SAE=ASE, American Silver Eagles I have seen some mint varieties that got a bit of extra attention, some shiny versions and some die varieties but nothing that made much difference. The only expensive ones I have seen are the graded ones. The rest all seem to be around the same price
Its only panda's if i may be corrected that increase in value towards their earlier years. Slabbed and proof, first release, Mercanti etc ASE's get good premiums though
The 1996 ASE's sell for a premium as they are the lowest mintage year of the regular bullion issue. So far other years haven't been but my opinion is that they should at some point. Have a look at this article http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis...le&ArticleId=24753&et_mid=539526&rid=16514277 If you are going to take a longer view its a fact that they are cranking out over 30 million a year now. If you are going to buy one anyway and a 1994 and a 2012 are the same cost why not by the 1994? If silver tanks the low mintage years might acquire a premium that might protect you a little on the downside.
There is a healthy market in MS69/MS70 graded Silver Eagles. A 1996 MS70 ASE would be worth good money. Low mintage plus grade rarity for MS70.
You have to be careful with the graded ones that you don't overpay. If they are PCGS MS70's then its ok to pay more than raw . If they are NGC MS 69 maybe $5 or $6 over raw Don't pay a cent extra for first strikes , that fad is pretty much passed and you won't get that premium back if you pay it. Any ICG slab even a MS70 is the same as raw in my opinion. I was at a dealers looking through a box of graded eagles and he pulled out an ICG that was graded MS70 first strike and it had a gouge on the reverse about 8 or 10 mm long. He told me I could buy any of those for $35 each which at the time silver was around 31.50 an ounce. I know if you look at completed listings on ebay people are getting $45 or so each for them but its too much. At the 35 he wanted I would have bought them for myself but to flip on ebay at $45 would have been risking too many complaints . If you paid $20 or more to have them shipped down under you would not be pleased when you got an ICG in hand.
