2012-W American Silver Eagle Burnished : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
 

Following on the success of the 2011 American Silver Eagle product offerings that culminated in the sell-out release of the 25th Anniversary Set, the United States Mint offered five American Silver Eagle products in 2012. For bullion investors, the Mint struck 37,996,000 2012 American Silver Eagle bullion coins at the West Point and San Francisco mints. Authorized purchasers bought them at a small premium over spot in Monster Box quantity.

For collectors, the Mint offered the 2012-W American Silver Eagle Burnished Uncirculated coin. the 2012-W American Silver Eagle Proof, and, for purchasers of the 2012 American Eagle San Francisco Two-Coin Silver Proof Set, the 2012-S American Silver Eagle Proof and 2012-S Reverse Proof coins.

The general public had two opportunities to pick up the 2012-W Burnished American Silver Eagle. On August 2, the United States Mint released the coin as a standalone product for $45.95 ($63.92 in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars).

It was also included in the 2012 United States Mint Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set. This set also featured uncirculated examples of the 2012-P William McKinley Presidential Dollar, the 2012-P Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Dollar, the 2012-P William Howard Taft Presidential Dollar, the 2012-P Woodrow Wilson Presidential Dollar, and the 2012-D Native American Dollar honoring Native American trade routes of the 17th century. This set was made available on November 14 for $54.95 ($76.44 IAD), and sold a total of 28,368 units, accounting for 12.5% of the total 226,120 mintage of the Burnished coin. The mintage marked a 45% decline in sales from the year before, but it’s important to note that the 2011 25th Anniversary Set was responsible for nearly 100,000 of the prior year’s sales.

For numismatic purposes, the 2012-W American Silver Eagle is considered a generic issue. It carries a small collector premium over spot and is generally sold in Original Government Packaging or as a certified coin. Here, the typical coin grades MS69 or 70. The visual and price differentials between the two grades are negligible.

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2012-W American Silver Eagle Burnished Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Top Population: PCGS SP70 (6,595, 11/2024), NGC MS70 (16,719, 11/2024), and CAC MS70 (0:4 stickered:graded, 11/2024).

• NGC MS70 #3679265-014: eBay, November 2, 2024 – $61. Early Releases.
• PCGS MS70 #27833906: eBay, November 2, 2024 – $54.99.
• PCGS MS70 #81304982: eBay, November 2, 2024 – $49.01.
• PCGS MS70 #26359232: eBay, November 1, 2024 – $46.95. First Strike.
• NGC MS70 #3691180-103: eBay, October 31, 2024 – $60.
• PCGS SP70 #46016173: eBay, October 30, 2024 – $92.95.
• NGC MS70 #3772445-016: eBay, October 29, 2024 – $46.22.
• NGC MS70 #3772229-017: eBay, October 29, 2024 – $45.

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Design

Obverse:

Artist Adolph A. Weinman’s figure of Lady Liberty is depicted mid-stride. Dressed in a long flowing gown, she is draped with a large billowing American flag. Liberty holds laurel and oak branches in her left hand that symbolize the civil and military glories of America, respectively. She reaches out a welcoming open hand as she strides confidently towards the rising sun. Lady Liberty is superimposed over the legend LIBERTY ringing the obverse, obscuring half of the “BE” and almost the entire “R”. Above Liberty’s right foot is the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, and below her is the date 2012.

The design bears a notable resemblance to sculptor Oscar Roty’s The Sower, a common image on French coins.

Reverse:

United States Mint Chief Engraver John Mercanti’s Heraldic Eagle is positioned at the center of the reverse. Clutched in its beak is a ribbon bearing the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. Above its head is a constellation of 13 stars configured in an upside-down pyramid formation. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wraps clockwise around the top of the design and the fineness and the inscription 1 OZ. FINE SILVER. ONE DOLLAR wraps counterclockwise around the bottom. The W mintmark of the West Point Mint is located below the branch.

Edge:

The edge of the 2012-W American Silver Eagle Burnished coin is reeded.

Coin Specifications

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