NEW BOOK: AMERICAN SILVER EAGLES: A GUIDE TO THE U.S. BULLION COIN PROGRAM

Whitman Publishing announces the release of American Silver Eagles: A Guide to the U.S. Bullion Coin Program, by John M. Mercanti, retired chief engraver of the United States Mint, and Michael “Miles” Standish, senior grader at PCGS. The 168-page hardcover book will be available November 20, 2012, online and from bookstores and hobby retailers nationwide. It can be pre-ordered at www.Whitman.com. The retail price is $29.95.

The hugely popular .999 fine one-ounce American Silver Eagle coin is collected by numismatists, stockpiled by investors, and treasured by silver buyers throughout the United States and around the world.

Now, no less an expert than John M. Mercanti—the designer of the coin’s reverse—shares his unique insight and perspective on these beautiful pieces of Americana.

To create this book, Mercanti has drawn on nearly 40 years of experience working in the U.S. Mint, starting in 1974 as a sculptor-engraver and culminating with his 2006 appointment as the Mint’s 12th chief engraver (supervisor of design and master tooling development specialist). Mercanti is joined by Miles Standish, vice president and senior grader of the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), who has studied and graded the finest, rarest, and most valuable coins in the world.

These two experts bring together diverse elements—technical and artistic, historical and current, market-driven and hobbyist—to make American Silver Eagles a valuable addition to any numismatic bookshelf.

“Collectors and investors have purchased more than 300 million American Silver Eagles since 1986,” said Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. “This is the first book-length study of these popular coins.”

Contents include:

• A foreword by Michael Reagan, whose father, President Ronald Reagan, signed the legislation that authorized the American Silver Eagle.
• Chapter 1: The United States’ entrance into the modern bullion market.
• Chapter 2: Mercanti’s behind-the-scenes history of the American Silver Eagle, its design development, the minting process, and other elements of the coinage series.
• Chapter 3: A detailed date-by-date study, plus varieties and sets, with high-resolution photographs, rarity information, values, certified-coin populations, surface and strike characteristics, market details, packaging information, issue prices, and more.
• Chapter 4: An illustrated overview of other coins in our nation’s bullion program.
• Plus: Compiled charts for easy coin-by-coin comparisons; a glossary of numismatic terms; and an index for looking up information.
• And: A richly illustrated eight-page gallery and catalog of John Mercanti’s coinage and medal designs.

American Silver Eagles: A Guide to the U.S. Bullion Coin Program By John M. Mercanti and Michael “Miles” Standish Foreword by Michael Reagan 168 pages, hardcover, 8.5 x 11 inches Fully illustrated in color ISBN 0794838049 Retail $29.95

Wayne Homren, Editor

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