Just got a notice from the US Mint of their upcoming mintage and looked closer at the design of their high relief items. Not sure yet if I care for the engraving of the obverse, but was taken back by the fact that the silver "metal" doesn't have any value or markings indicating it is 99.9 silver while the gold "coin" has a value. Thoughts on that and the design?
2019 is the first time the American Liberty Silver Medal is 2.5 oz. (Previously it was 1 oz.) For that reason alone, I expect it will sell well. Plus, it's High Relief. And initially, the Household Limit is just 1. That's great news for individual collectors. And although the Obverse design has some, um, questionable features, IMO the Reverse is terrific.
The design looks ugly like one of those funny thigh commercials with their funny hair do's. The obverse eagle is great. Lol
I'm really up in the air on the silver one, I may take a ride to the Philly mint and check it out before I buy one.
I may buy the gold one but just because I collect the various Eagle designs. I do not like the obverse design though. ... but not at current gold prices.
Since 1908 all United States COINS have to have the IGWT motto. The silver high relief is a MEDAL not a coin and so it doesn't have to have it. (They have been making these silver medals for three years now. Why are experienced collectors still asking if they are coins?)
I guess I wasn't clear enough when I labeled the silver "medal" that it is not a coin, but my main question is why it doesn't have the 99.9% silver on it? BTW, after looking at the design for a while, I decided I personally do not like the obverse.
I don't follow mint medals too much, I don't think the fineness is commonly marked on them. I could be wrong. I tried looking at some of their other silver medals but the ones I see are not marked.
I been vacillating. The obverse is just shy of hideous to me. Yet the reverse is extremely attractive. I think I'll wait until these get out on the market and maybe save the mint overhead.