American Gold Eagle

For the $10 pre-1932 U.S. gold circulation coin, see Eagle (United States coin).

Gold Eagle (United States)
Edge	Reeded
Composition	91.67% Au 3% Ag 5.33% Cu
Years of minting	1986–present Bullion 1986–2008 Proof
Obverse
Design:	Liberty
Designer:	Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Reverse
Design	Eagle soaring above his nest.
Designer	Miley Busiek
Design date	1986

The American Gold Eagle is an official gold bullion coin of the United States. Authorized under the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985, it was first released by the United States Mint in 1986.

Details

Offered in 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, and 1 oz denominations, these coins are guaranteed by the U.S. government to contain the stated amount of actual gold weight in troy ounces. By law, the gold must come from sources in America, with an additional alloy of silver and copper to produce a more wear-resistant coin of .9167 (22 karat, which had long been the crown gold English standard for gold coins, and before 1834, for American gold coins as well). It is authorized by the United States Congress and is backed by the United States Mint for weight and content.

The obverse design features a rendition of Augustus Saint-Gaudens' full length figure of Lady Liberty with flowing hair, holding a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left, with the Capitol building in the left background. The reverse design, by sculptor Miley Busiek, features a male eagle carrying an olive branch flying above a nest containing a female eagle and her hatchlings.

Value

The market value of the coins is generally about equal to the market value of their gold content, not their face value. As of July 2010 the $5, $10, $25, and $50 coins by face value are worth and sell for about $145, $325, $650, and $1,250 USD respectively. The face values are proportional to the weights except for the 1/4 oz coin, which would then be $12.50. Their actual selling prices vary daily based on the current spot price of gold. The United States Mint also produces a proof version for coin collectors. These coins are produced at the West Point Mint in West Point, New York and carry the mint's mark ("W") beneath the date.

Specifications

Each of the four sizes contains 91.67% gold (22 karat), 3% silver, and 5.33% copper.

1/10 troy oz coin
Diameter:	16.50 mm
Thickness:	1.19 mm
Gross weight:	0.1091 troy oz (3.393 g)
Face value:	$5

1/4 troy oz coin
Diameter:	22 mm
Thickness:	1.83 mm
Gross weight:	0.2727 troy oz (8.483 g)
Face value:	$10

1/2 troy oz coin
Diameter:	27 mm
Thickness:	2.24 mm
Gross weight:	0.5454 troy oz (16.965 g)
Face value:	$25

1 troy oz coin
Diameter:	32.70 mm
Thickness:	2.87 mm
Gross weight:	1.0909 troy oz (33.930 g)
Face value:	$50

Gold Eagles minted 1986-1991 are dated with Roman numerals. In 1992, the U.S. Mint switched to Arabic numbers for dating Gold Eagles.

The 1/10, 1/4, and 1/2 troy oz coins are identical in design to the 1 troy oz coin except for the markings on the reverse side that indicate the weight and face value of the coin (for example, 1 OZ. FINE GOLD—50 DOLLARS).

These bullion coins carry face values of $5, $10, $25, and $50. These are their legal values reflecting their issue and monetized value as coins. They are legal tender for all debts public and private at their face values. These face values do not reflect their intrinsic value which is much greater and is mainly dictated by their troy weight and the current precious metal price.

See also

• American Silver Eagle
• American Platinum Eagle
• American Buffalo
• Eagle (U.S. coin)
• Krugerrand

External links

• United States Mint American Eagles page
• Template:PDFlink
• High resolution image Obverse
• High resolution image Reverse
• Eagle Proof Gold Coins