American Gold Eagles
The American Eagle Gold Coin is most popular investment-grade bullion coin in the country. It is minted by the US Mint in four legal tender denominations, the $50 coin contains 1 troy ounce, the $25 coin contain 1/2 troy ounce, the $10 coins contains 1/4 troy ounce, and the $5 coin is the smallest, containing 1/10 troy ounce.
Quarter Ounce Gold Eagles
Half Ounce Gold Eagles
Tenth Ounce Gold Eagles
One Ounce Gold Eagles
Learn More About American Gold Eagles
The American Gold Eagle coin series from the U.S. Mint is a an investment coin program minted from precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum. It was established with the passage of the Liberty Coin Act of 1985 specifically to give investors a trusted and stable store of value. The current year coins are distributed only through wholesalers and bullion dealers, which are available to retail investors at prices based on the market price of the metal plus a small premium that covers the cost of manufacturing, marketing and distribution.
The US Mint guarantees each Gold Eagle coin matches the specifications as it relates to gold content, purity and weight, providing investors a high level of trust in the product. The US Mint is one of the most well-known and most respected around the world, making these coins a highly liquid store of value and a tangible asset.
The face values make Gold Eagle coins a form of legal tender currency. However, the face values are nominal and are primarily to provide legal protection against counterfeiting. The face value denominations are significantly less than the intrinsic value of the gold from which they are minted.
When comparing between the available options when looking to buy the cheapest Gold Eagle coins, the weight of the bullion coin is added to help distinguish and avoid confusion. This is particularly apparent when differentiating between the quarter ounce (1/4 oz) American Gold Eagle, which has a marked face value of $10 USD, same as that of the pre-1933 vintage $10 Gold Eagle. e.g., "American Gold Eagle 1/2-ounce coin", or 1/2 oz AGE versus the $10 Liberty Gold Eagle.
American Gold Eagle Design
The obverse of the modern Gold Eagle coin is based on sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens design for the $20 Saint-Gaudens gold coin, which was circulated from 1907 to 1933. It is often considered one of the most beautiful designs ever minted by the U.S. Mint.
The image features Lady Liberty with flowing hair in full stride and carrying a torch in her right hand, symbolizing enlightenment. In her left hand, she carries an olive branch, a symbol of peace. The Capitol building can be seen in the background, and the design incorporates 50 stars to represent the 50 states.
From 1986 to 1991 American Gold Eagle coin design included Roman numerals for dates. In 1992, the US Mint began to incorporate Arabic numbers for Gold Eagle dates.
In 2021, the US Mint updated the reverse design as a way to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the coin's First Issue. The design changes came part way through the mintage year due to logistical complications brought about by the pandemic lockdowns and supply chain issues.
The nomenclature used to describe the two different 2021 American Gold Eagle coins are noted with a Type 1 or Type 2 designation. The Type 1 designation is used to identify American Eagle Gold coins that were minted with the original reverse design. The Type 2 designation is used to identify American Eagle Gold coins that were minted with the new reverse design.
The Type-1 reverse features a male bald eagle carrying an olive branch flying above a nest containing a female eagle and her hatchlings. It is meant to symbolize family tradition and unity and was designed by sculptor Miley Busiek.
The Type-2 reverse shows the head of a bald eagle with deep gazing eyes.
The fractional gold denominations of the American Gold Eagle coins are identical in design to the 1 troy oz coin with the exception of the marking on the reverse that indicate weight and face value.
Cheapest Gold Eagles
The American Eagle gold bullion coins that are issued by the US Mint are bought, sold and traded based on the intrinsic value of the underlying bullion, with little distinction to the face values. The cheapest gold eagle bullion coins are those available on the secondary market. With the long and extensive available mintage history the premiums offered being lower than current year coins.
Random Year Gold Eagles have been previously owned and then resold back to a dealer. These coins are then offered back to customers to buy at a lower price than new coins. These coins may show slight signs of wear or have minor scratches from handling. Despite this, the gold content remains the same. Secondary market offers a wide range of coins from random years, providing a broader inventory spanning many years.
Recent American Gold Eagle Mintages by Denomination and Year
The table below shows the most recent five years of Gold Eagles sales and mintage history by denomination.
A complete mintage history of the American Eagle coin series, including proofs and other special coins belonging to the series, is available in our blog post about American Gold Eagle Coin Mintages
| Year | 1 oz | 1/2 oz | 1/4 oz | 1/10 oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 126,500 | 27,000 | 54,000 | 200,000 |
| 2023 | 924,000 | 102,000 | 198,000 | 675,000 |
| 2022 | 850,000 | 75,000 | 140,000 | 575,000 |
| 2021 | 1,115,500 | 95,000 | 162,000 | 490,000 |
| 2020 | 747,000 | 70,000 | 106,000 | 350,000 |
| 2019 | 108,000 | 30,000 | 38,000 | 195,000 |
American Gold Eagle Bullion Coin Specifications
Each coin denomination in the American Eagle Gold coin series is composed of 22 karat gold. This mixing of the gold into alloy with small amount of silver and copper, provides strength and rigidness to the coin that allows it to hold up to the durability needed for circulating coinage.
The ratio of gold to other metals is measured as 91.67% gold. The remaining 8.33% is composed of 3% silver and 5.33% copper.
The copper in the alloy gives coins in the American Eagle Gold coin series additional strength and gives the coins an orange hue that causes them to stand out when compared to 24k gold coins.
Some characteristics are shared across all four denominations:
- Gold Purity: 91.67% (22 karat)
- Alloy Content: 3% silver, 5.33% copper
1 oz Gold American Eagle
- Diameter: 32.70 mm
- Thickness: 2.87 mm
- Gross Weight: 1.0909 troy oz (33.930 g)
- Gold Weight: 1 troy ounce
- Face Value: $50
1/2 oz Gold American Eagle
- Diameter: 27 mm
- Thickness: 2.24 mm
- Gross Weight: .5454 troy oz (16.965 g)
- Gold Weight: 1/2 troy ounce
- Face Value: $25
1/4 oz Gold American Eagle
- Diameter: 22 mm
- Thickness: 2.83 mm
- Gross Weight: .2727 troy oz (8.483 g)
- Gold Weight: 1/4 troy ounce
- Face Value: $10
1/10 oz Gold American Eagle
- Diameter: 16.5 mm
- Thickness: 1.19 mm
- Gross Weight: .1091 troy oz (3.930 g)
- Gold Weight: 1/10 troy ounce
- Face Value: $5
