Just Released! Low-Mintage Gold and Silver 2023 Burnished American Eagles!

Every year, collectors around the world anticipate the day they can add the newest year Burnished Gold and Silver American Eagles to their collections. For you, that day is today!

Marking the American Eagle’s 20th birthday, the U.S. Mint introduced Burnished American Eagles specifically for coin collectors in 2006. Burnished American Eagles are minted in limited quantities—compared to the quantities of bullion and proof American Eagles—only at the West Point Mint. Unlike bullion and proof Silver Eagles, they include a “W” mint mark beneath the image on the reverse image. 

What Exactly Is a Burnished American Eagle?

“Burnished “ describes the coin’s finish. Burnished American Eagles feature an easily recognizable, beautiful, matte or satin-like appearance that sets them apart from other coins. They are struck using a labor-intensive process that starts with specially polished (burnished) planchets that are put through a spinning drum filled with millions of tiny, 6 mm steel balls to create smooth, flawless surfaces. When that blank comes out, a specialist handles it wearing white gloves to ensure maximum care and to keep the blank surface devoid of oils and dirt. The blank is then placed, by hand, into the coin press, where it undergoes a high-pressure strike, before it is immediately inspected and packaged. 

American Coins, Minted from U.S. Gold and Silver

Burnished Gold and Silver Eagles are truly American coins. The coins are required—by law—to be minted from gold and silver mined right here in the U.S. Most of the gold and silver mined in the U.S. comes from Alaska, Nevada, Colorado and Idaho. 

Uniquely American Designs, Then and Now

Another reason these coins are so popular is their beautiful, uniquely American designs, combining the old and the new. Both Gold and Silver Eagles kept the same designs they were introduced with in 1986—known as the Type 1 (T1) designs—until midway through 2021, when each received a new reverse design in honor of the coins’ 35-year anniversaries. This is the third year the Silver Eagle features the “Landing Eagle” design created by Artists Infusion Program (AIP) artist Emily Damstra, and engraved by recently retired U.S. Mint artist Michael Gaudioso, depicting an eagle about to land from a flight, grasping an oak branch between its claws And it’s also the third year the Gold Eagle features the “Bold Eagle” design created by artist Jennie Norris, showing a close-cropped profile of a regal bald eagle with a strong, curved beak, thick plumage, and an intense gaze. The new designs are known as the Type 2 (T2) designs, combining with updated obverse designs that make full use of modern technology to portray the original artists’ vision as intended. 

Flying Under the Radar 

Despite the Burnished American Eagle’s distinction, scarcity, and reasonable prices, the coins could be said to have flown under the radar, less well-known to collectors than their bullion and proof brothers. The U.S. Mint refers to these coins as “uncirculated”, rather than burnished, and their mintages are just a fraction of the mintages of bullion and proof American Eagles. 

All About Burnished Gold Eagle Mintages

The first burnished one-ounce Gold Eagles were released in 2006, and since then the mintages have varied, ranging from a high of 45,053 in first-year 2006, to a low of 5,800 in 2017. They weren’t minted at all in 2009 and 2010. That’s compared to one-ounce bullion Gold Eagles (since 2006): high mintage, 1,493,000 million in 2009 and low mintage, 108,000 in 2019. And that’s compared to proof one-ounce proof Gold Eagles (since 2006): high mintage, 59,480 in 2010 and low mintage, 9,245 in 2017. 

The U.S. Mint announced that only 10,000 one-ounce Burnished Gold American Eagle coins have been authorized for 2023. 

All About Burnished Silver Eagle Mintages

The first one-ounce Burnished Silver Eagles were released in 2006, and since then the mintages have varied, ranging from a high of 621,333 in 2007, to a low of 138,947 in 2018. They weren’t minted at all in 2009 and 2010. That’s compared to bullion Silver Eagles (since 2006): high mintage, 47 million in 2015 and low mintage, 9,028,036 in 2007. And that’s compared to proof Silver Eagles (since 2006): high mintage, 1,022,833 in 2022 and low mintage, 521,432 in 2016. 

The U.S. Mint has not announced how many one-ounce Burnished Silver Eagles have been authorized for 2023.

The Bottom Line?

Burnished Gold and Silver American Eagles are minted in significantly smaller quantities, making them exponentially scarcer, than their proof and bullion counterparts. 

Collectors Covet the Best Quality

For any collectible coin or proof, collectors want the finest quality available. With coins, quality is measured by grades on a 70-point scale. A grade of 70 represents absolute perfection, even under magnification. There is nothing higher. Each of the Burnished American Eagles here is certified in perfect Mint State-70 (MS70) condition by Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) or Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), two of the top third-party coin-grading services in the world. 

Each coin has also been designated with the most-desired designation of First Day of Issue. Designations are additional attributes of a coin that can increase its collector desirability because there are so few of them compared to the overall population. The designation collectors desire is First Day of Issue (FDI), which means the coins were fresh, submitted to the grading service with paperwork stating they were struck on or before the first day of release from the mint.

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But that’s not all! Each of these Burnished Gold and Silver Eagles will arrive encapsulated in a tamper-resistant holder, featuring an exclusive label, with hand-signed signatures (one per coin) from men and women who have played a critical role in the designs and popularity of the American Eagle. Your choice of hand-signed signature labels includes:

• Jennie Norris, a specialist in fine art, graphic design, and illustration who designed the American Gold Eagle reverse, her first design to appear on a coin.
• Emily Damstra, the Silver Eagle’s reverse designer and an artist associated with the U.S. Mint’s Artist Infusion Program. Emily has produced issues struck in silver, gold, and platinum along with two reverses for the Canadian Wildlife Series, and the entire 2014-2016 Canadian Birds of Prey series.
• Michael Gaudioso, the Silver Eagle’s sculptor, who has created sculptures and/or designs for more than 41 coins and medals, including the 2020 American Eagle Platinum Proof Coin Program, the 2019 American Liberty High Relief Gold Coin and Silver Medal, and several America the Beautiful Quarters.
• Elizabeth Jones, the former 11th Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, the only female Chief Engraver to ever hold the position, who was instrumental in the launch of these historic coins. 
• John Mercanti, the former 12th Chief Engraver for the U.S. Mint, the designer of the original T1 Silver Eagle’s heraldic eagle reverse design, and the man who has produced more coin and medal designs than any employee in United States Mint history.
• David J. Ryder, the former 34th and 39th  Director of the U.S. Mint who was very instrumental in the transition from the T1 to the T2 design, and who was named one of Coin World’s “Most Influential People in Numismatics” in 2021.

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These flawless Gold and Silver American Eagles, with perfect grades and sought-after designations, and hand-signed labels, are only available from our Scarce & Unique Division (with the exception of the Silver Eagle with the individual Michael Gaudioso signature label.)

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2023 One-Ounce Gold Burnished Gold Eagle MS70 FDI Norris

• One-Ounce Burnished Gold Eagle with Jennie Norris Hand-Signed Label
• Third Year of New Design
• 91.67% 22-Karat Gold
• $50 Official Legal Tender
• NGC-Certified Perfect Mint State-70 (MS70)
• Certified FDI by NGC
• Exclusive Signature Edition Only Available from Our Scarce & Unique Division
• Only 10,000 Authorized
• Limited Availability

2023 One-Ounce Gold Burnished Gold Eagle MS70 FDI Ryder

• One-Ounce Burnished Gold Eagle with David J. Ryder Hand-Signed Label
• Third Year of New Design
• 91.67% 22-Karat Gold
• $50 Official Legal Tender 
• NGC-Certified Perfect Mint State-70 (MS70) 
• Certified FDI by NGC
• Only 10,000 Authorized
• Exclusive Signature Edition Only Available from Our Scarce & Unique Division
• Limited Availability

2023 One-Ounce Silver Burnished Silver Eagle 5-Pc. Set MS70 FDI Signatures

• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with Emily Damstra Hand-Signed Label
• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with Michael Gaudioso Hand-Signed Label
• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with John Mercanti Hand-Signed Label
• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with David J. Ryder Hand-Signed Label
• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with Elizabeth Jones Hand-Signed Label
• Third Year of New Design
• 99.9% Fine Silver
• $1 Official Legal Tender 
• NGC/PCGS-Certified Perfect Mint State-70 (MS70) 
• Certified FDI by NGC/PCGS
• Exclusive Signature Set Only Available from Our Scarce & Unique Division
• Limited Availability

2023 One-Ounce Silver Burnished Silver Eagle 4-Pc. Set MS70 FDI Signatures

• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with Emily Damstra Hand-Signed Label
• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with Michael Gaudioso Hand-Signed Label
• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with John Mercanti Hand-Signed Label
• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with David J. Ryder Hand-Signed Label
• Third Year of New Design
• 99.9% Fine Silver
• $1 Official Legal Tender 
• NGC/PCGS-Certified Perfect Mint State-70 (MS70) 
• Certified FDI by NGC/PCGS
• Exclusive Signature Set Only Available from Our Scarce & Unique Division
• Limited Availability

2023 One-Ounce Silver Burnished Silver Eagle 3-Pc. Set MS70 FDI Signatures

• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with Emily Damstra Hand-Signed Label
• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with Michael Gaudioso Hand-Signed Label
• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with David J. Ryder Hand-Signed Label
• Third Year of New Design
• 99.9% Fine Silver
• $1 Official Legal Tender 
• NGC/PCGS-Certified Perfect Mint State-70 (MS70) 
• Certified FDI by NGC/PCGS
• Exclusive Signature Set Only Available from Our Scarce & Unique Division
• Limited Availability

2023 One-Ounce Silver Burnished Silver Eagle 2-Pc. Set MS70 FDI Signatures

• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with Michael Gaudioso Hand-Signed Label
• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with David J. Ryder Hand-Signed Label
• Third Year of New Design
• 99.9% Fine Silver
• $1 Official Legal Tender 
• NGC Certified Perfect Mint State-70 (MS70) 
• Certified FDI by NGC
• Exclusive Signature Set Only Available from Our Scarce & Unique Division
• Limited Availability

2023 One-Ounce Silver Burnished Silver Eagle MS70 Gaudioso

• One-Ounce Burnished Silver Eagle with Michael Gaudioso Hand-Signed Label
• Third Year of New Design
• 99.9% Fine Silver
• $1 Official Legal Tender 
• NGC Certified Perfect Mint State-70 (MS70) 
• Certified FDI by NGC
• Limited Availability

Not only are these 2023 Burnished Gold and Silver Eagles stunning, but they are part of the smaller population of the already low mintages because they have been graded as a perfect MS70, with a First Day of Issue designation, and with hand-signed labels from numismatic royalty. Any way you look at it, your best bet is to act now!