The 2021 silver eagle dollar coins are historic because they marked the transition between the original designs seen on the coins since 1986 and new ones that are sure to remain for years to come.
Many people think of American Silver Eagles only as bullion coins for precious-metals investors, but these large modern silver coins are worth the attention of collectors, too!
It’s no wonder that coin collectors were excited to hear of new designs coming to the American Eagle coins, which have been made by the United States Mint for decades.
The silver eagles and gold eagles have become the most popular bullion coins in the world — but until 2021 they had seen virtually no changes in their designs.
However, the American Silver Eagle dollar coins became among the most counterfeited bullion coins. That’s when the top brass at the U.S. Mint thought it was time to change the design while adding new anti-counterfeiting measures to help reduce the problem of fake silver eagles.
Among these security features, the American Silver Eagles minted since 2021 have a little notch in the edge reeding (or grooves on the edge of the coin).
There have also been changes to the design. Most notably, the original heraldic eagle design by John Mercanti that has graced the reverse (“tails side”) of the coin since 1986 was replaced with the motif of an eagle in flight that was designed by Emily S. Damstra.
Refinements were also made to the obverse (“heads side”) of the coin, which carries Adolph A. Weinman’s Walking Liberty design from the half dollar of 1916 through 1947 and revived in 1986 for the silver eagle dollar coin.
How Much Silver Is In A 2021 Silver Eagle Dollar Coin?
American Silver Eagle dollar coins are made from a .999-fine silver composition and contain one troy ounce of silver.
Therefore, they are one-ounce silver coins.
How Much Do 2021 American Silver Eagles Weigh?
All American Silver Eagle dollar coins weigh 31.10 grams.
If you’re used to working with food or other items measured in grams, you will note that 31.10 grams is more than one standard (or avoirdupois) ounce — which is 28.35 grams. That’s because a troy ounce comes to 31.1035 grams, or 31.10 grams when rounded (down) to the nearest hundredth.
Do you have a coin scale? Here are the best scales for weighing U.S. coins. (You might also want to grab a coin magnifier and a copy of the U.S. Coin Grading Standards book to help you determine the value of all your coins.)
What Is The Size Of A 2021 Silver Eagle Coin?
American Silver Eagle dollar coins measure 40.6 millimeters in diameter.
That’s notably wider than most traditional U.S. silver dollars — which are 38.1 millimeters wide.
Where Is The Mintmark On 2021 Silver Eagles?
While the 2021 bullion silver eagles don’t contain any mintmark, many of the collector versions do. (A mint mark on U.S. coins indicates where the coin was made.)
Mintmarks on 2021 American Silver Eagle dollar coins are found in one of two places, depending on which design the reverse has:
- Type I silver eagles (with the old-style heraldic eagle) – the mintmark is to the lower left of the eagle from the viewer’s perspective.
- Type II silver eagles (showing the flying eagle) – the mintmark is to the center right of the eagle from the viewer’s perspective.
These are the 3 different U.S. Mint facilities that have made silver eagle dollar coins:
- Philadelphia (P mintmark)
- San Francisco (S mintmark)
- West Point (W mintmark)
While on many older U.S. coins the absence of a mintmark usually meant the coin was struck in Philadelphia, that’s not the case with silver eagles.
American Silver Eagle bullion strikes characteristically do not contain mintmarks. In some years, different mints strike the bullion silver eagles — making it impossible to know which mint struck them unless the coin’s origin mint was identified by its original shipping container.
How Many Kinds Of 2021 Silver Eagles Are There?
When the first American Silver Eagle dollar coins were released in 1986, they were offered in two variants:
By 2021, several different kinds had been offered to collectors.
Are 2021 Silver Eagles Rare?
No. Generally speaking, 2021 American Silver Eagles are not rare.
Some 2021 silver eagle dollar coins in top grades might be considered rare — based on the fact they’re among a relative handful in that condition.
But in the absolute sense, none of the 2021 silver eagles are categorically rare.
2021 Silver Eagle Values
How much is a 2021 silver eagle dollar coin worth?
Your 2021 Silver Eagles have a face value of $1 and are legal tender — which means they are spendable as money.
However, the silver content of these coins is worth much more than just a dollar, so it would be foolhardy to spend these coins as regular silver dollars!
Silver eagle values largely depend on prevailing silver prices.
Here are today’s 2021 silver eagle values…
2021 Type I Silver Eagle Bullion Strike Value
The last of the American Silver Eagles with the original design, this coin was struck at the West Point Mint and had a mintage of 13,106,500.
These dollar coins do not have a mintmark.
Values for this coin depend on the current price of silver. However, the most valuable 2021 silver eagle with the old design sold for $85,000 at a 2022 auction.
Why did it sell for so much? It was the very last example of the original design made and was personally struck by U.S. Mint director David Ryder.
2021-W Type I Silver Eagle Proof Value
The last proof silver eagles with the original design were made in 2021 at the West Point Mint.
The 2021 proof silver eagle dollar coins have a “W” mintmark — signifying that they were struck at the West Point Mint, which produced 415,855 of these coins.
A 2021-W Type I proof silver eagle is worth around $120 and up.
2021-W Type I Silver Eagle Reverse Proof Value
The West Point Mint struck an estimated 124,823 of these cool coins with a “W” mintmark that have frosty fields and reflective designs.
These coins are worth about $125 and up.
2021 Type II Silver Eagle Bullion Strike Value
These are the first American Silver Eagles with the new flying eagle design. They were struck at the San Francisco and West Point Mints, which produced a cumulative 14,768,500 examples.
There is no mintmark on these coins.
While values for most of these coins will fluctuate with prevailing silver values, the most valuable 2021 Type II silver eagle sold for $80,000.
What’s the story behind this valuable 2021 silver eagle? It was the very first one struck with the new design and was produced by U.S. Mint director David Ryder, who personally operated the mint press that struck this coin.
2021-W Type II Silver Eagle Burnished Strike Value
This special kind of 2021-W silver eagle was made at the West Point Mint with a special granular surface.
An estimated 187,294 examples were made — each bearing a “W” mint mark.
The 2021 Type II burnished American Silver Eagle has a typical value of $65 and up.
2021-W Type II Silver Eagle Reverse Proof Value
The 2021-W Type II reverse proof was struck to the tune of an estimated 385,253 pieces at the West Point Mint.
These coins display a “W” mintmark.
They are usually worth around $140 and up.
2021-S Type II Silver Eagle Proof Value
The 2021-S Type II proof silver eagle was produced at the San Francisco Mint, where an estimated 273,871 were made.
The coin displays an “S” mintmark.
The 2021-S Type II proof silver eagle has a typical value of around $140.
2021-S Type II Silver Eagle Reverse Proof Value
The 2021-S Type II silver eagle reverse proof strikes hail from the San Francisco Mint, which struck an estimated 124,823 examples.
There is an “S” mint mark on these coins.
These coins fetch about $140 and up.
If you collect or invest in American Silver Eagles, you might enjoy my latest book — “A Guide Book of American Silver Eagles” (Whitman Publishing).
Read Next:
- Tips For Buying Silver Eagles As Bullion OR As Collectible Coins
- 5 Legit Ways To Buy Gold And Silver Coins Cheap (At Or Below Spot Price)
I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century.
I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek.
I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
