Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) has announced the attribution of qualifying bullion-quality 2020 American Silver Eagles struck at the Philadelphia Mint during an emergency run. These Philadelphia Mint American Silver Eagles were produced in limited quantities in mid-April when demand for silver bullion products drastically increased as the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up in the United States.
“Typically American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins are minted at the Mint’s West Point facility,” explains a press release by the United States Mint. “However, due to the reduced production at the West Point facility amid the coronavirus pandemic, from April 8 until April 20, 2020, the United States Mint at Philadelphia produced 240,000 American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins.” This low mintage of under a quarter-million pieces means the 2020 Philadelphia Mint American Silver Eagles become the second-rarest of all bullion Silver Eagles minted since the series began in 1986.
Like most other bullion American Silver Eagles struck at the West Point and San Francisco Mints, these emergency issues from Philadelphia bear no mintmark but are attributable to the facility by way of packaging. The Philadelphia Mint 2020 Silver Eagles were manually packaged in tubes of 20 coins, with 25 of these tubes filling large plastic containers known as “Monster Boxes.” These boxes were then labeled with a tracking number ranging from 400,000 to 400,479 and shipped to various dealers within Mint’s network of official distributors known as “Authorized Purchasers.”
PCGS will attribute Silver Eagles from these Monster Boxes as “Emergency Issue Struck at Philadelphia.” Because all were minted within 30 days of their initial striking, they additionally are all eligible for the PCGS “First Strike” label. For 2020 American Silver Eagles to be eligible for the PCGS “Emergency Issue Struck at Philadelphia” First Strike label, they must be shipped to PCGS in their sealed Monster Boxes. For more information about submitting 2020 Philadelphia Mint American Silver Eagles for grading and special attribution, please contact PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848 or click www.PCGS.com.
About Professional Coin Grading Service
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is the premier third-party coin and banknote grading company that was launched in 1986. Over nearly 35 years, PCGS has examined and certified some 43.6 million U.S. and world coins, medals, and tokens with a combined value of more than $38.5 billion. For more information about PCGS products and services, including how to submit your coins for authentication and grading, please visit www.PCGS.com or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.
