2021 American Silver Eagle
Every version of the 2021 Silver Eagle with mintages, the silver it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2021
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 28,274,500
- Versions
- 8
- Metal
- .999 fine silver
Original illustration of the coin's size and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because metal and coin prices change daily.
What is a 2021 Silver Eagle worth?
The 2021 bullion Silver Eagle is worth its silver content: weight times the day's spot price, plus a modest dealer premium when you buy and less when you sell. Its scarcer versions are different: the 2021-S proof (Type 2) (274,536) rates small premium.
Metal value = troy ounces of silver × the day's spot price. For collector versions, check recent sold results for the same version and grade.
Every 2021 Silver Eagle version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion (Type 1) | None | 1 oz ($1) | 13,306,000 | Metal value |
| Bullion (Type 2) | None | 1 oz ($1) | 14,968,500 | Metal value |
| Proof (Type 2) | "S" | 1 oz ($1) | 274,536 | Small premium |
| Reverse proof (Type 2) | "S" | 1 oz ($1) | 124,917 | Small premium |
| Proof (Type 1) | "W" | 1 oz ($1) | 416,047 | Small premium |
| Reverse proof (Type 1) | "W" | 1 oz ($1) | 124,917 | Small premium |
| Proof (Type 2) | "W" | 1 oz ($1) | 385,776 | Small premium |
| Uncirculated (burnished) (Type 2) | "W" | 1 oz ($1) | 187,891 | Small premium |
Eight versions are dated 2021, so start with the reverse. Type 1 shows the heraldic eagle with a shield and stars; Type 2 shows the eagle landing with a branch. Both types exist as bullion coins with no mint mark. For proofs there's a Type 1 W, a Type 2 W and a Type 2 S, all with mirror fields. The two reverse proofs, a Type 1 W and a Type 2 S, have frosted fields with a mirror design. The burnished coin is a Type 2 W with a satin finish. On Type 2 coins the mint mark is still on the reverse but sits to the right, in the field above the eagle's tail.
Quick answers
- How much silver is in a 2021 Silver Eagle?
- Each coin contains its stated weight of pure silver: one troy ounce in the $1 coin. The alloy is 99.9% silver.
- How many 2021 Silver Eagles were made?
- 28,274,500 one ounce bullion coins plus 1,514,084 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 2021 Silver Eagle worth more than its silver?
- The bullion coin trades close to its metal value plus a dealer premium. Collector versions in their original packaging bring a small premium.
- Is the Silver Eagle legal tender?
- Yes. Each size carries a face value ($1), but nobody spends them: the silver is worth far more than the face value.
The Silver Eagle in 2021
2021 is the most complicated year in the series. It was the 35th anniversary and the year the Mint retired John Mercanti's heraldic eagle reverse after 35 years. Partway through the year Emily Damstra's new design took over, showing an eagle coming in to land with an oak branch in its talons. The old design is known as Type 1, the new one as Type 2. The Mint sold 13,306,000 Type 1 bullion coins and 14,968,500 Type 2.
To mark the change the Mint issued a two-coin reverse proof set pairing the last Type 1 reverse proof, struck at West Point, with the first Type 2 reverse proof, struck at San Francisco. The Mint sold 124,917 of these pairs. West Point struck Type 1 proofs (416,047) before the switch and Type 2 proofs (385,776) after it, while San Francisco made a Type 2 proof (274,536) and West Point a Type 2 burnished coin (187,891). Supplies of silver blanks were tight for much of the year.
2021 Silver Eagle by the numbers
The Mint sold 28,274,500 one ounce bullion Silver Eagles dated 2021. That ranks 30th lowest of the 39 bullion dates from 1986 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2021 bullion sales were 1.1 times fewer than 2020 and 1.8 times the 2022 figure.
Collector versions dated 2021 add up to 1,514,084 coins across 6 versions. The scarcest is the 2021-S reverse proof (Type 2) at 124,917; the most plentiful is the 2021-W proof (Type 1) at 416,047.
What to check on yours
- Weigh and measure it. A genuine one ounce Silver Eagle weighs 31.103 g and measures 40.6 mm. Fakes are usually the wrong weight or the wrong thickness.
- Try a magnet. Silver is not magnetic, so a coin that sticks is not genuine. A coin that does not stick still needs the other checks.
- Look for the mint mark. Bullion strikes have none; proofs and burnished coins carry a small letter. A mirror field with frosted design means a proof, a soft satin look means burnished.
- Handle it by the edge and never clean it. Fingerprints, wiping and polishing leave marks that cost collector versions much of their premium.
- Keep the original capsule, box and certificate with collector versions. Coins that come with them are easier to sell and more likely to bring their full premium.
The two reverse proofs, 124,917 of each, carry a collector premium and are most desirable together in the original set. The Type 1 W proof attracts extra interest as the last regular proof with the old eagle. Type 2 proofs and the burnished coin trade for a small premium. Both bullion types trade close to metal value, though Type 1 bullion coins dated 2021 get a little extra attention as the final year of the old design. Keep the reverse proof pair in its set packaging.
The Type 2 eagle (2021 to 2024)
In 2021, the program's 35th anniversary year, the Mint retired John Mercanti's heraldic eagle after 35 years and introduced Emily Damstra's design of an eagle coming in to land with an oak branch. The switch happened partway through the year, so 2021 is the only date with both reverses: 13,306,000 Type 1 bullion coins and 14,968,500 Type 2, plus Type 1 and Type 2 versions of the collector coins. Collectors who want the full story of the change need several 2021 coins rather than one.
To mark the change the Mint issued a two-coin reverse proof set pairing the last Type 1 reverse proof, struck at West Point, with the first Type 2 reverse proof from San Francisco, 124,917 of each. From 2021 on the regular collector lineup settled into an S proof, a W proof and a W burnished coin each year, all with the new eagle. Type 1 collector coins dated 2021 are the last of a design used for 35 years.
Bullion sales stayed well above the late 2010s, at 15,963,500 in 2022 and over 20 million in both 2023 and 2024, when 500,000 bullion coins carried a star privy mark. Collector mintages have drifted lower, with the 2024 burnished coin at 113,130. Modern coins rarely become significant rarities, but low-mintage collector versions in their original packaging do hold a small premium well. For bullion buyers nothing has changed: the coin still holds one troy ounce of .999 fine silver and still trades on the day's silver price.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Program | American Silver Eagle |
|---|---|
| Issuer | United States Mint |
| Metal | .999 fine silver |
| Alloy | 99.9% silver |
| Sizes | 1 oz ($1, 31.103 g, 40.6 mm) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| One ounce coin | 31.103 g, 40.6 mm |
Frequently asked questions
How do you tell a 2021 Type 1 from a Type 2 Silver Eagle?
Look at the reverse. Type 1 has the heraldic eagle with a shield on its breast and stars above. Type 2 has Emily Damstra's eagle coming in to land with an oak branch, introduced partway through 2021.
What is the 2021 two-coin reverse proof Silver Eagle set?
A Mint set pairing the final Type 1 reverse proof from West Point with the first Type 2 reverse proof from San Francisco. Sales came to 124,917 sets. The pair carries a collector premium, best kept complete.
Mintages: American Silver Eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.