American Gold Eagle Coins
American Gold Eagles - the US Mint's most popular gold coins
When you buy gold in the form of American Gold Eagle coins, you buy a piece of history. The coins proudly display America's icon of liberty, Lady Liberty, on their obverse side in a design that goes back to Augustus Saint-Gaudens original 1907 design of the Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagles. In 2021, a new reverse side design was introduced and some minor changes were made to the obverse side of the coins as well. The excellent durability of the coins (especially scratch resistance) is another feature that makes the American Gold Eagles very popular with precious metal investors worldwide.
The American Gold Eagle coin is minted out of 91.67% pure gold and alloyed with 3% silver and 5.33% copper. Bullion coins of this level of purity are also referred to as 22 karat gold coins. They are much more durable than the softer 24 karat gold coins. By law, the gold that is used to mint Gold American Eagles must have been mined in the United States. The American government guarantees the Gold Eagles' weight, metal content and purity. American consumers that are investing in gold for their retirements can include the coins in their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA's).
The US Mint produces the Gold American Eagle coins in four different denominations from 1 oz to 1/10 oz with both brilliant uncirculated and proof finishes. The coins have the status of legal tender in the US. The American Gold Eagle was also minted in limited numbers with a burnished finish in the same four denominations between 2006 and 2008. These burnished coins have a matte appearance (which limits light glare) and bear the "W" mint mark for the West Point Mint (proof coins bear the same mint mark). Burnished American Eagle gold coins are minted again since 2011 but only as 1 oz coins.
Coin Specifications
| Weight | Face Value | Purity | Diameter x Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | US $ 50 | 91.67% | 32.70 x 2.87 mm |
| 1/2 oz | US $ 25 | 91.67% | 27 x 2.24 mm |
| 1/4 oz | US $ 10 | 91.67% | 22 x 1.83 mm |
| 1/10 oz | US $ 5 | 91.67% | 16.50 x 1.19 mm |
Gold Eagle Coin Design
The sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens created the design that appears on the obverse side of the coins. This design featuring Lady Liberty goes back to the historic Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle that was minted in the early 1900s. Lady Liberty's depiction with flowing hair, holding a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left strongly resembles ancient Greek and Roman coins. Furthermore, the US Capitol building is depicted in the left background and the obverse side also shows the year the coin was minted. The Type 2 coins that were first issued in 2021 also display the traditional artist mark of Augustus Saint-Gaudens on the obverse side. On these new coins, the obverse side design was further enhanced by the addition of some minor design details (modifications to the depiction of Lady Liberty's eyes and the olive branch she holds in her left hand, the sun's rays and the Capitol Building) from Saint-Gaudens' original bronze cast.
The reverse side of the Type 1 American Gold Eagle coins was designed by the sculptor Miley Busiek (now named Miley Tucker-Frost after marriage) and engraved by the United States Mint sculptor and engraver Sherl Joseph Winter. Eagles are the official bird of the USA and her design features a male eagle with an olive branch in his talons above a nest with a female eagle and her hatchlings. The reverse side is also inscribed with the words "E Pluribus Unum" and "In God We Trust" as well as the weight and face value of the coin. The design of both sides of the gold version of the American Eagle coins is entirely different from that on the American Silver Eagle coins, American Platinum Eagles or American Palladium Eagles.
In the middle of 2021, the original reverse design of the coins was replaced by a completely new design. The new Type 2 design was created by the United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program Designer Jennie Norris and sculpted by the United States Mint Medallic Artist Renata Gordon. The initials RG and JN of these artists appear near the new central image on the reverse which shows a leftward-facing portrait of an eagle's head. Additionally, the inscriptions "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and "IN GOD WE TRUST" were placed just underneath "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" near the top of the new Type 2 American Gold Eagle coins. Furthermore, the inscriptions "1 OZ. FINE GOLD" and "50 DOLLARS" traded places at the bottom left and right of the reverse side.
History of the Gold American Eagles
During the 1970s and 1980s, the gold coin market was dominated by the Gold Krugerrand coins (90% of the global gold coin market at that time) which weren't widely available in Western countries due to import restrictions that were a part of Apartheid sanctions.
The American president Ronald Reagan signed the Gold Bullion Coin Act in 1985 that authorized the minting of the American Gold Eagle coin exclusively from gold mined in the USA. The United States Mint started production of the coins in the four different denominations the following year and already sold more than 3.6 million coins.
The first years' issues of the Gold American Eagles were dated with Roman numerals. Since 1992, the coins have the year of mintage engraved in Arabic numbers on the obverse side.
In 2020, the US Mint released a limited mintage of 1945 privy marked American Gold Eagle proof coins that were dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. These coins were the first-ever privy marked American Gold Eagle coins. They were struck at the West Point branch of the US Mint and both the W mint mark as well as the "V75" privy mark appear on the obverse side of the coins.
In 2021, the US Mint made changes to the original design of the coins which had been in continuous use for 35 years. Whereas the reverse side design was changed completely, only minor changes were made to the obverse design. Since the change from Type 1 to Type 2 was made in the middle of 2021, there exist American Gold Eagle coins of both types that bear the 2021 mintage date. Besides the new design, brilliant uncirculated Type 2 Gold Eagles of the 1 oz denomination also have enhanced security features that are meant to prevent counterfeiting such as a reeded edge that is interrupted by a notch on the edge at the 6 o'clock position.
Mintage Numbers
In general, more 1 oz Gold American Eagle coins are minted than smaller denomination coins. Production of the 1 oz coins varied between 140,016 coins in 2007 (143,605 coins in 2001 was the second-lowest mintage) and 1,505,026 coins in 1999.
However, the actual mintage of 1/10 oz American Gold Eagles exceeded the mintage of the 1 oz coins in the years 1995 - 1996, 1999 - 2002, 2006 - 2007 and 2014 - 2016. In 1999, a staggering 2,750,338 American Eagle Gold coins of the 1/10 oz denomination were struck, by far the highest annual mintage of any of the four different denominations.
American Silver Eagles
The US Mint started with the production of American Silver Eagle coins in 1986. The coins are minted out of 99.9% fine silver and are offered with brilliant uncirculated, proof (no proof coins in 2009) and burnished uncirculated (2006 - 2008 and since 2011) finishes. Whereas the gold version of the coins is minted in four different denominations, Silver Eagles exist only as 1 oz coins. Another unusual feature for bullion coins is that the silver coins bear a totally different design (on both sides!) than their gold counterparts. The obverse side of the coins uses Adolph A. Weinman's famous "Walking Liberty" design that depicts Lady Liberty in stride towards the rising sun. In 2021, a new reverse side design was introduced and some minor changes were made to the obverse side of the coins as well.
The American Silver Eagle page gives more information about the coins and allows you to compare current prices.
American Platinum Eagles
The US Mint produces the American Platinum Eagles since 1997. The 1 oz coins with a US $ 100 face value are minted out of 99.95% fine platinum. Additional fractional coins were minted until 2008 in the sizes of 1/2 oz (US $ 50), 1/4 oz (US $ 25) and 1/10 oz (US $ 10). Buyers can choose between brilliant uncirculated, proof and burnished uncirculated (only from 2006 - 2008) coins with the latter two bearing the mint mark W for the West Point branch of the US Mint. Lady Liberty is portrayed in close-up on the obverse side of the American Platinum Eagle coins and an eagle in flight is shown on the reverse. However, the design of proof coins differs from this standard design in most years. Burnished uncirculated coins displayed the same design as the proof coins of the same year.
The American Platinum Eagle page gives more information about the coins and allows you to compare current prices.
Palladium American Eagles
The Palladium American Eagles are the US Mint's latest addition to the American Eagle bullion coin series. The first 15,000 brilliant uncirculated coins were issued on the 25th of September 2017. Proof coins were then released in 2018, followed by reverse proof coins in 2019 and burnished coins in 2020. In 2021, the US Mint released two versions of the Palladium Eagle coins in the same year, a proof version AND a brilliant uncirculated bullion version. All American Palladium Eagles are minted out of 99.95% fine palladium in the single size of 1 oz (US $ 25 face value). A young Lady Liberty wearing a winged Phrygian cap is depicted on the obverse side of the coins. The reverse shows an eagle perched upon a rock and holding an olive branch in its beak. The high-relief design of both sides was originally created by Adolph A. Weinman, one of the most famous American coin designers.
The American Palladium Eagle page gives more information about the coins.
American Eagle Gold Coin Sets
1993 Philadelphia Set
total gold weight: 0.85 oz
total silver weight: 1.7734 oz
This unique set contains 5 proof coins that were issued by the Philadelphia branch of the US Mint: the American Gold Eagles in the 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz and 1/2 oz denomination, the 1 oz American Silver Eagle and the U.S. Mint Philadelphia Bicentennial Medal.
10th Anniversary Set 1995
total gold weight: 1.85 oz
total silver weight: 1 oz
The 10th Anniversary Set is composed of 5 proof coins by the West Point branch of the US Mint: the American Gold Eagle in all its 4 sizes (1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz) plus the rare 1995-W 1 oz American Silver Eagle (only 30,125 coins minted with W mint mark).
1997 Impressions of Liberty Set
total gold weight: 1 oz
total silver weight: 1 oz
total platinum weight: 1 oz
The Impressions of Liberty Set contains the 3 proof American Eagles in gold, silver and platinum, all in the 1 oz denomination. The coins are mintmarked with the W for the West Point branch of the US Mint.
20th Anniversary Sets 2006
3 coin Gold Set:
1 oz burnished uncirculated & proof & reverse proof Gold Eagle
2 coin Gold & Silver Set:
1 oz Gold & Silver Eagle (either burnished or uncirculated coins)
3 coin Silver Set:
1 oz burnished uncirculated & proof & reverse proof Silver Eagle
2008 Double Prosperity Set
total gold weight: 1 oz
The Double Prosperity Set is made up of the burnished 1/2 oz American Gold Eagle and the uncirculated 1/2 oz American Gold Buffalo coin. Both coins bear the W mint mark for the West Point branch of the US Mint. The set commemorates the auspicious date of August 8th 2008 (8-8-08).
4 Coin Gold Eagle Sets
total gold weight: 1.85 oz
As far as could be ascertained, the US Mint started issuing 4-coin BU sets that include all four denominations in 2018. A 2-coin proof set was issued in 1987 and 4-coin proof sets have been issued from 1988 to 2008 and from 2010 onward. Sets of the burnished version of the four American Gold Eagles were issued from 2006 to 2008.
1/10 oz 2-Coin Proof Set 2021
total gold weight: 2/10 oz
This 2021 American Eagle One Tenth Ounce Gold Two Coin Set is made up of two 1/10 oz American Gold Eagle proof coins from 2021. Only up to 5000 units of this set will be issued. Since 2021 was the year when the design switch was made midyear from Type 1 to Type 2, the set includes one 1/10 oz proof coin with the original reverse design (Type 1) and a second 1/10 oz proof coin with the new reverse design (Type 2). The coins that bear the W mint mark of the West Point branch of the US Mint are individually encapsulated and packaged together in a black presentation case. Individually numbered certificates of authenticity are included, some of which were hand-signed by the United States Mint Director David J. Ryder.