Gold Eagle Specifications, Information & History

Years of mintage/mint run: 1986 – present

The Gold Eagle is an official gold bullion coin of the United States. The Gold Eagle was authorized by the Gold Bullion Coin Act 1985. It was first produced in 1986 and is minted in 22 carat gold. Silver and Platinum versions of the Eagle are also minted. Gold Eagles were originally produced in 1 Ounce versions, but fractions of 1/2 Ounce, 1/4 Ounce, 1/10th Ounce are also minted. It is authorised by the United States Congress and is backed by the United States Mint for weight and gold content. By law the Gold used in American Gold Eagles must come from sources in the US.

The design for the Gold Eagle features a version of Augustus Saint-Gaudens Lady of Liberty with flowing hair on the obverse side of the coin. She is holding a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left. The Capitol building can just be seen in the left background. This famous design was used on the 1907 $20 Double eagle Gold coin – still regarded by many as the most beautiful American coin ever issued. The reverse of the Gold Eagle features a male eagle carrying an olive branch and flying above a nest with a female eagle and hatchlings in it. The design by sculptor Miley Busiek symbolizes family and unity.

Gold Eagle Technical Specifications


Size	Face Value USD	Total Weight (g)	Fineness /1.000	Gold Content (T oz)	Gold Content (g)	Diameter (mm)	Thick (mm)
Full	$50	33.930 g	.9167	1.00	31.104	32.7	2.87
Half	$25	16.965g	.9167	0.50	15.552	27	2.24
Quarter	$10	8.483g	.9167	0.25	7.776	22	1.83
Tenth	$5	3.393g	.9167	0.10	3.110	16.5	1.19

American Gold Eagles minted between 1986 and 1991 are dated with Roman numerals. In 1992, the U.S. Mint switched to Arabic numbers for dating Gold Eagles in response to feedback and complaints.