1989 $1 Silver Eagle MS70 Certification #82638026, PCGS #9826

Charles Morgan

The 1989 American Silver Eagle

Despite a sluggish metal market — with silver trading between $5.20 and $5.90 per ounce, down over a dollar from 1988 daily averages — investor interest in bullion American Silver Eagles saw a modest bump in 1989.

However, even with this slight increase in mintage, distribution remained a shadow of the program’s launch era in late 1986 (#9801) and 1987 (#9808). After setting an initial high-water mark of 11,442,335 coins in 1987, overall demand remained quiet for over a decade, failing to come within a million pieces of that record until 2002.

The Evolving "Early Date" Market

As the Silver Eagle program closes in on its four-decade milestone, market perception of these initial years is shifting. Today, numismatists and dealers increasingly categorize pieces struck between 1986 and 1996 as "early dates." This early-date distinction primarily drives value for coins certified as PCGS MS70, as well as unopened, original "monster boxes" sought after for potential top-grade bulk submissions. In contrast, loose, raw, or lightly handled specimens continue to trade for a small premium over their underlying metal content.

Collecting the 1989 American Silver Eagle

Because early-date American Silver Eagles rarely achieve a top grade, a dramatic value disparity separates PCGS MS69 and PCGS MS70 coins. Even in lower grades, any PCGS-encapsulated coin commands a modest premium over melt value thanks to the PCGS Grade and Authenticity Guarantee. This protection is key: counterfeits can be remarkably deceptive, and the U.S. Mint did not add enhanced anti-counterfeiting security features to the series until 2021.

WTC Ground Zero Recovery Coins

Deep below 4 World Trade Center, the Bank of Nova Scotia operated an underground depository housing nearly $200 million in gold and silver bullion. Once emergency crews at Ground Zero cleared a path to the undamaged vault, heavily armed escorts secretly evacuated the precious metals so site demolition could safely proceed.

Preservation & Authentication

Numismatist Lee Minshull purchased roughly 100,000 salvaged Gold and Silver American Eagles directly from the bank for $560,000. PCGS authenticated and encapsulated the coins using specialized holders adorned with patriotic "WTC Ground Zero Recovery" flag labels. Out of the entire cache, a mere 65 examples were 1989-dated American Silver Eagles, making them among the rarest varieties in the distribution.

Notable Signature Labels

PCGS has certified 1989 American Silver Eagles featuring a variety of signature labels, a few of which are quite rare*.

• Thomas Cleveland, Arrows (Coin Designer) | (#825225) 1 coin: MS70 
• Thomas Cleveland, Art Deco (Coin Designer) | (#657992) 3 coins: all MS70
• Thomas Cleveland, Eagle with Sun (Coin Designer) | (#825225) 1 coin: MS70
• Thomas Cleveland, Native (Coin Designer) | (#825223) 2 coins: both MS70
• Emily S. Damstra (Coin Designer) | (#893020) 3 coins: 3 MS69, 1 MS70
• David Hall (PCGS Co-Founder) | (#916890) Unique: MS70
• John Mercanti, First Strike, Flag (U.S. Mint Chief Engraver) | (#899713) 2 coins: both MS70
• John Mercanti, Flag (U.S. Mint Chief Engraver) | (#684831) 63 coins: all MS70
• John Mercanti, SF Signature (U.S. Mint Chief Engraver) | (#896899) 70 coins: 49 MS69, 21 MS70
• John Mercanti, Signature (U.S. Mint Chief Engraver) | (#522938) 70 coins: 49 MS69, 21 MS70
• John Mercanti, Silver Eagle Signature (U.S. Mint Chief Engraver) | (#880912) 195 coins: all MS70
• Ed Moy, Signature (U.S. Mint Director) | (#532540) 51 coins: 50 MS69, 1 MS70.
• Michael Reagan, Silver Eagle (Media Personality) | (#831557) 16 coins: all MS69

*Signers' coin populations may change over time. Additional Mercanti and Moy coins may exist under the standard PCGS coin number.

* * *