To guide you in buying a real Silver Eagle dollar, this article will provide interesting facts about the official silver bullion coin of the United States, the American Silver Eagle, and some ways to distinguish a real one from a counterfeit.

What is the American Silver Eagle?

The Silver Eagle dollar was first released by the U.S. Mint on November 24, 1986.  It contains one troy ounce of .999 pure silver, and has a nominal face value of one dollar.  Its weight and content is certified by the U.S. Mint and it is authorized by the U.S. Congress.  For coin collectors, the U.S. Mint produces a proof version of the coin.

The Silver Eagle dollar has been produced at three minting locations, including Philadelphia ('P' mintmark), San Francisco ('S' mintmark) which issued proofs, and more recent proofs from West Point.

Physical Descriptions

An authentic Silver Eagle dollar will weigh 31.103 grams, and its diameter is 40.60 mm, with a thickness of 2.98 mm.  Its edge must be reeded, and the Silver content is 99.9%.  The obverse design features Liberty walking and is adapted from the design of Adolph A. Weinman during the year 1916.  The reverse design features a Heraldic Eagle with Shield, which was designed by John Mercanti on the year1986.

How do I tell if a Silver Eagle is fake?

* Check the year of minting

By knowing the minting years of a coin, you are one step closer to identifying a fake from a real coin.  The Silver Eagle was minted on the year 1986.  So if you see one for sale that has the year 1906 or any year that is before 1986, then consider it fake.  It wasn't the U.S. Mint that made the coin.  Save yourself the money and don't buy it.

* Weigh it

If you're equipped with knowledge about the coin, you're better to discriminate one from a fake.  A true Silver Eagle dollar will weigh 31.103 grams.  Also consider the diameter.  Remember it should be 40.66 mm, not anything lower or higher than that.  So, even if your coin 'looks' real, weight it to see if it really is.

* Appearance

A fake Silver Eagle is dull, grayish looking, and not lustrous.  It could also have a soapy appearance to it.

* Check the reeding

Remember that an authentic Silver Eagle is reeded, so if you happen by one that is not, skip it.  It's fake.

* Test

You can perform the drop test, and listen to its distinctive ring.  If you drop it and it produces a dink sound, then this is most likely not silver.  Keep in mind that a Silver Eagle is 99.9% silver.  You can also do the magnetic test, where if the coin is attracted to the magnet, then it is not real.  It is probably copper made to look 'silver'.

As a whole, distinguishing a real from a fake Silver Eagle is easy, for as long as you are equipped with relevant information about the coin.

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What is the silver dollar coin value?

This is a question that has many answers as it depends on a lot of things. Some of these things are the price of silver, what kind of coin it is, supply and demand, and many other factors.

The Price of Silver

Silver is generally priced by current market value, other wise known as melt value. This is the value of any silver that is melted down and sold by weight in the open market at whatever the prevailing price happens to be. As of the time of this writing, the current price of silver is approaching $18/oz.

Silver Bullion

Silver comes in many forms. They are most widely known in the form of coins, such as American Silver Eagles, which contain 1 oz of pure 99.99% silver. There are also ingots, bars, and rather large ones at that. Also, there is silver ore in its purest form which is mined and then melted down before being shaped into the well-known forms.

Supply and Demand

Silver has been mined for a long time and was once used as money. This caused demand to be higher. As silver was taken out of the money supply, the demand naturally decreased. At the same time, more industrial uses for the metal were discovered and are still being discovered today. It has found its way into medical uses as well as the auto industry. There is some debate about how much mineable silver reserves there is left in the world. Some believe there is little and some believe there is lots.

This is the most basic driver of the silver dollar coin value as its value will always increase when it is perceived to be less of it available. In such a case, people start to want more of it, hoard it, and save it for a rainy day since it can still be used as money by trading it in for dollars.

Do you have the ten dollar gold eagle coin as part of your collection? With the current decline in the economy, now is the best time ever to invest in this piece. As most of the currencies in the world are now declining, gold is steadily increasing.

Just one reason you should make this coin a part of your portfolio now! Adding gold and silver coins to your collection is a safe-haven investment. Gold doesn't corrode, rust, tarnish or dull with age. In fact, it is one purchase you can make that is certain to make you more financially secure in the future. Recently, there has been an unprecedented demand for gold and silver in the United States.

There are few investments these days that are virtually risk free, but collecting gold coins is an exception. Putting together a coin portfolio is one of the safest and most risk free ways you can invest your savings. Of course, the value of your gold coins depend on the uniqueness and rarity of your pieces.

If you are a collector you probably know that in 1933 gold coins ceased to be minted as an attempt to improve the economy during the depression. Most coins were melted, which is the reason for the scarcity and rarity of some of these coins. Why should you include the ten dollar gold eagle coin? It has maintained its worth over a long period of time, and will continue to appreciate in value.

Over time, you will accrue a very valuable portfolio by adding unique and rare coins to your collection. You can actually secure your future by having a good collection of gold and silver coins. Usually, the value will only increase, and your portfolio can be sold at a huge profit. This is the perfect way to insure that you will have a happy, financially stress-free retirement.

Gold is extremely stable in value, and since gold coins are no longer produced it makes sense to secure your pieces as soon as possible. This lets you avoid either paying too high of a price later on, or not being able to get your hands on one at all. No portfolio is truly complete without the ten dollar gold eagle coin - add this must have to your collection!

Morgan Silver Dollar values today are essentially based on where the coin was minted. Those that came out from the Carson City, Nevada, mint would be more valued because the mintages there were usually low.

The coin's tails side featuring the bald eagle contains the code on the mint source, and hence provide the hint at the Morgan Silver Dollar Values. The letter codes are between the letters "D" and "O" in "DOLLAR". The mintmark "P" would indicate the Philadelphia Mint in Pennsylvania, "CC" for Carson City mint, "D" for the Denver, Colorado mint, "O" for coins from New Orleans, Louisiana, and "S" for those of San Francisco, California, make.

These coins were minted with the passage of the Bland-Allison Act in 1878 requiring US Treasury purchase of silver for general circulation as dollars. The initial coin issues were named after George T. Morgan, then the US Mint's designer, who rendered Lady Liberty on the obverse side bearing his monogram. The silver content of this coin totals 0.77344 troy ounces or 24.057 grams with .900 fineness. The Philadelphia mint exclusively produced all proofs of the Morgan silver dollar, although there are also 1921 proof coins known to have come from the San Francisco mint.

The many varieties of these coins has been included in an extensive research undertaken and published by Leroy C. Van Allen and A. George Allis about 50 years ago to establish the variations in the dies used to mint US silver dollars. This led to having the Morgan Silver Dollar Values indicated in its variety classified under the so-called VAMs (for Van Allen-Mallis).

Coin collectors may want to consider the American Silver Eagle dollar coin as a collectors piece, since the coins were produced with a proof version specifically for this reason. The coins have been produced at three minutes, including the Philadelphia mint, or "P" mintmark coins. The earlier coins were struck in San Francisco and have an "S" mintmark. The latest proofs come from the West Point, New York mint, and have a "W" mintmark on the reverse.

The coins were designed in with the Walking Liberty design. This design was also used on the half dollar coin that was minted from 1916 through 1947. The image is considered to be an iconic American symbol and a favorite in the country. On the opposite side of the coin is a heraldic eagle, with wings spread. The Walking Liberty design was created by Adolph A Weinman while the eagle was created by John Mercanti.

The American Silver Eagle dollar coin is one that many people enjoy collecting, for various reasons including the fact that it is rather valuable. There are various factors that affect the value of the coins, including the year minted. If the coin is uncirculated, that too raises the value of it, as does being a proof. Before purchasing these coins, do some research to fully understand the true value behind them. Most dates are not expensive, since there is a good supply of these coins today. Some of the coins are valued much higher, such as those from 1993, which are valued well over $100. The 1995W issue of the coin is work several thousand dollars since only a small amount were sold.

The coins were minted beginning in 1986, with a bulk uncirculated at about 5,393,005 and proofs at 1,446,778. The 2008 mintage of the coins were 20,583,000 in standard circulation with an estimated 713,353 as proof. You can learn more about the exact mintage of these coins at the United States Mint.

As with all types of coins, it is important to understand the full value of the coin before investing. With the American Silver Eagle dollar coin, you will find that most coins sell for about $20 to $30, but of course this changes often. If you are hoping to collect the coins, start with the oldest coins, which are traditionally more valuable since there are fewer of them. Also, consider the actual wear on the coins. Coins that have substantial wearing such as on Lady Liberty's garment or on the wings of the eagle are worth less than those in good condition are.

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