The 2001 American Silver Eagles represented a year of both increases and decreases as it applied to the mintages of the proof and bullion versions of the coin.
Market conditions for silver saw a significant decline for the year coming in at $4.37 an ounce average. This was down from the previous year by $.58. Even more significant was the fact that it marked the third year in which the precious metal slid from its most recent high of $5.55 an ounce average in 1998.
Still, the bullion Eagle mintage managed a very respectable 9,001,711. This was coming off of the previous years recent high of 9,239,132 but missed that mark by 237,421 coins or 2.6%. Even so, 2001 bullion mintage ranked as the third all-time high up to that point.
Collectors of the bullion coins will have noted that 2001 marked the first year in which the Silver Eagles were only produced at the US Mint’s facility in West Point. For the previous two years, both West Point and the Philadelphia Mint shared that responsibility and from 1986-1998, the coins were only minted at the facility in San Francisco.
Below is a table showing the monthly totals for bullion coins sold (this table reflects only the total number of coins sold each month and may include strikes minted in other years):
2001 Bullion Silver Eagles Sold
| January | 779,500 | July | 624,500 | |
| February | 846,500 | August | 474,500 | |
| March | 786,000 | September | 550,000 | |
| April | 562,000 | October | 843,500 | |
| May | 426,000 | November | 1,031,500 | |
| June | 467,000 | December | 1,436,500 |
Proof Silver Eagles for the year showed a significant increase over the total sold the previous year. With a raised mintage cap of 750,000, the Proofs came in very close at 746,398. This equated to a jump of 146,398 over the yea 2000 mintage where they had sold out at their maximum of 600,000.
The 2001 Proofs marked only the third time since the series premiered back in 1986 that the mintage for an annual version topped the 700k mark. The top two spots remained the debut year of 1986 which totaled 1,446,778 and its follow-up, the 1987 coin which totaled 904,732.
Just like the bullion versions of the coin, the US Mint shifted production of these Proof Eagles solely to its facility in West Point. Striking of the Eagles would remain at this location for the foreseeable future.
The US Mint charged $24 per 2001 Proof Silver Eagle ordered – the same price as it had the previous year.
2001 Silver Eagle Mintages
| Bullion Mintage: | 9,001,711 |
| Proof Mintage: | 746,398 |
2001 Silver Eagle Specifications
| Weight: | 31.101 grams (1.000 ounces) |
| Diameter: | 1.598 inches (40.60 mm) |
| Thickness: | 0.117 inches (2.98 mm) |
| Composition: | 99.93% silver, 0.07% copper |
2001 Silver Eagle Design
| Mint Mark: | Bullion – None, Proof – ‘W’ |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| Obverse Designer: | Adolph A. Weinman |
| Reverse Designer: | John Mercanti |
2001 Silver Eagles on eBay