No less an expert than John M. Mercanti-the designer of the American Silver Eagle's reverse-shares his unique insight and perspective on these beautiful pieces of Americana. To create this book, Mercanti has drawn on nearly 40 years of experience working in the U.S. Mint. Mercanti is joined by Miles Standish, vice president and senior grader of the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), who has studied and graded the finest, rarest, and most valuable coins in the world. These two experts bring together diverse elements-technical and artistic, historical and current, market-driven and hobbyist-to make American Silver Eagles a valuable addition to any collector's or investor's bookshelf. Updated in the second edition: New information on the U.S. Mint's individual coins and multiple-coin sets of 2012 and 2013. More historical photographs. Updated pricing and certified-coin populations. Additional images and information on the Mint's other silver, gold, and platinum issues, plus the Treasury's report on palladium coins). A new appendix on the phenomenon of surface spotting in American Silver Eagles.