2018 Limited Edition Silver Proof Sets are here.
With its second year in a row featuring a silver American Eagle struck at San Francisco, these sets continue to make collectors swoon for their limited nature and their importance in the numismatic world.
Limited Edition Coin Sets History
With the first of its kind, the United States Mint released a Limited Edition Silver Proof Set in November of 2012 that combined America the Beautiful quarters as well the silver American Eagle, Kennedy half dollar, and the Roosevelt dime.
Each silver Proof coin containing 90% silver was struck at the San Francisco Mint and bore the “S” mint mark designation; all coins with the exception of the silver American Eagle. Designated with a “W” mint mark on the reverse, the .999 fine silver American Eagle was minted at West Point and became the collector edition coin aside from the already minted Proof silver Eagle released earlier that year. Production of the first ever set had a maximum mintage of 50,000 and was limited to two per household when released. The limit was lifted shortly after in December.
The initially popular--and some would say overlooked--set would leave collectors with a new way to obtain the same coins they had already come to love as the limited edition designation would enhance their collecting experience.
With the new way of packing these coins specifically, the mint released a statement prior to the set’s actual release date to inform customers that there would be a delay in shipping. The sets would later ship in the spring of 2013 due to the demands of the original government packaging being produced.
The inception of limited edition silver proof sets in 2012 led to the production of sets to follow in 2013 and 2014. The United States Mint decided to omit 2015 but continued production in 2016 through the current year, updating packaging standards as well by placing each coin in individual capsules as previous year sets dealt with damaged coins. All sets stayed limited to a mintage of 50,000 which furthered the collectibility of the program.
Knowing all that we know about the limited edition sets, why are they said to be so overlooked by some today? Let’s just say 2017 rocked the coin world’s view of the program---past, present, and future.
In 2017, the United States Mint decided to shake things up a little as the silver American Eagle would be minted at San Francisco for the first time ever. The kicker? You could only obtain the 2017-S silver Eagle through two collectors sets: the 2017 Congratulations Set and the 2017 Limited Edition Silver Proof Set. With a combined mintage of 125,000, the “S” minted silver Eagle would be the second lowest minted Proof silver American Eagle next to the 1995-W.
With previous years’ silver Eagles being struck at West Point within the limited edition silver proof sets, the change in mint mark amassed a whole new market of collectors as the sets, along with the congratulations sets, became harder to obtain. The collectibility even sparked a desire to have all the coins graded from NGC and PCGS, adding yet another layer to the set’s appeal and creating an even bigger market for buyers and sellers.
Featured Products: 2018 Limited Edition Silver Proof Sets
