2013-W American Silver Eagle Burnished : A Collector’s Guide

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

The 2013-W American Silver Eagle Burnished coin went on sale May 28, 2013, at an issue price of $48.95 ($66.86 is 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars). Burnished American Silver Eagles carrying the W-mintmark for the West Point Mint had been added to the series’ portfolio in 2006, sold individually to the United States Mint’s numismatic customers to compliment the annual Proof release.

Similar in appearance to the Uncirculated bullion version, which is sold in 500-coin boxes to authorized purchasers (large bullion-buying firms), the Burnished coins are struck using  a special process whereby blanks are first treated in a Spaleck machine, where tiny balls polish the surfaces. Then, the coins are hand-fed one at a time into a specially adapted coin press, resulting in a coin with a matte finish.

Burnished versions were sold from 2006 to 2008 before the Mint put future releases on hiatus. In 2009, demand for the Uncirculated bullion coin was so high that the Mint had difficulty procuring enough silver to meet demand. As a result, even Proof strikings were canceled that year.

The Burnished Silver Eagles returned in 2011, but sales were low. It seems that the three-year gap between releases dampened collector enthusiasm. Demand for the Burnished coin was lower in 2012 and lower still in 2013. The final sales figure for the 2013-W American Silver Eagle Burnished coin was 222,091 pieces – less than half of what was sold when the Burnished version debuted in 2006.

The 2013-W Burnished was also included in the 2013 United States Mint Annual Uncirculated Dollar Coin Set, which went on sale November 14 for $44.95, $10 lower than the same set was priced in 2012. Coins sold in this set carry no premium over coins sold individually.

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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Top Population: PCGS SP70 (10,409, 7/2024), NGC MS70 (16,243, 8/2024), and CAC PR70DCAM (3, 8/2024).

• PCGS SP70 #33332171: eBay, August 19, 2024 – $103.50.
• NGC MS70 #3799808-036: eBay, August 17, 2024 – $67.88.
• NGC MS70 #3913976-061: eBay, August 17, 2024 – $349. Official US Mint Set – Annual Dollar Coin Set on insert.
• NGC MS70 #3860490-017: eBay, August 16, 2024 – $66.10.
• NGC MS70 #3860490-040: eBay, August 15, 2024 – $99.
• PCGS MS70 #27823802: eBay, August 10, 2024 – $53. First Strike holder.

2013-W American Silver Eagle Burnished Design

Obverse:

Sculptor Adolph A. Weinman’s figure of Lady Liberty is depicted mid-stride. She is seen as a full-body figure, dressed in a flowing gown and draped with a large billowing American flag. She holds laurel and oak branches in her left hand that symbolize the civil and military glories of America, respectively. As Liberty strides confidently towards the rising sun, she reaches out a welcoming open hand. So large is Lady Liberty that her head protrudes into the obverse legend LIBERTY ringing the obverse – in fact, she obscures half of the “BE” and almost the entire “R”. Above Liberty’s outstretched rear foot is the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, and below her is the date 2013.

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 around the top of the design, and the fineness and denomination 1 OZ. FINE SILVER. ONE DOLLAR is at the bottom.

Edge:

The edge of the 2013-W American Silver Eagle burnished coin is reeded.

Coin Specifications

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