1998 American Silver Eagle

1998 American silver eagles are popular one-ounce bullion coins that are .999 fine – so, they are made with essentially pure silver. This is just one reason why the American silver eagle is one of the most popular bullion coins available today. But, there’s much more to the story than that. The American silver eagle also features a beloved obverse design that debuted in 1916. The Walking Liberty design, created by Adolph A. Weinman, graced the half dollar until 1947, and has been widely proclaimed one of the world’s most beautiful silver coin designs ever made. The reverse design, which depicts a heraldic eagle, was created by John Mercanti.

While the American silver eagle is regarded as a bullion coin, it actually has quite a large following among numismatists, who treasure the coin for its beautiful design, large size (40.6 millimeters), and overall striking eye appeal.

Thankfully, for those who want an example of one, there are plenty of 1998 silver eagles to go around. 4,847,549 uncirculated and 450,000 proof specimens were made at the Philadelphia mint. Uncirculated silver eagles generally sell for a small premium above spot value, though 1998 proof silver eagles are worth substantially more, at about $65 to $70.