and 2010, the unprecedented demand levels led to periodic sales suspensions and extended periods of rationing, as the US Mint struggled to produce sufficient numbers of coins. In 2011, the US Mint was able to acquire greater numbers of planchets from suppliers and also temporarily expand production to the San Francisco Mint, leading to increased production levels. The total annual sales for 2011 are expected to exceed 40 million.
This year, the coins may continue to experience strong demand. During 2011, the market price of silver had risen to nearly $50 per ounce, before a series of sharp declines brought the price back below $30 per ounce. The lower prices may support continued demand in the coming year, for those focused on longer term appreciation.
The US Mint is expected to offer the 2012 Proof Silver Eagle later in the year. These coins carry the same design as the bullion versions but are struck in high quality proof. The specialized minting process involves specially prepared dies and planchets, which are struck multiple times to bring up the full details of the design in cameo appearance. Recently, the proof Silver Eagles have been offered without a stated maximum mintage, but sold out prior to the conclusion of the year.
An additional 2012-W Uncirculated Silver Eagle will also be offered for sale by the US Mint. This is a additional numismatic version of the coin, struck on specially burnished blanks and carrying the “W” mint mark. This version of the coin has typically experienced a much lower mintage than the proof version, potentially creating longer term numismatic value.
The US Mint has also announced plans to release a 2012-S Uncirculated Silver Eagle. In the previous year, a collectible uncirculated version of the coin with the “S” mint mark was included in a special anniversary set. For this year, the coin may be offered individually, or within another special edition set with a limited mintage.
2012 Silver Eagle Mintages
Bullion Mintage: TBD
Proof Mintage: TBD
Uncirculated (Burnished) Mintage: TBD
2012 Silver Eagle Specifications
Mint Mark: none (bullion), W (proof, uncirculated), S (uncirculated)
Designers: Adolph A. Weinman (obverse), John Mercanti (reverse)
Composition: 99.93% silver, 0.07% copper
Weight: 31.101 grams (1.000 ounces)
Diameter: 40.6 mm (1.598 inches)
Thickness: 2.98 mm (0.117 inches)
Edge: Reeded
