Congress authorized the production of American Gold Eagle coins when the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985 passed through congress. The act stipulates that the United States Mint must use gold sourced from domestic sources to mint each American Gold Eagle. All of the coins are struck by the United States Mint, with the West Point Mint responsible for the bulk of production. Since 1986, the West Point Mint has produced bullion and proof coins in the series, with a few notable exceptions:

• In 1986, only the 1 oz American Gold Eagle was struck in proof mintage.
• In 1987, the 1 oz and 1/2 oz American Gold Eagles were the only ones struck in proof mintage.
• In 2006, the West Point Mint began minting uncirculated coins for collectors
• In 2009, no proof coins were struck
• Other facilities in the US Mint system have occasionally struck American Gold Eagles, such as the 1993 coin set struck at the Philadelphia Mint.

The theme of the series focuses on American freedom. Augustus Saint-Gaudens designed the image used today on the American Gold Eagle in 1907. His depiction of Lady Liberty was first used on the $20 Saint-Gaudens gold coin, and was commissioned by President Theodore Roosevelt. Sculptor Miley Busiek was tasked by the US Mint with creating the image of the bald eagle used on the coin’s reverse side. Her image was developed specifically for use on American Gold Eagle coins.

Gold Eagle Coin Design

The obverse side bears Saint-Gaudens’ depiction of Lady Liberty. In it, she is featured striding forward over the national capital in Washington DC. She holds a torch aloft in her right hand to guide the way, while clutching an olive branch in her left hand. Engravings include 50 stars around the rim, representing each state, “Liberty,” and the year of minting.

On the reverse side of American Gold Eagle Coin is Busiek’s image of a family of nesting eagles. In the depiction, a male eagle returns to the nest with an olive branch in its talons. A female and young hatchlings await the male’s return in the nest. Engravings on this side include “United States of America,” “E Pluribus Unum,” “In God We Trust,” and the coin’s weight, purity, metal content, and face value.

2021 – The New American Gold Eagle Reverse

As part of its 35th-anniversary celebration, the United States Mint unveiled new designs for the American Silver Eagles and American Gold Eagles. Each coin got its own redesign of the existing bald eagle reverse fields. For the Gold Eagle, this meant the eventual discontinuation of the Miley Busiek design in use since 1986 and the introduction in the latter half of 2021 of a new reverse design from Jennie Norris. Ms. Norris created a new depiction of the American bald eagle that captures the real-life beauty of these magnificent beasts:

• In the new reverse design, the American Gold Eagle now features a left-profile visual of an American bald eagle’s head. The birds individual feathers are captured in brilliant detail, with its hooked beak prominent in the design and its eye cutting through the viewer with its powerful gaze. Inscriptions are arranged in a rainbow array at the top reading “United States of America,” “E Pluribus Unum,” and “In God We Trust,” with each one set beneath the other from the first inscription to the last. At the bottom of the design element are the inscriptions of “50 Dollars” and “1 oz. Fine Gold.” The fractional-ounce gold coins each have the appropriate denomination and weight marked for the 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz varieties.

Certified American Gold Eagles

Certified Gold Coins are those coins that have been physically reviewed by either the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) or the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) to determine the visual quality of the coin itself, it’s design strike, and its finished appearance. You will find both Certified American Gold Eagles and Certified Proof American Gold Eagles available.