How many of these coins were minted and when? Is this the program the mint used just prior to the American Silver Eagle program?
How many of these coins were minted and when? Is this the program the mint used just prior to the American Silver Eagle program?
These weren't minted by the US government. They were minted by private mints who decided they would try to add more significance to their rounds by stating that the silver had previously been part of the US Strategic silver supply.
That makes a lot more sense.
I didn't realize that the gap between the decision to liquidate the stockpile of silver and the minting the Silver Eagle. So the interesting thing about the rounds is not just the origin of the silver but the debate that would have been taking place at the time.
I don't know how many years it was before they decided they needed to release the silver, but it was a while. The government normally has waiting and debating periods. Things move slowly.... but normally surely.