By CoinWeek News Staff …..
The last Proof American Silver Eagles bearing John Mercanti’s Heraldic Eagle design reached “currently unavailable” status within minutes of their release on February 11, 2021. Priced at $73 USD with a product limit of 327,440 and with a household ordering limit of 99 coins, the quick sellout angered some collectors hoping to finish their collections of Proof American Silver Eagles with Mercanti’s design, which has appeared on the bullion coin and collector versions since 1986.
After being made available at noon Eastern Time, many customers reported that the United States Mint’s website said “currently unavailable” within two minutes; others reported the change in status occurring at 12:08 PM.
No telephone orders were taken and the Mint’s gift shops and the coin store at its headquarters in Washington D.C. remain shuttered in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coins were available as individual purchases, in 40-coin bulk packs, and in the 2021 Congratulations Set that debuted the same day. Some coins might become available later as the Mint reconciles its completed orders and deals with returns.
The Congratulations Set, which includes the 2021-W Proof American Silver Eagle and was released without product or household ordering limits according to the Mint’s website, also quickly reached “currently unavailable” on the first day. The Congratulations Set was priced at $75, two dollars higher than the regular Proof coin.
Struck at West Point, the 2021-W Proof coins released on February 11 are the final such American Silver Eagles to feature John Mercanti’s Heraldic Eagle and the only Proof coins featuring his design to be released this year.
Proof versions of the American Silver Eagles bearing the new reverse design struck at the West Point Mint, which features a flying eagle coming in for a landing created by U.S. Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) artist Emily Damstra and sculpted by Michael Gaudioso, will be released this summer. The new design will also appear on bullion strike coins.
The redesign of both the American Silver and Gold Eagles was announced in 2019, and the new designs, which will feature anti-counterfeiting technology, were revealed in October 2020. Adolph A. Weinman’s Walking Liberty design will remain on the coins’ obverse.
The rapid sellout echoes the similarly quick sellout of the 2017 Congratulations Set, which also sold out in two minutes. That set included a 2017-S Proof American Silver Eagle and had a product limit of 75,000 with no household ordering limit; the 2017-S was only included in two Mint products that year, including the Congratulations Set (the other being the Limited Edition Silver Proof Set), and not released individually.
Quick sellouts and angry customers followed the release of a number of other recent Mint products featuring American Silver Eagles, like the privy-marked Proof American Silver and Gold Eagles last year, or the 2019-S Enhanced Reverse Proof American Silver Eagles.
Proofs are not the only 2021 American Silver Eagles selling briskly, as sales of bullion strike American Silver Eagle were spiking ahead of the 2021-W Proof Heraldic Eagle launch. Authorized Purchasers were buying as many of the bullion coins as the Mint allocated.
Unlike bullion strike coins, the Mint sells Proof American Silver Eagles (and other collector versions) directly to consumers.
I had a enrollment and mine is on the way should bring a profit soon very low mintage.
Why is it that TV dealers seem to have these coins for sale and us small collectors cannot get just one?
I was able to buy 4. I was online 15 minutes before they went on sale. As soon as the clock struck 12 noon Eastern I bought them. I guess I got lucky.
What a f en joke 12 03 not available came up. But dealers will sell them for much more.
Enrollments for the SAE is how I secured my Eagles. Free auto shipping the day they go on sale. I got a confirmation e-mail before noon. I saw how limited this issue is so I got two this time.
I received a reminder text from the mint at 10AM EST.
Set my phone to remind me to order at 1155AM and purchased it by 1201.
After reading this, I’m glad I did it! I originally had a bit of buyers remorse because I was t sure if I should or not…
Put 2 in my bag at 12:01 went straight to checkout and they were unavailable.
Jokes on me again
Had 2 in my bag at 12:01,went straight to checkout and they were unavailable. Par for the course.
Mint states limits “none” and sets limits of 99 per household. Then “unavailable” within minutes. I am not upset, I just don’t like being BS -ED by the Mint as do so many others. Will they change?…..does a chicken have lips?
Don’t say you got them till there in your hands. I had the same thing happen in Nov. still never received the SF eagle but all the dealers got them
The mint only produced 75,000 WWII 75th anniversary silver eagles. WWII was a defining moment in American history. My father was a Pearl Harbor survivor and went on to fight two wars and serve 22 years. I really wanted one of these coins… I never could get on the mint site. Now the mint produces a proof eagle at over 300,000 pieces which I am guessing the mint felt was more important then WWII just because the design was retiring. This is proof of mixed up priorities by a mis managed mint. A long ranting letter by the mint after the WWII coin fiasco saying things will get better has not happened. It has been proven time and time again the mint has no problem selling out what they release. The problem is they never offer enough to cover demand, and to make matters worse they allow large numbers to be sold to one buyer at one time. This keeps the poor average collector out in the cold as to a chance to acquire anything from the mint. It’s a government agency that doesn’t know what they are doing.
That’s interesting. I bought mine 12:55 with no issues. Only bought one though.
I was able to pick up two for my collection but I’ve missed many, like in 2019 and 2020 releases. Between the nose bleed prices and apparent disregard by the Mint for average collectors (they would not have set the HHL to 99 if they truly cared about their collector customers) I will try for the new design but I’m ‘99%’ sure I’m done collecting silver eagles. Seems with all this going against the small collector a good as time as any to stop collecting. I know this is not a new sentiment but if the Mint and flippers (this is not a rant against flippers, to me its the Mint’s fault for setting high HHL) don’t have collectors to sell to then MAYBE the Mint will adjust their priorities. Before anyone says sign up via enrollment why should I need to and that doesn’t always work out either. One thing the mint is good at producing is customer rants. I gather in this age of disdain for customers the Mint big wigs sit around and have a chuckle reading ‘customer’ rants.
Why does the headline say reverse proof?
A glaring mistake. Thanks, it has been fixed.
Mint has no intention of giving the littlecollectoers a chance it is all about the big dealers and their big bucks.same.ol same ol.
I wonder if any retail pre sale coins will be cancelled.
do you think the 1oz Gold proof will be in super high demand as well ?
I had an enrollment, receive a order in process email on 11 Feb, then received a order cancelled email on 19 Feb. Pissed off
Ordered 1 at 12:00,went through, tried to order a congratulation set, they were unavailable so I went back to the original and ordered a second one and it went through.
A new silver reverse proof set coming this year! It should be huge. Perhaps very limited. Can you do find out more and tell us? 21XJ. Love your articles!
Most of the time TV has uncirculated, (what is called bullion coins). If you see ‘mint state’ you know they are not proof.
Read up on what mint state really means.
If they ever get proof coins, they make sure to repeat it in the sale pitch.
If you see a close up of the packaging, look for proof, most likely you will see mint state.
The U.S. Mint is a FRAUD outfit, pure and simple. Their website is a piece of junk, and they have done nothing to fix it for many years. Don’t waste you time with these idiots!