2002 Operation Anaconda $1 American Silver Eagle GEM BU

2002 Operation Anaconda $1 American Silver Eagle GEM BU

Special Edition Exclusive Label by National Coin Grading LLC (NCG)

Operation Anaconda was a military operation that took place in early March 2002 as part of the war in Afghanistan. CIA paramilitary officers, working with their allies, attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces. The operation took place in the Shah-i-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains southeast of Zormat. This operation was the first large-scale battle in the post-2001 war in Afghanistan since the Battle of Tora Bora in December 2001. This was the first operation in the Afghanistan theater to involve a large number of U.S. forces participating in direct combat activities.

Between 2 and 18 March 2002, 1,700 airlifted U.S. troops and 1,000 pro-government Afghan militia battled between 300 and 1,000 al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters to obtain control of the valley. The Taliban and al-Qaeda forces fired mortars and heavy machine guns from entrenched positions in the caves and ridges of the mountainous terrain at U.S. forces attempting to secure the area. Afghan Taliban commander Maulavi Saif-ur-Rehman Mansoor later led Taliban reinforcements to join the battle. U.S. forces had estimated the strength of the rebels in the Shah-i-Kot Valley at 200 to 250, but later information suggested the actual strength was of 500 to 1,000 fighters.

The operation was delayed with two days due to bad weather forecasts.

The American Silver Eagle is considered one of the most popular coins worldwide. The creation of these iconic 1 Troy oz of .999 fine silver coins was authorized through the Liberty Coin Act of 1985, and production began in 1986. Known to many as the official bullion coin of the United States, a redesign was introduced by the US Mint in 2021. The original obverse design, based on Adolph A. Weinman’s 1916 “Walking Liberty” half dollar, has been updated with the help of modern technology. Now a closer reflection of Weinman’s original design, the obverse includes the addition of the traditional artist’s mark on the coin itself. As with the obverse, the reverse of the Silver Eagle also received an update in design. Before the summer of 2021, the design was that of the heraldic eagle of the United States, which was created by the former Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, John Mercanti.