Quote:What I also do not understand is why the
ASE series was started in 1986. Seem like a meaningless year to start a series.
It would have made more sense to me to start the
ASE series in say 1976, the US Bicentennial.
The American Silver Eagle (
ASE) bullion program was approved as part of the Public Law that authorized the 1986 Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island (SoL-EI) commemorative coin program that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.
So, if you want symbolism for the "1986" date on ASEs, it can be found in the "Liberty Coin" as it was termed in the Act, matching up with the centennial of one of the US' most iconic symbols of liberty/freedom.
In reality, Congress had been actively seeking a vehicle by which to reduce the US Strategic Stockpile of silver; it had been unsuccessful in moving larger (100 ounce) bars of silver earlier in the 1980s via auction, but during discussions regarding the SoL-EI commemorative coins, the Strategic Stockpile issue came to the forefront and a compromise was worked out that ensured the commemorative coin program would be approved if a silver bullion coin program was amended to the SoL-EI bill. A big part of the push for the bullion coin program was that many in Congress believed it was time for the US to enter the bullion coin market and compete against other nations already selling them.
If you'd like to read a bit more about the Government's silver auctions, see:
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US Assay Office Silver Trade Unit RoundsFor more on a contemporary, alternate Silver Eagle piece, see:
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1986 Silver Double EagleCollecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Posted 10/17/2022 4:04 pm
......Thanks
