From 1939 to the spring and summer of 1945, the nations of the world were entrapped in the horrors of World War II. By 1941, the United States of America had been pulled into the conflict after two years of neutrality following the attack by Imperial Japan at the US Navy Air Station at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. After four years of warfare, the United States emerged on the victorious side along with its Allies and was the only nation to successfully engage in the conflict on two fronts. To mark the 75th anniversary of the war’s end, the United States Mint issued beautiful American Eagle bullion coins with the rare inclusion of a privy mark on the obverse. Now is your chance to learn more about this beautiful release in detail before purchasing these stunning specimens.
The V75 Privy Mark
The United States Mint issued its coveted American Silver Eagle and American Gold Eagle coins in 2020 with a rare privy mark on the obverse. This was done to mark the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the end of hostilities in World War II. In a special, low-mintage release of Proof American Silver Eagles and Proof American Gold Eagles, the US Mint included a V75 privy mark on the obverse field. The privy mark includes an inscription at its center of “V75,” but this is no ordinary shape for the privy mark.
In selecting the shape of the privy mark itself, the US Mint looked to the National World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. for inspiration. The privy mark on the coins takes the shape of the Rainbow Pool. A reflecting pool built on the National Mall in Washington D.C. in the 1920s, the Rainbow Pool is so-named because when all of its 124 water jets spray out at the same time on a sunny day, it creates a full-spectrum rainbow. When construction on the National World War II Memorial began in September 2001, the Rainbow Pool’s existing site was chosen as the location for the new memorial monument. The pool was absorbed into the design of the monument and continues to provide a backdrop for those honoring the legacy of America’s World War II veterans.
American Silver and Gold Eagle Coins
As mentioned above, the United States Mint issued the V75 Privy Mark on two different options for collectors. The 2020-W 1 oz V75 Proof American Silver Eagle Coin is available with a protective plastic capsule around the coin and a blue US Mint presentation box. The coin, capsule, and box ship with a Certificate of Authenticity inside of a themed shipper. The mintage of the Proof Silver Eagle is set at 75,000 coins only, an honorary figure noting the 75th anniversary of the war’s end.
Also available is the 2020-W 1 oz V75 Proof American Gold Eagle Coin. This specimen also comes with a capsule around the coin and a Certificate of Authenticity but is packaged in a maroon box with a themed, maroon shipper. The US Mint capped mintage of this specimen at 1,945 coins, an honorary mark pointing to 1945 as the final year of the war. Both of the coins have traditional proof visuals that include frosted design elements and mirrored background fields.
Certified V75 Silver Eagles
In addition to the options available from the mint in the initial release, you can also find certified versions of the V75 Proof American Silver Eagle. JM Bullion has the V75 Privy Proof American Silver Eagle Coins in an NGC PF70 ER version and an NGC PF69 ER version. These certified coins are much harder to come by as each option comes from that original, low mintage of only 75,000 coins released by the United States Mint. For those unfamiliar with these grades, those designations indicate the following:
- PF70 – a perfect coin with no detracting flaws of any kind present and full, original mint luster.
- PF69 – a near-perfect coin, these items have full, original mint luster as well, but also present with a maximum of two minor detracting flaws. Those flaws are limited in scope to the areas outside the primary focal points and limited in nature to minuscule contact marks or hairlines.
- ER – this stands for Early Release and indicates the NGC received each one within 30 days of the US Mint’s initial release of the coins in 2020.
Collect These Unique Proof American Eagles with JM Bullion
Availability of these coins is extremely limited, so now is your best chance to capture one of these beautiful specimens. If you have any questions, please feel free to call JM Bullion at 800-276-6508. Alternatively, you can reach out to us online through our live chat and email address features. Don’t forget to keep up with our weekly blog posts and follow us on Facebook for greater insight and detail on coins releases, as well as the chance to win metals in our spot price contests.
