Gold coins also have a long tradition in the USA. They were used as a means of payment there for centuries. In 1785, the dollar currency was created, and the United States Mint was founded in 1792. From then on, its own coins were minted in dollar currency.
The Eagle is a US gold coin with a face value of 10 US dollars. From 1795 to 1933, the coin was an official means of payment and was minted in large numbers. Even today it is traded as a popular bullion coin. The motif on the head side was Liberty Head until 1906, then Indian Head. The other U.S. gold coins were designated accordingly proportional to the 10 dollar Eagle. The 20 dollar gold coin is called Double Eagle, the 5 dollar gold coin Half Eagle and the 2.5 dollar gold coin Quarter Eagle.
In 2002, a 1933 Double Eagle fetched $7.59 million at auction. This makes it the most valuable gold coin of all time, as only one example of it still exists in free trade.
| Nominal value |
Weight |
Alloy |
Gold |
Dimensions |
| Double Eagle - 20 USD |
33,43 g |
900 |
30,09 g |
34.2 x 2.5 mm |
| Eagle - 10 USD |
16,71 g |
900 |
15,04 g |
27.0 x 2.0 mm |
| Half Eagle - 5 USD |
8,35 g |
900 |
7,52 g |
21.4 x 1.5 mm |
| Quarter Eagle - 2,5 USD |
4,17 g |
900 |
3,76 g |
17.7 x 1.0 mm |
The Indian Head was minted from 1907 to 1933 and replaced the old coin design of the American $10 Eagle gold coin. The head side features an Indian head with feather ornamentation. The pay side was imprinted with a bald eagle looking to the left. The $5 and $2.5 gold coins were also issued with this motif starting in 1908. Furthermore, in the same year, the phrase "In God we trust" was added to the left of the eagle on the $10 gold piece.
Among collectors, this gold coin is very popular because of the historical coin design. However, it is not one of the rare gold coins, because there are still many millions of them in circulation.
| Nominal value |
Weight |
Alloy |
Gold |
Dimensions |
| Ind. head - 10 USD |
16,71 g |
900 |
15,04 g |
27.0 x2.0 mm |
| Ind. head - 5 USD |
8,35 g |
900 |
7,52 g |
21.4 x 1.5 mm |
| Ind. head - 2.5 USD |
4,17 g |
900 |
3,76 g |
17.7 x 1.0 mm |
The American Eagle has been minted by the United States Mint since 1986. It is a classic in the field of bullion coins and is issued in the denominations 1 ounce, ½ ounce, ¼ ounce and 1/10 ounce. The American Eagle is available in gold, silver and since 1997 also in platinum.
The investor gold coin includes a fineness of 916.66. This corresponds to 22 carats. Depending on the fineness, the face value of the American Eagle ranges from $5 to $50. The alloy metals copper and silver make the American Eagle darker in color and more resistant to external influences.
Among coin collectors, the ½ and ¼ ounce gold coins of the 1991 mintage are particularly sought after, because only 24,000 of these were issued.
The pay side of the American Eagle gold coin is adorned with the American national symbol: the eagle. In its talons it carries an olive branch, which is considered a sign of peace. In the nest is the female with chicks. Lettering such as "United States Of America", "In God We Trust" and "E Pluribus Unum" (German: aus Vielen Eins) can be read. The denomination and fineness of the eagle are also shown here. The design of the reverse is by Miley Busiek.
The head side was designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and shows "Lady Liberty", the Statue of Liberty. She carries a torch and an olive branch in her hands. In the background, rays symbolize the sunrise. The American Parliament (Capitol) can be seen in the left background. In addition, the lettering "Liberty" and the year of minting are depicted.
| Size |
Nominal value |
Weight |
Dimensions |
| 1 ounce |
50 USD |
33,930 g |
32.70 x 2.75 mm |
| ½ ounce |
25 USD |
16,965 g |
27.00 x 2.24 mm |
| ¼ ounce |
10 USD |
8,483 g |
22.00 x 1.83 mm |
| 1/10 ounce |
5 USD |
3,393 g |
16.5 x 1.19 mm |
The American Buffalo is the first 24-carat bullion gold coin issued by the United States Mint. Since 2006, it is minted and thus represents the youngest bullion coin of the United States. The coin exists since 2008 also as a denomination up to 1/10 ounce.
The design is based on a 5 cent nickel coin from 2013 (Indian Head nickel and Buffalo nickel). The gold coin shows on one side the portrait of an Indian, the inscription "Liberty", the minting date and the letter F, which stands for the designer of the coin: James Earl Fraser.
On the other side is the namesake of the coin, the North American buffalo. Furthermore, the lettering "United States of America", "Liberty" and "In God We Trust" are depicted as well as the indication of the nominal value and the fineness.
In the USA, the American Buffalo is recognized as legal tender. The coin is in high demand and is therefore rather difficult to acquire. For coin collectors, the "Polished Plate" version is also minted. This version is of higher quality and bears the sign "W" for the minting location West Point to distinguish it.
| Size |
Nominal value |
Weight |
Dimensions |
Mint year |
| 1 ounce |
50 USD |
31,103 g |
32.70 x 2.95 mm |
as of 2006 |
| ½ ounce |
25 USD |
15,55 g |
26.50 x 2.16 mm |
as of 2008 |
| ¼ ounce |
10 USD |
7,78 g |
22.00 x 1.63 mm |
as of 2008 |
| 1/10 ounce |
5 USD |
3,11 g |
16.50 x 1.19 mm |
as of 2008 |
The American Eagle is particularly subject to coin counterfeiting due to its special gold-copper alloy. Instead of real gold, a cheap tungsten-copper alloy is used, which is only thinly gilded. The metal tungsten has practically the same specific gravity as gold - in this way, coins like the American Eagle can be counterfeited with the correct weight in original dimensions. These forgeries are almost impossible for laymen to recognize. Especially on the Internet, the business with counterfeit gold coins is flourishing. If coins are offered online at particularly low prices, caution is advised.
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