In this collector's guide, retired chief engraver of the Philadelphia Mint and designer of the reverse side of the American silver eagle bullion coin, John M. Mercanti, details the history and development of the American silver eagles program as well as other U.S. bullion coins and medals.

A bold expression of a fledgling republic's aspirations and bravado, the American bald eagle has been designed, drawn, illustrated, stamped, engraved, painted, sculpted, carved, photographed, and etched by thousands of artists and artisans since 1782, when it first appeared as the central figure on the Great Seal of the United States. As America's most versatile emblem, the eagle emanates confidence during peace and prosperity, and strength during crisis and war; as a North American native species it exemplifies nature's grandeur and the advance of conservation. In all, the bald eagle is a stirring national symbol made all the more vibrant by its indisputable dominion in the sky. American Eagle: A Visual History of Our National Emblem is a visual survey that explores the eagle in American life. A remarkable book that represents American culture, politics, and history, American Eagle will be the definitive source of this national icon for generations to come.

Largest collection illustrating the use and development of the eagle in art and design in America contains 321 photos, drawings and designs featuring eagle in hundreds of sizes and positions in every conceivable medium.

Best Books of the Month: Wall Street Journal, Kirkus Reviews From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Gulf, a sweeping cultural and natural history of the bald eagle in America. The bald eagle is regal but fearless, a bird you’re not inclined to argue with. For centuries, Americans have celebrated it as “majestic” and “noble,” yet savaged the living bird behind their national symbol as a malicious predator of livestock and, falsely, a snatcher of babies. Taking us from before the nation’s founding through inconceivable resurgences of this enduring all-American species, Jack E. Davis contrasts the age when native peoples lived beside it peacefully with that when others, whether through hunting bounties or DDT pesticides, twice pushed Haliaeetus leucocephalus to the brink of extinction. Filled with spectacular stories of Founding Fathers, rapacious hunters, heroic bird rescuers, and the lives of bald eagles themselves—monogamous creatures, considered among the animal world’s finest parents—The Bald Eagle is a much-awaited cultural and natural history that demonstrates how this bird’s wondrous journey may provide inspiration today, as we grapple with environmental peril on a larger scale.

To create this book, Moy has drawn on a lifetime of interest in coins and precious metals, leading up to his 2006 confirmation as director of the U.S. Mint. Under his tenure, demand for American gold bullion coins multiplied more than fivefold, from less than 330,000 ounces in 2007 to 1,800,000-plus ounces in 2009, and counting. The U.S. Mint went from a major producer to the world's largest producer of gold, silver, and platinum coins, with bullion coins accounting for the majority of the Mint's revenues.

Discusses the bald eagle and how it came to be the symbol for the United States.

Presents a tribute to the efforts of dedicated volunteers who helped save the American bald eagle from extinction, including the story of a young boy who helped hatch an eaglet.