i received a bullion coin for xmas and was wondering if it is govt issued or from a private co. it is a silver prooflike coin. the obverse says united states navy in center with protectors of the sea at the top. has picture of an aircraft carrier and anchor. reverse has america america at top with .999 fine silver at bottom with picture of eagle and liberty bell. thanks to any who can help identify.
banny, These are privately minted silver "rounds" by companies such as Franklin Mint. They typically sell for $10-20 new.Here are some examples,one of which is like yours on the obverse. http://koinpro.tripod.com/BarsMedalsRounds/MilitaryAgBzRnds.jpg
All coins currently issued by the US Mint have a denomination on them, and the only silver rounds currently being issued are the American Silver Eagles with a nominal denomination of $1 and an obverse based on the Walking Liberty half dollar design. There are innumeral private mints putting out the kind of round you have. If they are honestly described as .999 silver, you can usually buy or sell them for silver spot price plus/minus 10-15%. In other words, a dealer will buy them from you for less than the current silver bullion price, or sell them to you for more than bullion. BTW, I don't think I've previously given you a to CoinTalk, so I'll do it now.
It is also possible that silver rounds will become more highly thought of collectibles in the future. They are relatively ignored by serious hobbyists, never slabbed [to my knowledge], and probably not well cared-for overall. If silver goes up a lot in price, as some analysts expect, high grade silver rounds from the 1980s onward may be worth significantly more than bullion value 25 years from now to some collectors. So take good care of it just in case.
