2006 Three-Coin 20th Anniversary of American Silver Eagles PR70/RP70/SP70

2006 Three-Coin 20th Anniversary of American Silver Eagles PR70/RP70/SP70

Set includes First-Ever Reverse Proof Coin – Low Mintage – Best Seller
 
To celebrate the 20th year of American Silver Eagle coins, the US Mint released the 20th Anniversary Silver Eagle Set. The sets included three Silver Eagle coins; each struck with a different finish. 
 
The United States Mint introduced a coin struck with a new uncirculated finish. These coins were prepared and struck on specially burnished blanks and carried the "W" mint mark. These coins were a massive hit with collectors, and the mint has continued to make them on an annual basis to satisfy collector demand. The coins are known as "collectible uncirculated, Burnished or Satin Finish Silver Eagles."                                                                      
ANACS was the first coin grading service to use the term SP meaning specimen. NGC and PCGS have since adopted this term on their holders.
 
The second coin in the set is a Proof coin struck at the WestPoint Mint in New York. This coin has the W mintmark.
                 
The third coin included in the set is the first-ever Reverse Proof Silver Eagle. This coin is considered to be one of the most beautiful proof coins of all time.  A Reverse Proof finish as the name implies has the opposite appearance of a standard proof coin. The raised design elements appear mirrored, while background fields are frosted. The coins were produced at the Philadelphia Mint and carry the "P" mint mark.                           
 The Reverse Proof coin was not sold separately by the U.S. Mint. 
 
The Burnished and Reverse Proof finishes were employed by the U.S. Mint for the first-time accounting for the keen interest within the coin collecting community for this set.
 
The authorized mintage was 250,000 sets, which sold out in ten weeks. Individually and collectively these coins are recommended in the book "Modern Coin Rarities 1986-2016".