United States Mint
American Silver Eagle — 2021 Type 2
2021 Type 2
A new eagle for a new generation.
The 2021 Type 2 American Silver Eagle introduced a realistic landing eagle reverse and a refreshed Walking Liberty obverse — a new design chapter in the same one-ounce bullion series.
- Type 2
- 2021–present
- Landing eagle (Type 2)
2021 American Silver Eagle
Type 2 (2021–present)
Type 2 introduces Emily S. Damstra’s landing eagle, sculpted by Michael Gaudioso. Weinman’s Walking Liberty remains on the obverse with refreshed detail and his artist mark. This is the standard bullion issue of the transition year, distinct from both the 2021 Type 1 and collector versions. S02 S04 S05 S06
- Metal
- .999 fine silver
- Weight
- 1 troy ounce (31.103 g)
- Diameter
- 40.6 mm
- Edge
- Reeded
- Face value
- 1 dollar (USD)
01 · Design
Read the design, know the type
An eagle in motion
Damstra’s reverse shows a bald eagle coming in to land with an oak branch. Gaudioso translated the design into sculpted form. In the pictured coin, the angled body and wing feathers create an asymmetric silhouette, unlike the frontal shield-bearing eagle of Type 1. S02 M21
A familiar Liberty, refreshed
The obverse keeps Weinman’s Walking Liberty. The Mint used historical assets and modern technology to refresh the design and added Weinman’s artist mark for 2021. On the pictured obverse, AW is an artist monogram, not a West Point W mint mark. S05 M21
Two reverses, one date
Both design families occur in 2021. Identify Type 2 by the realistic landing eagle, not just the date or the word “new” in a listing. Neither the 2021 year nor one-ounce silver specifications alone distinguish it from a Type 1 bullion coin. S04 S06
02 · Specifications
The standard behind the silver
These specifications describe standard bullion. Unsupported thickness and annual mintage fields are not filled with estimates. S01 S02 M21
| Year | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Face value | 1 dollar (USD) |
| Metal | .999 fine silver |
| Weight | 1 troy ounce (31.103 g) |
| Diameter | 40.6 mm |
| Thickness | Not established |
| Mintage | Not established |
| Edge | Reeded; Mint describes an edge variation |
| Visible mint mark | None (pictured standard bullion) |
| Product class | Standard bullion; not proof or burnished collector issue |
Artist initials are not mint marks. A facility attribution cannot be read directly from an unmarked face.
03 · Mintage
A number needs a defined scope
Keep the 2021 type boundary intact
A final Type 2-only standard bullion mintage is not established in this article. A combined 2021 sales total would cross the Type 1 / Type 2 boundary and cannot be assigned to either design without a documented breakdown. No proof or collector totals are included. S06 S09
A strike event is not a final total
The Mint documented a 2021 ceremony at West Point for the new designs. That event establishes production context, not the final year’s output. Facility information likewise does not create a mint mark on a standard bullion coin whose pictured faces bear none. S05 M21
04 · History
A design transition, a continuing series
2020 · The redesign announced
The Mint announced the new reverses in October 2020 for the American Eagle program’s 35th anniversary in 2021. For silver, the change replaced the heraldic eagle with a landing bird while preserving the Walking Liberty lineage on the other face. S04
2021 · A documented first strike
A July 2021 Mint account describes the April 10 ceremonial striking of the redesigned coins at West Point. The ceremony and later product availability are different milestones. Type 2 should be understood as a design transition within the existing program, not a new silver denomination. S05 S02
A changed edge, a continuous standard
The Mint describes a reeded-edge variation among the new security features. The edge is not visible in these face-on images, so this page does not claim to authenticate it or locate a particular gap. The silver standard remains one troy ounce of .999 fine silver at a one-dollar face value. S05 S02
05 · Collecting
Collect with a clear identity
Look at the reverse first
The landing eagle is the clearest Type 2 marker. Then confirm the 2021 obverse date and the appropriate bullion finish and mint-mark state. Artist initials in the design are credits, not additional mints or separate issue varieties. M21 S02
Bullion is a product identity, not a grade
A brilliant-looking coin is not automatically a proof. Proof is a distinct manufacturing finish; “BU” is a dealer condition description and should not be confused with the Mint’s separately marketed uncirculated collector product. Check the exact year, reverse, finish and mint-mark state together. S06 S08
Read the photograph within its limits
These are reference photographs, not a grading or authentication certificate. An obverse and reverse sourced from one dated product gallery establish the illustrated issue; they do not establish that both photographs depict the same individual specimen. An unseen edge cannot confirm an edge-security detail.
A reference, not a live price guide
This article identifies a standard bullion issue. It does not supply a current premium, grade-based price or investment forecast. The one-dollar denomination, silver content and a dealer’s asking price describe different things and should not be substituted for one another. S01 S07
Explore the series
Year / type register
This is a year/type register, not a list of published annual articles. The two highlighted issues have dedicated studies; other entries provide context only.
View 42 year / type entries
- 1986 Type 1Read study →
- 1987 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 1988 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 1989 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 1990 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 1991 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 1992 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 1993 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 1994 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 1995 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 1996 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 1997 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 1998 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 1999 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2000 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2001 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2002 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2003 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2004 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2005 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2006 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2007 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2008 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2009 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2010 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2011 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2012 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2013 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2014 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2015 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2016 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2017 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2018 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2019 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2020 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2021 Type 1Register context only — no issue page
- 2021 Type 2Read study →
- 2022 Type 2Register context only — no issue page
- 2023 Type 2Register context only — no issue page
- 2024 Type 2Register context only — no issue page
- 2025 Type 2Register context only — no issue page
- 2026 Type 2Register context only — no issue page
Return to the American Eagle family →U.S. Mint bullion →Silver Eagle catalog →
Sources & image credits
Original editorial synthesis; source links identify the factual basis. Coin descriptions refer to the pictured examples.
- S01 Liberty Coin Act — Public Law 99-61, Title II (July 9, 1985)
- S02 U.S. Mint — Bullion coin programs / silver specifications
- M21 APMEX — Exact 2021 Type 2 standard bullion photography
- S04 U.S. Mint — Redesigning the American Eagle coins (October 21, 2020)
- S05 U.S. Mint — West Point strikes the new American Eagles (July 16, 2021)
- S06 U.S. Mint — American Eagle Silver Proof Coins
- S09 U.S. Mint — Bullion sales: reporting scope and revisions
- S08 U.S. Mint — Collectible coins / proof and uncirculated finishes
- S07 U.S. Mint — Bullion program and distribution
Coin photography: APMEX. Backgrounds are synthetic contextual illustrations, not archival photographs or documentary views.