2006 American Silver Eagle : A Collector’s Guide

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

Demand for the American Silver Eagle bullion coin surged in 2006, surpassing 10 million cash bought for the second time within the decade. All cash had been struck on the West Level Mint however don’t carry a mintmark.

No less than a portion of this renewed enthusiasm for metals was owed to the financial fallout from Hurricane Katrina, which devastated a lot of New Orleans and prompted huge disruptions to the American gas provide because the nation’s main refineries had been situated within the affected space.

The 2006 releases additionally got here at a time of continued development in recognition for American Silver Eagles as collectible cash. After a lull in curiosity all through the mid-’90s, the millennium launch and large preliminary enthusiasm for the 50 State Quarters Program introduced renewed consideration to the collection. On the time, the collectibility of American Silver Eagles was largely fostered by late-night coin procuring packages, which promoted the cash in each uncooked and graded codecs. Initially, the licensed cash had been encapsulated by lesser-known grading providers. This all modified when NGC, adopted by PCGS, started to actively have interaction on this market.

With rising natural collector curiosity and the strong advertising and marketing of the uncommon coin trade, the American Silver Eagle program will develop into more and more complicated from a collector’s perspective from this level ahead

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2006 American Silver Eagle Market Information and Noteworthy Specimens

Greater than 40% of all MS69 cash licensed by PCGS are encapsulated in First Strike^® holders. In 2014, PCGS licensed extra First Strikes utilizing John Mercanti signature labels with the American Flag design.

In 2006, NGC debuted its Early Releases^® program. For a restricted variety of 2006 American Silver Eagle packing containers, NGC denoted the field quantity on the label, utilizing a Pink Flag label for field #1 – one of many first 50,000 struck, apparently. A daily label was used to indicate that the coin was one of many first 100,000 struck; we assume this implies 50,001 to 100,000.

Prime Inhabitants: PCGS MS70 (2,452, 11/2024), NGC MS70 (8,894, 11/2024), and CAC MS70 (0:104 stickered:graded, 11/2024).

• NGC MS70 #1547876-169: eBay, November 5, 2024 – $89.88. First Strikes. Field #9.
• NGC MS70 #6256176-004: eBay, November 5, 2024 – $109.99.
• NGC MS70 #1991339-067: eBay, November 4, 2024 – $83. First Strikes.

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Design

Obverse:

Artist Adolph A. Weinman’s Girl Liberty is depicted mid-stride. She is seen as a full-body determine, wearing a flowing robe, and draped with a big billowing American flag. She holds laurel and oak branches in her left hand that symbolize the civil and army glories of America, respectively. As Liberty strides confidently in the direction of the rising solar, she reaches out a welcoming open hand. So giant is Girl Liberty that she is superimposed over the obverse legend LIBERTY ringing the obverse – in reality, she obscures half of the “BE” and nearly the complete “R”. Above Liberty’s rear foot is the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, and under her is the date 2006.

The design bears a notable resemblance to sculptor Oscar Roty’s The Sower, a typical picture on French cash. Numismatist Roger Burdette posited in his ebook Renaissance of American Coinage (2007) that this was not a coincidence and whereas Adolph Weinman didn’t straight copy, he did derive vital inspiration from Roty’s work.

Reverse:

United States Mint Chief Engraver John Mercanti’s Heraldic Eagle is positioned on the heart 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 across the design on the prime, and the fineness and denomination 1 OZ. FINE SILVER. ONE DOLLAR is cradled on the backside.

Edge:

The sting of the 2006 American Silver Eagle bullion coin is reeded.

Coin Specs

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