For most coin collectors, uncirculated coins take a back seat to proofs. That could change. An uncirculated Silver Eagle with an enhanced finish is poised to change the popularity landscape.
Exhibiting brilliant elements that artistically complement its classic designs, the United States Mint this year will offer a 2013-W Enhanced American Eagle Silver Uncirculated Coin as part of the 2013 American Eagle West Point Two-Coin Silver Set.
Looking at images of the enhanced American Eagle, it’s plain to see that special care and original productions methods were employed to create its unique appearance. The result is more like what everyone has become accustomed to during the 26 years of American Eagle Silver Proof Coins. A tug of war of whether to call the Silver Eagle a proof or uncirculated coin could ensue between collectors as a result, a savvy even if unattended marketing upshot for the upcoming two-coin silver set.
A close inspection of the enhanced Silver Eagle images is clearly remindful of uncirculated Eagles from the past. And while elements of the coin are brilliant, they don’t quite have that mirror-like shine of proofs.
Uncirculated… proof… does it really matter? This coin will have immense appeal for collectors of the series no matter how many are made. Its presentation pulls at the mind like magic. Adolph A. Weinman’s design of Lady Liberty striding toward the sunrise is more than enhanced. One can almost see real color in the draping of the Stars and Stripes.
The 2013 American Eagle West Point Two-Coin Silver Set will include the enhanced uncirculated American Eagle and a reverse proof American Eagle. These coins will not be sold separately. Pricing is unknown, as is the release date for the set other than a general time of May or June.
Now, this is what the mint should be doing! Enhancing the coins, we are so familiar with, making them even more desirable, and making sets, which have coins, not duplicated in other offers. This way, Even if we open the damn box to see our purchases, NGC, PCGS and whatever other grading service decides to negate our purchases because it didn’t have an unbroken seal. I have 5 opened 2006, 3 coin ASE sets that only the reverse proof can be certified as coming from the set because I had the audacity to want to see if any of my… Read more »
that is incredibly amazing that you were able to get five of the 2011 five coin sets. I tried so hard and believe it or not even though people think that the first time the US Mint website shut down was almost 10 years later they are incorrect. The 2011 5 coin set was certainly the first time the US Mint website at ever crashed. I tried for days to get mine and couldn’t secure it. Still to this day I do not own the 2011 uncirculated s mint ASE. Originally I tried so hard to complete the entire set… Read more »
It is a nice looking coin. The 2-coin set should be really popular.
Whew!
I hope they do the ol 1-5 per address limit!
Fliptastic!
enhanced uncirculated? I think they need to come up with a new name. Not that silver eagles were ever circulated, but at least the uncirculated eagles had the finish and appearance that other uncirculated coins had. Now that’s changed. This is clearly a step above the standard uncirculated and a step below the proof. Embellished? Enhanced? Modified? Improved? -or- Collectors coin? Collectable? Special? Sub Proof ?(ugh) Minor Proof?
I’ve questioned the worthiness or purpose of uncirculated coins but this goes beyond uncirculated and deserves an appropriate non uncirculated name.
Enhancement without surgery. I’m in!
Now this is an example of raising the minting artform… playing with the possibilities of stamped metal… I like it.
Just think next year they can do a variation on this one and reverse the enhancement fields and call it a reversed enhanced uncirculated ASE. I’m in for a couple of sets of these.
They don’t mention the enhncement process. Buy looking at the photos it seems certain areas of the devices have a proof quality…look at the stipes in the flowing gown. The reverse shield stripes, and raised ribbon in eagles beak. It reminds me of the incused lettering on Perth Mint’s Lunar 2 Year of Dragon. Not sure if the laser cutting of dies help produce this effect, but it looks cool in photo, and will bite the bullet to pay to own the first effort.
Victor & Jim… I agree with both of your comments. I open
They don’t mention the enhncement process. Buy looking at the photos it seems certain areas of the devices have a proof quality…look at the stipes in the flowing gown. The reverse shield stripes, and raised ribbon in eagles beak. It reminds me of the incused lettering on Perth Mint’s Lunar 2 Year of Dragon. Not sure if the laser cutting of dies help produce this effect, but it looks cool in photo, and will bite the bullet to pay to own the first effort. Victor & Jim… I agree with both of your comments. I open them like a kid… Read more »
Not too many ways to enhance the American Silver Eagle left. Their is always the opposite of the reverse proof. I’m sure there are a couple of other ways. The mint has not used the Denver mint mark yet. I would hate to see them color the Silver Eagle in anyway. The US mint did a great job with this one. My hat is off to them.
Brian et al, it looks as if we have a winner! The concensus is that the mint has done the hobby, proud. Don’t anyone tell them, they could change their minds. Joe, I’ve wondered for some time now, why the Denver Mint has not been used.
looks just like a reverse proof to me
Enhanced Uncirculated?
Enhirculated………
Faster than speeding inflation, It’s Super Coin!
New and Improved Uncirculated (at least they did not try a colorized coin).
I’m in!
I like ’em too. Buy me one Ronnie. I’m poor and need the govt. to take care of me,,!!
this set should limited to just 200,000 set. higher than that is just another bullion related issue. there should be a household limit to just one set.
I agree with everyone here. The Mint has finally listened to the collectors and has produced a very appealing coin in my opinion. This coin really “enhances” the beauty of the designs both obverse and reverse in a classy way. This is truly a superb coin and I commend the Mint for doing a great job!! Can’t wait to order a few sets.
Joe –
I’ve suggested an inverse proof or negative proof before where the design sinks into the coin – what a die looks like for our current coins. Maybe they’ll do that sometime.
jim – kind of like the gold U.S. Indian Head coins from 1908 to 1929 with the (incuse) sunken design. Their big bucks now. Maybe U.S. Mint will do it at the Denver mint. That would be great. Then they can go out with a bang. Then they can start a new silver dollar.
Yeah, I think so. But I don’t think the current silver dollar will go away anytime soon. It’s been the most popular coin they’ve ever minted so they won’t mess with that. They’ll have anomalies like the reverse proof and this enhanced image coin but the mirror proof will remain the standard. Should they ever change the obverse of the silver dollar I do hope they don’t choose a President to honor though.
I think its time the mint produced less coins and concentrated in producing coins that are proof 70 and not proof 68, 65 and, as low as proof 64,which I have had the misfortune to receive from them.
As far as the “enhanced uncirculated” terminology is concerned, drop the proof and uncirculated adjectives and use “special mint strike” or “hybrid strike”. I personally don’t see it as a proof or mint state coin. The 1965-67 Special Mint Sets were never referred to as proof or uncirculated coinage when issued originally. My guess for no silver eagles coming out of Denver to this point is because they don’t have the presses capable of striking the 40 mm one ounce silver blanks. Very seldom also, do you see commemorative coins with the “D” mint mark. Again, Denver is not up… Read more »
Special mint strike sounds OK to me but hybrid strike begs the question what is it a hybrid of, proof and uncirculated? Here we are back to using proof and uncirculated which this is supposed to be getting away from. I don’t know if the people at the mint thought very much at all about what to call it. Perhaps the graders will get together and hash out an appropriate name to use for this coin (and others to follow?) as Brian V suggested since the name means more to them than it does to the mint. Then maybe the… Read more »
Since Izzy Friedman, who is Ted Butler’s mentor, came out with an article a few years ago on the merits of the silver eagle, sales have skyrocketed. The timing of the article all over the internet and ASE sales explosion coincided perfectly. Izzy has some far-out predictions such as one day ASE sales being halted due to lack of available silver. (But ‘who’d a thunk’ that silver would have had the 10x price appreciation already-in just over ten years?) Izzy’s predictions on the ultimate price of silver would make most people laugh. Whether he is right or wrong, only time… Read more »
Stuart Wheeler – their is 22 modern commemorative silver dollar coins with the *D mint mark. The last one was the American Buffalo commemorative that was a 2001-D. Can the Denver mint use that press.
This is a beautiful coin. What to call it? Uncirculated has a matte finish and proof (mirror)needs no further verbal embellishments, even though it is uncirculated as well.
So, uncirculated seems redundant and enhanced lacks clarity. It isn’t a reverse proof either. It would appear we need a new designation completely.
Enhanced implies a favorable mutation. Maybe something as simple as “superior”.
Some of the 1922 peace dollars were made in matte proof, so proofs don’t even need to be shiney. And now we have the “satin proof” finishes on the ATB 5 oz Philadelphia strikes and some of the mint sets a few years ago.
Boy am i getting confused…
No matter what it is, it is a beautiful coin, have to save up some bucks to buy one of these!
I think the silver eagle was the first proof to have the mirror/satin finish.
Because the stars standout so well, I’d call it the Spangled Silver Eagle.
Can anyone hazard a guess as to the price of this two coin set?
$169 is my best guess. If they are limiting them to 200K or less, my friend and I are taking 1/2 vacation days to sit at the computer to place our orders.
Great news. Can’t wait for the release date. Please notify me.
Looks like they will be $149.95 with a 4 week ordering period just like last year’s. May 9th at noon!
They look like all those colorized versions tacky gonna sell mine
I have an ngc ms70 with an error on the second frosty stripe from the right. Just above the fold some of the frost is missing. Anyone else have this too? It even shows in the ngc cert pic!!
Ha, Ha, Ha – that’s one on NGC. And I thought NGC was supposed to be the premier grading service. But with this new enhanced finish how’s anybody supposed to tell what’s right and what’s not?
But one has to ask, why send it in for grading if you knew it was flawed and wouldn’t deserve a 70 in the first place?
Send it back and ask for a refund for incompetent grading or free regrading anyway.
I never saw the coin before grading. It has early release designation. Hoping the error plus the grade adds some value. On a side note, the retro holder makes the pop.
I compared coin to my PCGS MS70. The NGC does have a flaw.
It’s not ms70 my bad. Its SP70.
SP70? I thought there was MS for mint state or uncirculated and PF for proof. Are they calling the enhanced uncirculated SP? So what does SP stand for – Special Proof?