US Mint Statement on Erroneous American Silver Eagle Information

56

Most bullion American Silver Eagles are struck at the U.S. Mint facility in West Point. Some come from the Philadelphia and San Francisco Mints.

2017 American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins
CoinNews photo of investor-grade 2017 American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins. They are generally available from bullion and coin dealers for a small premium above their melt value.

Unlike companion proof and uncirculated editions, bullion coins lack mint marks to denote where they are made — frustrating collectors’ desires to own complete Silver Eagle collections by year and minting facility or potentially focusing on those that are scarcer.

Following a Coin World Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in March, an identification workaround seemed to have appeared with the U.S. Mint releasing manufacturing tracking numbers that were used on bullion Silver Eagle shipping boxes. However, according to a U.S. Mint press statement delivered to media editors on Friday, May 26, some of their March information was erroneous.

The United States Mint statement follows:

"By way of background, while most American Eagle silver bullion coins have been minted at the West Point Mint, to meet demand the United States Mint (Mint) has sometimes produced these coins at the Philadelphia and San Francisco Mint facilities.

It is important to note that the Mint offers bullion coins through Authorized Purchasers to provide investors the opportunity to acquire precious metal coins at a slight premium to spot market prices. As such, all Mint silver bullion coins are, by their very nature, homogeneous. None of these coins bears a mint mark designating the facility where it was produced. The Mint’s goal is to ensure that the American Eagle silver bullion coins struck at any of these three facilities are identical and indistinguishable from one another.

On March 20, 2017, in response to a request made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, the Mint released internal manufacturing tracking numbers used on the boxes that contain American Eagle silver bullion coins that are shipped to Authorized Purchasers. It has come to the Mint’s attention that some of the information that was released on March 20 was erroneous.

The erroneous information released on March 20, as well as confusion surrounding the Mint’s use of internal manufacturing tracking numbers — specifically those connected with American Eagle silver bullion coins — has resulted in a mistaken belief that some of these coins are rarities.

The internal manufacturing tracking numbers on these boxes support the Mint’s quality control program and were not intended for the public to rely on to establish which Mint facility produced the silver bullion coins.

The Mint will provide new information regarding these coins by the end of June."

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

56 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
bobby

All W.P. Boxes are strapped West Point. Were did this U.S. Mint box come from. If all the Bullion Eagles were struck at West.Point. Why does that U.S. Mint strapped box exist. Did W.P. run out of straps?.

bobby

All the bullion eagles were minted at West Point?. and strapped with a W.P. strap. why would a box exist with a U.S. Mint strap. did W.P. run out of straps.

gs

The US Mint initially said that straps with West Point and/or United States Mint were used. Now they say only West Point or United States Mint straps are used, I forget which. But the US Mint never said they used blank straps which makes me think that your box has been tampered with and the contents changed. See, if someone were to rob you they would get the empty monster box and fill it up with lead and then put blank straps on it. They would very likely not be able to get US Mint straps. So, maybe x-ray your… Read more »

bobby

I don’t own the boxes. don’t have them .cant just check them out. they are real .they could have U.S. mint straps. I can find out. right now all I no is they don’t say W.P.

bobby

NGC and coin news silver eagle mintage numbers.
2017 P 1,000,000 2017 S 3,000,000
2017 WP a bunch of them.
2015 P 79,000.
boxes are identified were they came from by the serial numbers.
monster boxes from P. and S. have a U S Mint straps on them.