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Saturday, January 2, 2010

Demand for Silver Causes Problems for Collectors

By Dylan Chase

The United States Mint has issued the American Silver Eagle coins since 1986. The one ounce silver coins are issued in two different versions for both precious metals investors and coin collectors. Last year the high demand for precious metals caused the cancellation of the collector versions. The situation has continued, bringing doubts to the status of the 2010 collector coins.

The US Mint issues the bullion versions of the coin to a network of authorized purchasers. These large scale bullion buyers purchase the coins for a price based on the spot price of silver plus a mark up. The coins are then resold to other bullion dealers, coin dealers, and the public at market prices.

The American Silver Eagle collector coins have recently been offered in two different versions, proof or uncirculated. The proof coins feature a cameo like appearance created through a specialized minting process. The raised design elements are frosted and the background fields are mirrored. The uncirculated coins are struck on burnished blanks and carry the "W" mint mark for West Point.

The United States Mint has often cited their legal requirements to produce the bullion coins in quantities which will fulfill the full demand of the public. They have also noted the fact that they are under no legal obligation to produce coins for collectors. As a result, in times of limited precious metals supply, the US Mint has focused their production solely on the bullion version of the coin.

In October 2009, they officially announced that the 2009 Proof Silver Eagle and 2009 Uncirculated Silver Eagle would not be issued. The Mint cited their legal obligation to produce bullion coins and stated that they would work with precious metals blanks suppliers to attempt to increase supply, so that more coins could be produced in 2010.

In recent months, American Silver Eagle bullion coin sales were suspended at the authorized purchaser level. This suspension was followed by a resumption of sales on a rationed basis. Since the supply is begin rationed, the US Mint is obviously not meeting full demand, causing collectors to doubt the status of collectible versions of the coins for 2010. - 23162

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