American Gold Eagles

American Gold Eagles at BGASC

Introduced in 1986, the American Gold Eagle Coin is the official bullion coin of the United States. The US Mint issues these coins, as of 2006, in three different versions: Brilliant Uncirculated, Proof, and Burnished. The BU Series of Gold Eagles is the only one that has been struck every year since 1986.

Background on American Gold Eagles

The American Gold Eagle was authorized by Congress with the passage of the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985. The US Mint is legally obligated under the terms of the act to strike BU Gold Eagles for investors on an annual basis with no mintage cap. Proof and Burnished Gold Eagles do not necessarily have an annual limit as the standard each year, but the US Mint will institute mintage maximums for these numismatic versions of the coin as it sees fit. Similarly, the Proof Gold Eagles and Burnished Gold Eagles do not have to be struck annually, resulting in a 2009 suspension for the Proof Series and a 2009-2010 suspension for the Burnished Series. Both suspensions allowed the US Mint to allocate all available gold blanks to the BU Series in order to satisfy investor demand.

American Gold Eagle Designs

The American Gold Eagle combines the brilliant coin designs of America’s past with modern visuals from artists of the current day to create beautiful coins for investors and collectors. On the obverse, Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ iconic Lady Liberty design from the 1907 $20 Gold Double Eagle is featured. The reverse features one of two possible designs based on the date mark:

• 1986-2021: the original reverse design from Miley Busiek depicts a male eagle flying above a nest that holds a female eagle and hatchlings.
• 2021-present: at the midway point of the US Mint’s 35th-anniversary celebration for the Gold Eagle in 2021, a new reverse design debuted. Created by Jennie Norris, this new image shows the head of the bald eagle in left-profile relief.

American Gold Eagle Details

The United States Mint offers American Gold Eagles with 22-karat gold content. The modern alloy of metals used by the US Mint in the Gold Eagle consists of 91.67%  gold, 5.33% copper, and 3% silver. This applies to all four weights in the series: 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz. The coins have face values in US dollars that consist of $50, $25, $10, and $5, respectively.

While those four weights are available in each series, the continuity of those weights is different for each. BU Gold Eagles have featured all four weights each year since 1986. However, the Proof and Burnished Gold Eagles have a different history:

• Proof Gold Eagles – 1/2 oz debuted in 1987; 1/4 oz and 1/10 oz in 1988.
• Burnished Gold Eagles – 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz only issued from 2006-2008.

Certified American Gold Eagles

One of the more popular options for investors and collectors is to purchase Certified American Gold Eagles. These coins have been sent to the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation or Professional Coin Grading Service to be graded for the overall condition of the coin, visual brilliance, and the quality of the design strike. Certified Gold Eagles represent the only option for those seeking stunning visuals as the US Mint does not guarantee that coins it strikes in bulk will have flawless visuals.

Buy American Gold Eagles from BGASC

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to BGASC if you have any questions about American Gold Eagles. You can call us at 888-992-4272, chat with us on the web, or simply send us an email with your inquiries.