American Gold Eagle

American Gold Eagle Coins

The American gold Eagle was introduced by the United States Mint in 1986, authorised by the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985 to give the United States its own official gold bullion coin. The obverse reuses Augustus Saint-Gaudens' full length Liberty, drawn from the $20 Double Eagle of 1907, while the reverse shows a family of eagles. It is the best known of the American gold coins and remains the biggest selling bullion coin the US Mint produces.

Unlike most modern bullion coins the Eagle is not struck in pure gold. It uses a 22 carat alloy of gold with silver and copper, a deliberate nod to older circulating coinage, which makes the coin harder wearing than a 24 carat equivalent. Each coin still contains its stated weight of pure gold; the alloy simply adds to the total weight.

Like all investment grade gold, the American gold Eagle is exempt from VAT, so the price you pay reflects the gold content and a small premium rather than being inflated by sales tax.

American Gold Eagle Coin Specification

The American gold Eagle is an American gold coin manufactured by the United States Mint. It is struck in 22 carat gold, which is gold alloyed with a little silver and copper to make the coin harder wearing than a 24 carat piece of the same size, and that specification has been unchanged since the series began in 1986. Investors who would rather hold a 24 carat United States coin should look at the American Gold Buffalo, the US Mint's 999.9 fine investment coin.

Changes to the American Gold Eagle Design

The Eagle's specification has been unchanged since 1986, but the reverse design was replaced in 2021. Coins struck up to that point carry John Mercanti's family of eagles; from mid 2021 the reverse shows a single eagle's head by Jennie Norris, a version usually referred to as Type 2. Both designs share the same weight, purity and face value, so the change makes no difference to the gold you are buying, though collectors often seek out particular years.

Denominations & Sizes

The American gold Eagle is produced in four bullion sizes, all four of which were available from the launch in 1986. Face values run from $50 for the full ounce down to $5 for the tenth ounce. Those denominations are nominal and bear no relation to what the coins are actually worth, which is set by the gold they contain. Every size uses the same 22 carat alloy, so the only real difference between them is how much gold you are buying at a time and the premium you pay for the smaller pieces.

American Eagle Coins in Other Metals

The Eagle is not limited to gold. The US Mint launched a silver Eagle alongside the gold coin in 1986, struck in one ounce of fine silver, and it has since become the most widely held silver bullion coin in the world. A platinum Eagle followed in 1997 for investors looking to diversify beyond gold and silver. All three carry legal tender status in the United States.

American Gold Eagle Price

American Gold Eagle prices are derived from the value of the gold each coin contains. Each American gold Eagle coin weighs 33.9 grams, and is struck to a purity of 22 carat, meaning it contains 31.10 grams of pure gold.

American Gold Eagle prices can vary thanks to the coin's history and numismatic appeal, with certain years or designs being particularly desirable with collectors. The price of a new American gold Eagle coin will typically be based on today's gold price, with a small premium to cover the cost of manufacturing and supply of the coin. Older or rare American gold Eagle coins can cost considerably more than the UK gold price. With the global price of gold being primarily calculated in dollars, periods in which the pound is weak versus the dollar will see UK American gold Eagle prices rise, while a strong pound would see lower prices in the UK.

Our American gold Eagle prices are displayed in real-time, updating every two minutes in-line with the current gold spot price. The American gold Eagle price shown includes fully insured delivery.

American Gold Eagle Value

Investors often ask what is the value of an American gold Eagle? American gold Eagle coins have a face value of $50. It is important to note that the face value is a nominal amount that has no bearing on the actual value of the coin. As mentioned, the American gold Eagle coin's main value can usually be worked out based on the current gold price. It is this simplicity that makes gold bullion coins appealing. They are bought and sold based on their intrinsic metal value without having to worry about any numismatic value and a more complicated selling process.

You can always find a simple benchmark value for an American gold Eagle thanks to the publicly available spot price. The value of an American gold Eagle is therefore generally the same regardless of the year and is just based on the metal content. Some years of American gold Eagle might command a further premium. A lower mintage, or special design could see their value increase beyond their metal content.

The easiest way to work out an American Gold Eagle value is to use its gold weight of 31.10 grams and multiply that by the current gold spot price in grams. As a coin with a purity of 916.7 fineness, it's important to calculate the 22 carat American gold Eagle value, to ensure you have an accurate price.

How Much are American Gold Eagle Coins Worth?

If you are wondering how much are American Gold Eagle coins worth, a simple rule of thumb is that an American gold Eagle has 31.10g of pure gold, or 1 troy ounce. If you see the gold price in troy ounces you can therefore work out how much an American gold Eagle is worth quite quickly.