Silver Eagle Blank Shortage

You are comparing apples and oranges. The Eagles you can buy from the Mint are not the same ones affected by a shortage. The Mint only sells the proof and uncirculated versions. The bullion coins are experiencing the shortage. Only authorized dealers can purchase them due to contract purchase requirements. The US Mint has already minted almost 10 million bullion SAEs which is more than the entire mintage of last year. The problem is that number is still not enough to meet demand as the authorized dealers still want to purchase more than the Mint can currently supply which is why they are being rationed based on previous percentage purchases of total mintage. In other words, if an AD previously purchased 10% of the supply per year, they are limited to 10% of what is currently available for distribution.
http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis...ticleId=4744

American Eagles Silver Uncirculated Coin(official Mint name) is the one with the W mint mark that debuted in 2006. The American Eagle Silver Bullion Coin is the one without a mint mark(still minted at West Point though) and cannot be purchased from the Mint, only from secondary or tertiary dealers. There is a slight difference in the surface finish but the easy way is to look for the mint mark or absence thereof.

Hellow !