One of the most well-known private minting operations in America is Sunshine Minting. This mint not only refines gold, silver, and other precious metals into bullion but also gives the US Mint silver planchets. The US Mint then produces silver coins using some of the Sunshine Mint’s silver planchets. Explore the attractions Sunshine Mint bullion products offer with cutting-edge technologies by diving into this blog.
About Sunshine Mint
Sunshine Minting, Inc. (SMI) is a prominent domestic and international supplier of precious metal and base metal minted items with manufacturing sites in Idaho, Nevada, and Shanghai and additional sales offices in Canada, Austria, and Argentina. Governments, financial institutions, businesses, large marketing firms, private organizations, and individuals worldwide are among their clients.
History of Sunshine MintIn 1979, the establishment of Sunshine Minting marked the beginning of a new era. Over the following thirty years, it has become the world’s largest supplier of silver to the minting industry. Despite being headquartered in Idaho today, Sunshine Minting started as a small business venture in Chino, California.
Originally named “TENTEX,” a combination of the birthplaces of its founders – Texas and Tennessee, the company began its journey under the guidance of a husband and wife team. Making silver rounds and bars for bullion dealers and marketing agencies nationwide was the company’s main focus at the beginning. TENTEX quickly became well-known for its reliability and quality.
In 1984, Sunshine Mining, a mining enterprise located in Kellogg, Idaho, acquired TENTEX five years after its establishment. Following the acquisition, Sunshine Bullion Company was formed and relocated to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, shifting its operations from Chino.
The Sunshine Bullion Company significantly increased the size of its customer base and introduced a line of outstanding silver bullion products, the renowned Sunshine silver Eagle rounds. This series soon gained popularity and drew purchasers from all facets of today’s precious metals market.
Sunshine Mines decided to sell its minting division after almost ten years. The original owners repurchased their company and established a new private limited company with the well-known name we are all familiar with today — Sunshine Minting, Inc. (SMI).
Sunshine Minting faced a few difficulties for over three years until 1997 when it eventually secured a deal to provide the US Mint with 1 oz pure silver planchets. This deal was made possible with the aid of a renowned precious metals refinery located in Canada.
Johnson Matthey Limited, based in Canada, was initially contracted to supply gold and silver blanks to the US Mint. Still, they decided to change their business strategy, prompting them to divest from the silver and gold blank fabrication business. The Canadian firm sent a team to Idaho in 1997 to assist Sunshine Minting in meeting the stringent quantity and quality standards required by the United States Mint.
Coeur d’AleneCoeur d’Alene is where the Sunshine Mint’s headquarters are located. The views and weather in Coeur d’Alene during summertime are incomparable, and the landscape transforms into a wonderland in winter. Coeur d’Alene locals have many housing options, with new homes being built and expanded daily. Coeur d’Alene is a beautiful place to settle down and call home since it has something for everyone.
The Silver Valley is a term used to describe the mining communities situated just east of Coeur d’Alene, where over 1.2 billion ounces of silver have been mined since 1884. Aside from silver, precious metals and rare earth minerals have also been extracted from the Silver Valley. Sunshine Minting saw an opportunity to relocate and establish roots in Coeur d’Alene due to its geological boom town status. Sunshine Minting has since become one of the largest employers in the city.
Sunshine Mint’s Mission, Values, and VisionMission
- Value: Sunshine Minting, Inc.’s workforce is the company’s most valuable asset. The organization excels in all operations by promoting a culture based on trust, collaboration, ongoing development, and personal accountability.
- Vision: Sunshine Minting, Inc. aims to deliver top-notch bullion products to the global minting industry by prioritizing its core strengths and constantly improving its workforce and procedures.
Sunshine Minting, Inc. offers a wide range of technologies. These include:
- Mint Mark SI: This is an exclusive Scrambled Indicia security feature for all SMI brand bullion products. This micro-engraving is only visible by placing the Mint Mark SI™ decoding lens.
- 3D Effect Laser: This technology creates three-dimensional intricated designs using the laser.
- Antique: This technique gives the aged and weathered finish to coins or rounds.
- Colorizing: Colorizing involves adding vibrant colors to the surface of coins or bars.
- Gold Plating: Adding a layer of gold onto the surface of coins or bars is known as gold plating. The primary purpose of this process is to enhance their aesthetic appeal. It may also serve as a protective layer for the coins or bars.
- Irregular Shapes Products: Creating coins or bars in unconventional or asymmetrical forms can be intricate and demands sophisticated technology for accuracy, which SMI specializes in.
- Serial Numbering: Advanced numbering techniques assign a distinct serial number to each product, which is crucial in tracking and verifying its authenticity.
Sunshine’s products and services stand out due to their special attention to embracing the technological revolution.
Sunshine Minting also provides custom bullion products according to the specific requirements of its customers. The entire process, starting from the development stage and leading up to the product creation, is carried out by Sunshine Minting. Several branded and other custom products are available and created through this custom minting process, which large companies primarily use.
Popular Bullion Products Offered by Sunshine Mint• Silver Rounds by Sunshine Mint
Sunshine Minting is a well-known private mint offering bullion supplies to domestic and international orders and significant mints and banks. Moreover, they create valuable metal items such as silver rounds, which weigh one troy ounce and are made of .999 fine silver.
- Sunshine Mint 1 oz Silver Round
The 1 oz .999 fine silver rounds from Sunshine Mint are further authenticated with the innovative Mint Mark SI™ security feature, which confirms their origins and purity. These rounds are eligible for precious metals IRAs.
On the obverse side, the rounds feature the Sunshine Minting eagle with the sun and rays in the background, while the reverse side lists the weight and purity of the round and showcases the Mint Mark SI™ security feature.
- Sunshine Mint Walking Liberty 1 oz Silver Round
Designed in 1916, the image of Walking Liberty is one of the most iconic designs ever to appear on an American coin. It has been reproduced on numerous coins and rounds over the years.
On the obverse side of these silver rounds, you will see an adapted version of Adolph A. Weinman’s Walking Liberty design. Meanwhile, the reverse side depicts the Heraldic Eagle. This eagle has open wings and holds an “E PLURIBUS UNUM” banner in its beak. Its talons hold an olive branch and arrows. The National Shield is on its chest, and the circle at the center bears the Sunshine Mint mark.
- Sunshine Mint Buffalo 1 oz Silver Round
Experience the essence of the American frontier with the 2023 silver 1 oz Buffalo round that goes beyond just a mere round. With the solemn gaze of the Native American chief and the sturdy stance of the bison evoking memories of a once wild and untamed time, every glance of this round will remind you of the weight of history.
The obverse side of the round features the visage of a Native American chief, reminiscent of the original design of the 1913 Indian Head Nickel. On the reverse side, a bison grazing symbolizes the expansive plains and the untamed spirit of America’s early days.
- Sunshine Mint Morgan 1 oz Silver Round
Silver 1 oz Morgan round is a beautiful connection between the present and America’s rich history of collecting precious metals. Lady Liberty’s graceful image graces the round’s obverse, identical to the original Morgan Silver Dollar design from 1878.
On the reverse side, a Bald Eagle with arrows and an olive branch in its talons is stamped. The Eagle’s chest features the Mint Mark SI anticounterfeiting feature within a central incused circle.
Silver Bar by Sunshine Mint – Eagle designSunshine Minting, renowned for its skilled craftsmanship and design, creates this stunning Sunshine Eagle silver bar. These bars are available in various sizes, including 1 oz, 5 oz, 10 oz, and 100 oz.
At the obverse side of the bar, there is the Sunshine Minting Inc. emblem, which illustrates a bald eagle flying over the sun and its rays. The company’s name, “SUNSHINE MINTING”, encircles the emblem.
The bar’s reverse features a replicated diagonal pattern of a sunrise and the Mint Mark SI, which is situated at the center of the design on a raised circle. The top and bottom of the circle contain the words “MINT MARK SI” in small print.
Gold Bar by Sunshine MintExperience the brilliance of the 1 oz gold Sunshine Mint bar, a stunning creation by Sunshine Minting. The bar weighs one troy ounce and is made of .9999 fine gold, representing sophistication and value. It features the iconic Sunshine Minting eagle on the front, while the back side showcases the innovative Mint Mark SI™ security feature. It is an excellent option for bullion and comes in sealed packaging, making it eligible for precious metals IRAs.
Sunshine Mint Products are Available at Various Reputable Dealers (Dealers name list)You should conduct thorough research before purchasing Sunshine Mint bullion products from various dealers to find a reputable and reliable dealer and compare bullion prices at different dealers.
Here is a list of trustworthy dealers where you can find Sunshine Mint products.
