Years
Designer
Saint-Gaudens / Miley Busiek (Type 1); Jennie Norris (Type 2)
Composition
22k gold (91.67% Au, Ag, Cu)
Diameter
32.7 mm
Mass
33.93 g
Thickness
2.87 mm
Edge
Reeded
Mints
West Point, Philadelphia
Metal
Gold
Design
Saint-Gaudens Liberty on the obverse. Type 1 reverse a family of eagles; Type 2 (2021–) a close portrait of an eagle’s head. Offered in 1 oz, ½, ¼, and 1/10 oz.
History
Authorized to compete with the Krugerrand and Maple Leaf, giving Americans a legal, U.S.-minted gold bullion coin after the long 1933–74 gold-ownership drought. Burnished, proof, and uncirculated collector versions from West Point sit beside bullion strikes. 1995-W proof silver eagle is a related key; for gold, low-mintage proofs of the 1990s and the 2008-W burnished reverse of 2007 are the modern chases. Type 2 arrived for the 35th anniversary.
Key dates
scarce
82 issues