Gold coins were often used as currency in the earliest times of civilization. But these coins are considered a type of investment now. Bullion gold coins are particularly well recognized for their investment purposes. The price of gold coins tends to fluctuate a great deal from one day to the next depending upon gold prices. All countries have their official bullion gold coins. American Eagle gold coins are known as the official USA bullion gold coins.
American Eagle Gold Coins are popular gold bullion coins minted in the U.S. The gold contained within the coins is legally required to come entirely from US sources. The American Gold Eagle coin was introduced in 1986, during a period when South African gold was banned from import to protest apartheid, and its popularity quickly soared as it met the high demand for gold under the boycott.
You can buy American Eagle coins that one ounce, half an ounce, a quarter of an ounce, or a tenth of an ounce denominations. All of these coins are 91.67% pure, or 22 carats. The denomination signifies the amount of gold in the coin; other materials add more weight. American Eagles contain a copper and silver alloy that produces a light yellow tone, unlike South African Kruggerands which are orange because of their copper content.
One side of the coin bears a picture of Lady Liberty raising a torch, while the other side depicts a family of eagles complete with children. The male eagle signifies America’s military strength and resolve to defend itself and the people who live there, while it carries an olive branch to symbolize its love of and preference for peace. Each denomination has exactly the same design, but has a different amount of stated gold content.
American gold coins have both a face value stamped at the mint and an actual value based on their valuation by coin collectors. The face value gives a dollar denomination that depends on the weight of the coin. For example, 1 oz coins are stamped as $50, 1/2 oz coins as $25, 1/4 oz coins as $10, and 1/10 oz coins as $5. But to coin collectors, these marked dollar amounts are only symbolic. In fact, a $50 American Eagle gold coin would fetch around $900 if sold today.
American gold coins are some of the most popular gold coins in the world. Their beautiful design and powerful symbolism, as well as their classical gold hue, make American Eagles pleasing gold coins for collection and display. And with their full weight and gold content being guaranteed and backed by the US mint, they also make a fine investment. Every serious gold coin collector owns an American Eagle!
Learn more about American gold coins at the net’s premiere site covering everything related to U.S. gold coins, US-Gold-Coins.org. Whether you’re interest is investing or building a collection, it’s covered in our FAQ’s, gold-related videos, and of course, our US Gold Coins Blog covering the latest news on U.S. gold coins!
- Daniel Wright