Owner Comments:
Yet again, 6 years passed before the US Mint got back to striking a reverse proof in the silver eagle series. Reverse proofs had been completed for a number of other coins including every other denomination during this timeframe, including offerings such as a 2018 silver reverse proof set, a series of presidential dollars in 2015 and 2016, and a new series in dollar coins called American Innovation. 2019 itself became a year of many reverse proof offerings including an AI dollar coin, Lincoln cent, Kennedy half, Palladium Eagle and two different silver eagles. This 2019-W was minted at West Point and was paired with a Canadian Maple Leaf as part of a two coin set, called the Pride of Two Nations. This set commemorated the cooperation between these two North American neighbors as well as the longevity of both mints.
This finish was different than past reverse proofs as the mint chose to add more variety to the finishes within different features of the devices. The selective finish configuration that was applied was labeled as an "Enhanced Reverse Proof" and can be seen most distinctly in Liberty's robe. The combination here offers a contrast between the previous reverse proofs and a newer finish first developed in 2013 called enhanced uncirculated, showcasing the technological improvements in die making with selective finishing.
The mintage just barely edged out the previous reverse proof low from the 25th anniversary set, but very soon, that would change again.
Mintage 2019-W: 99,675