American Eagle Silver bullion coins registered sales in August that continue to uphold the old adage of "records are made to be broken." United States Mint sales figures list the total number ordered by its network of authorized purchasers at 3,679,500 for the month of August 2011 — a level higher than the same time a year ago, better than July 2011, and lifts 2011 to the second best Silver Eagle sales year.
Record August, and 4th Highest in Monthly Sales
In the shattered record column, Silver Eagles hit a new all-time high in August sales, blasting past last year’s August record of 2,451,000 by over 50%.
August also vaulted into fourth place for all-time monthly sales. The feat is more impressive when stacked against the 300 months of sales since the American Eagle Silver bullion coin debuted in 1986. August is typically one of the more tepid sales months for bullion coins, lackadaisical in nature as buyers are more focused on summer activities than bullion purchases.
Top 10 Month for Silver Eagle Bullion Coins
| RANK | MONTH | SALES |
| 1 | January 2011 | 6,422,000 |
| 2 | November 2010 | 4,260,000 |
| 3 | December 1986 | 3,696,000 |
| 4 | August 2011 | 3,679,500 |
| 5 | May 2011 | 3,653,500 |
| 6 | May 2010 | 3,636,500 |
| 7 | January 2010 | 3,592,500 |
| 8 | June 2011 | 3,402,000 |
| 9 | March 2010 | 3,381,000 |
| 10 | February 2011 | 3,240,000 |
Despite historical trends, it has become almost commonplace since 2010 for over 3 million of the investment grade coins to be sold in a month as compared to the first twenty years when the level was attained just one time in December 1986. Now, a total of thirteen different months qualify as having Silver Eagle sales of over the 3 million. Of those thirteen, only the previously mentioned December 1986 occurred outside the the last two and a half years. The increased interest in bullion coins — the American Eagle Gold Bullion Coin as well — can be directly attributed to world economic conditions as many investors consider them safe-haven assets.
With the addition of August, 2011 has nudged past 2009 as the Eagles’ second best year ever.
Best 5 Years for American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins
| Rank | Year | Total |
| 1 | 2010 | 34,662,500 |
| 2 | 2011 (Jan. – Aug.) | 28,951,000 |
| 3 | 2009 | 28,766,500 |
| 4 | 2008 | 19,583,500 |
| 5 | 2002 | 10,475,500 |
The investment-grade .999 fine silver coins are handily on track to jump past last year’s total and reach the number one slot. That will occur if the United States Mint delivers an average of 1.43 million Eagles for each of the remaining four months in 2011.
