This month, Numis Network is offer a very special coin to our Silver Premier Club members: the 2012 Silver American Eagle struck at the San Francisco Mint. You Might be wondering, "But what makes this coin so special?"
While the San Francisco Mint no longer strikes coins for general circulation, it is the exclusive producer of silver proof and clad proof sets of U.S. coins. The San Francisco Mint's consistently high quality craftsmanship and exceptional artistry have set the industry standard for numismatic excellence for other mints throughout the world.
From 1989 to 2000, the Silver American Eagle was produced concurrently at the mint facilities in San Francisco and West Point. But in 2001, the U.S. Mint relegated the production of these dazzling coins to its facility in West Point, New York.
However, due to the unprecedented global demand for silver, the San Francisco Mint was once again called upon to assist in the production of these magnificent coins. When this exciting news was announced at the beginning of the year, collector's everywhere grew anxious in anticipation of the chance to own one of the few Silver Eagles produced by the prestigious San Francisco Mint. Unfortunately, since these Silver Eagles are standard business strikes and not proof or burnished coins, they were stuck without a mint mark. And without the telltale "S" mint mark, it would be next to impossible to prove their origin.
Thankfully, a solution to this conundrum was conceived.
When Silver Eagles are shipped from the Mint to authorized dealers, they are packaged in sealed Treasury boxes commonly known as 'Monster Boxes,' due to their green color and 500-coin capacity. Each Monster Box is sealed with a special security strap that identifies the facility where the coins were minted. As long as these coins are submitted to the major coin grading services still sealed inside their Treasury box, they can be certified as originating from the San Francisco Mint.
With less than 10% of this year's total number of Silver Eagles being produced in San Francisco, a certified MS70 example of one of these highly sought-after coins is sure to become a key coin for any collector.