Today, April 12, 2012, the United States Mint started selling the 2012-W American Eagle Silver proof coin for $59.95, plus $4.95 for shipping and handling.

Anyone interested may purchase the collectible, 99.9% fine silver piece directly from the U.S. Mint catalog store at http://catalog.usmint.gov/. Unlike last year, there are no ordering or household limits in place, indicating a strong opening inventory.

Keeping with at least recent tradition, no stated maximum mintage has been published for the 2012 proof Silver Eagle as is the case for the upcoming 2012 Proof Gold Eagles — these 22 karat gold proof coins will be released in one week, on April 19. Instead, the U.S. Mint tends to produce American Silver Eagles in sufficient quantities to meet demand — at least in most years.

In fact, the U.S. Mint press announcement about this year’s coin specifically states that "customer demand will determine the number of coins minted."

These coins are popular around the world, and sales may reach around the million level. Last year a total of 950,000 were sold — 850,000 individually and another 100,000 in the 25th anniversary set. (See Silver Eagle mintages through the coin’s 26-year history.)

The proof Silver Eagle is produced in the United States Mint facility at West Point, which is why the coin is often denoted in writing with a ‘W’ by its date. The reverse of the proof also has a visible ‘W’ mintmark.

As the image above highlights, the proof’s appearance offers sharp details with mirror-like affects seen on its fields. It is this appearance, the coin’s design and its purity that add to the series’ popularity.

For a bit more background on the 2012 release, read this coin news article.