Silver Ounce 1995 American Eagle, Coin from United States - detailed information

The obverse of the coin depicts the female personification of the idea of Liberty (variously also called Miss Liberty or Lady Liberty) as a young woman seen in profile, walking to left, carrying branches of laurel and oak which represent civil and military glory. She wears sandals and is draped in the folds of the American flag, which billows behind her, and her right arm is extended forward in a gesture of bestowing freedom.

Below left, the rising sun towards which she is walking, as a symbol of a new day and hope.

Around above, the inscription LIBERTY.

On two lines in the lower right field, the motto IN GOD WE TRUST.

In the exergue, the year of issue: 1995.

The reverse of the coin depicts the main part of the obverse (or front) of the Great Seal of the United States, which displays the full achievement of the national Coat of Arms.

The design has the Union Shield at centre, legally blazoned as "paleways of 13 pieces, argent and gules; a chief, azure" (thirteen vertical stripes, white and red, with a blue horizontal bar on top). The supporter of the shield is a bald eagle with its wings outstretched (or "displayed", in heraldic terms). From the eagle's perspective, it holds a bundle of six arrows in its left talon, and an olive branch in its right talon. Its head is turned towards the olive branch, indicating a preference for piece over war.

In its beak, the eagle clutches a scroll with the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM ("Out of Many, One"). Over its head there appears an arrangement, on four lines, of 13 five-pointed stars. The recurring number 13 refers to the 13 original states.

In small letters below right, the initials of the designer: JM, for John Mercanti.

Around above, the name of the country: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Around below, the precious metal content and the face value: 1 OZ. FINE SILVER ~ ONE DOLLAR.

Mintage includes 1,781,132 bullion coins struck by the San Francisco Mint with no mint mark, 2,890,919 bullion coins struck by the West Point Mint that also have no mint mark, 438,511 proofs struck by the Philadelphia Mint carrying its P mint mark, and a special edition of 30,125 proofs by the West Point Mint with a W mint mark. Bullion coins struck at San Francisco and at West Point are indistinguishable.

The "special edition" coins were part of a set celebrating the "10th anniversary" of the American Eagle range which, given that the first edition was in 1986, caused confusion as people expected the anniversary to be in 1996. However, 1995 was the tenth release in the range and that is why the set was released in 1995 and not in 1996. Then, to further the confusion, the U.S. Mint marked the 20th anniversary in 2006 and not in 2005.