silberinfo:

Since 1986, the year of the first edition of the American Silver Eagle, more than 166 Mio. Coins have been struck. Where does the US Mint see the reasons for this huge success?

United States Mint:

The U.S. Congress enacted the American Eagle Bullion Coin Program to provide investors with a convenient and cost effective way to add silver, gold or platinum to their investment portfolios. The American Eagle Bullion Program was launched in 1986 with the sale of gold and silver bullion coins.  Platinum was added to the American Eagle bullion family in 1997.

silberinfo:

What do you think is the main reason why investors buy the American Eagle? Speculation on an increase in value or fear of inflation? 

United States Mint:

American Eagle Bullion Coins are traditionally purchased by investors seeking a simple and tangible means to own and invest in the gold, silver and platinum markets.  Investors also may appreciate the fact that American Eagle Bullion Coins are backed by the U.S. Government.

silberinfo:

2002 was a record year for the Silver Eagle, with 10,48 Mio. minted coins. Do you anticipate that this record will be broken 2008?

United States Mint:

Yes, the United States Mint has already sold more than 10.7 million 2008 American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins due to unprecedented demand.

silberinfo:

How many Silver Eagles can be produced per day, and for how many coins can a coining die be used for?

United States Mint:

The United States Mint's capacity to produce American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins is quite large.  United States Mint facilities have sufficient production capacity to meet the unprecedented demand for these coins. However, we have encountered challenges in acquiring enough silver blanks that meet the exacting specifications of the American Eagle Silver Bullion Coin Program to fulfill the current high demand.

silberinfo:

Is it true that the Silver for the Silver Eagle comes from US Mines only? And does this also count for the Gold and Platinum Eagles?

United States Mint:

By law, the United States Mint's American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins must be composed of newly-mined silver acquired from domestic sources.  This is true for Gold and Platinum American Eagle Bullion Coins, as well. The United States Mint is continuing to make every effort to increase its acquisition of silver bullion blanks to address the continuing high demand in the silver bullion coin market.

silberinfo:

Environmentalists are advocating a certification system for precious metals (especially gold) to ensure, that those were produced in mines that adhere to certain environmental and social standards. Does the US Mint plan to play an active role regarding these efforts?

United States Mint:

The agency does not purchase gold directly from mines.

silberinfo:

Many investors were surprised by the limit on the Silver Eagle production that was published on April 21. Could you please summarize the reasons for our readers again?

United States Mint:

The United States Mint does not issue American Eagle Silver Bullion Coins directly to the public.  The United States Mint distributes all Silver Bullion American Eagle Coins through a network of Authorized Purchasers (APs) who have agreed to maintain a two-way market for their customers.  This arrangement assures liquidity in the silver bullion investment market.  The United States Mint has employed this arrangement throughout the history of its modern bullion coin programs and the current unprecedented demand for silver American Eagles has not changed that. 

The United States Mint has sufficient production capacity to meet the current demand, and is not restricting the issuance of Silver American Eagle Coins.   Rather, the United States Mint has not been able to acquire a steady volume of silver bullion coin blanks to immediately fulfill all AP orders.  Therefore, the United States Mint is allocating the coins available for issuance among the APs based on various factors, including each AP's past sales performance for silver bullion coins in the last three fiscal years and their ordering history.

silberinfo:

Is an easing of the situation forseeable at the moment? 

United States Mint:

The United States Mint currently has two suppliers of American Eagle Silver Bullion blanks, and we will be issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) soon, seeking additional vendors who can supply a large volume of silver blanks that meet our exacting specifications.

silberinfo:

Can investors hope for new products from the US Mint soon? Like e.g. the 1kg Eagle, for whom we think there would be a market in Europe?

United States Mint:

Legislation signed by the President of the United States of America is required to produce additional United States Mint investment coin products.  At this time, there is no new legislation.

silberinfo:

Thank you very much for kindly answering our questions!

www.silberinfo.com