American Silver Eagle West Point Set Orders at 149,622 in 24 Hours

Ordering for the 2013 American Silver Eagle West Point Two-Coin Set opened at noon ET on May 9, 2013. By noon the next day, the United States Mint said sales had reached 149,622 units, marking an impressive, demand-driven start for the collector silver coins.

The set’s starting sale price is $139.95, and it will only be available during a short window of time since the U.S. Mint will stop selling them in four weeks, on June 6, 2013 at 5 PM ET.

As first discussed in April, what makes this American Silver Eagle West Point Set special are the uncommon finishes on both silver coins. The first silver coin is a reverse proof, meaning it has shiny, mirror-like designs against a frosted background. Traditional proof Silver Eagles have been issued annually since 1986, excluding 2009 when no collector versions were minted. A reverse proof Silver Eagle has only been issued in years 2006, 2011 and 2012.

The second silver coin is even more exclusive, a first time release using a new polishing and laser frosting technique developed by the Mint this year. It is being called an enhanced uncirculated Silver Eagle.

On the obverse, the following design parts are amplified with an uncirculated finish: the mountains, the red and blue parts of the American flag that appear draped around the Walking Liberty, the year, and Liberty’s sandals. A heavy frosted finish adorns the remaining elements and lettering. The background field has a new light frosted finish, and all of these details really make the artwork "pop."

Continued on the reverse, the ribbon in the eagle’s beak, the arrows and olive branch in the eagle’s talons, every other stripe in the shield, and the entire border of the shield have an uncirculated finish. Then, the lettering and remaining design parts have a heavy frosted finish. Again, the smooth background field has light frosted finish.

Order, Current Sales and Shipping Information

Collectors may place orders for the 2013 American Silver Eagle West Point Set online or by phone directly with the U.S. Mint. Purchases via the bureau’s website may be made here, and the number for orders by phone is 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

Each business day at around 3 p.m. ET, the U.S. Mint updates a sales odometer found on the set’s product page. While it is an approximate total, it offers a sense of how many units have been ordered.

There are no household ordering limits, and the total mintage of the set from West Point will be determined only by the number of successful orders made between the limited four-week sales window.