GoldInvestingAmerican Gold Eagle Specs, and What One Is Worth Today
The American Gold Eagle holds 1 troy ounce of gold in a 22-karat coin that weighs 33.931 g. Specs for all four sizes, the 2021 redesign and what it's worth.
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A one-ounce American Gold Eagle holds exactly one troy ounce of pure gold, worth today’s spot price at today's spot price, and sells for that plus a premium. It's a 22-karat coin that weighs 33.931 grams and carries a $50 face value. The U.S. Mint has struck it since 1986 in four sizes: one ounce, one-half, one-quarter and one-tenth.
The American Gold Eagle by the numbers
These come from the U.S. Mint. Federal law (31 U.S.C. 5112) sets the same weights and diameters for each size, and it requires the coins to carry the weight of their fine gold content and to have reeded edges.
| Spec | 1 oz | 1/2 oz | 1/4 oz | 1/10 oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross weight | 33.931 g (1.0909 troy oz) | 16.966 g (0.5455 troy oz) | 8.483 g | 3.393 g |
| Gold content | 1 troy oz | 1/2 troy oz | 1/4 troy oz | 1/10 troy oz |
| Fineness | 91.67% gold (22 karat), 3% silver, balance copper | |||
| Diameter | 32.70 mm (1.287 in) | 27.00 mm (1.063 in) | 22.00 mm (0.866 in) | 16.50 mm (0.650 in) |
| Thickness | Not listed on the U.S. Mint's bullion specifications | |||
| Face value | $50 | $25 | $10 | $5 |
| Edge | Reeded (required by 31 U.S.C. 5112) | |||
| Mint | United States Mint. Proof and uncirculated versions are struck at West Point. | |||
| First year | 1986 | |||
| Obverse | Liberty, after Augustus Saint-Gaudens' 1907 Double Eagle gold coin | |||
| Reverse | 1986 to 2021: family of eagles by Miley Busiek Frost. 2021 onward: eagle portrait designed by Jennie Norris, sculpted by Renata Gordon | |||
Why more than an ounce on the scale? It's an alloy. The Mint says the Eagle uses "the durable 22-karat standard established for gold circulating coinage over 350 years ago," and that the coins "contain their stated amount of pure gold, plus small amounts of alloy." That alloy makes them harder and less prone to scratching and marring. In the one-ounce coin, the extra 2.828 grams are silver and copper.
Turn one over and you'll find LIBERTY, the year and the artist's initials on the obverse. The reverse of the one-ounce coin reads UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, IN GOD WE TRUST and "50 Dollars and 1 Oz. Fine Gold."
The Gold Eagle's 2021 redesign
The reverse. In 2021, the program's 35th anniversary year, the Eagle got a new back while keeping Liberty on the front. Federal law lets the Mint change the designs on these coins after 25 years.
From 1986 to 2021 the reverse was Miley Busiek Frost's eagle grasping an olive branch, flying above a nest of eagles. The statute that created the coin had specifically asked for "a design representing a family of eagles." The new reverse is a portrait of an eagle drawn by Artistic Infusion Program designer Jennie Norris and sculpted by Mint medallic artist Renata Gordon. The Mint announced it in October 2020 and said the redesigned coins would be released in mid-2021.
Liberty still comes from Augustus Saint-Gaudens' $20 gold piece, minted from 1907 to 1933. For 2021 the Mint restored legacy details from the original bronze cast, including the Capitol Building, stars, torch and sun rays.
None of this touched the metal. The weights and diameters are fixed by 31 U.S.C. 5112, and the current Mint specifications match them.
What you pay for a Gold Eagle
It follows gold. A one-ounce Eagle carries today’s spot price of gold at today's spot price, a half-ounce coin half that, and so on; the gold price page has the live number.
Every buyer also pays a premium, and the U.S. Mint publishes what it charges its own wholesale buyers. Authorized purchasers pay the LBMA PM gold price plus:
| Size | Premium over the LBMA PM gold price |
|---|---|
| 1 oz | 3% |
| 1/2 oz | 5% |
| 1/4 oz | 7% |
| 1/10 oz | 9% |
That's wholesale. Dealers add their own margin, so a retail price will be higher, and the Mint says it may change its premium structure based on what it pays for gold. Say you're quoted two prices for a one-ounce Eagle from two dealers: we'd run both through the premium calculator and compare the total per ounce of gold.
The $50 face value doesn't set the price. The Mint calls it "largely symbolic," though it does show the coin is official U.S. coinage.
Price over spotSee what a dealer is really charging above the gold price. Where can you buy American Gold Eagles?
Not from the U.S. Mint, at least not the bullion version. The Mint sells bullion Eagles through distributors it calls authorized purchasers, who have to meet financial and professional criteria and order at least 1,000 ounces of gold at a time. They then sell to wholesalers, financial institutions and retailers.
The Mint's current list includes A-Mark Precious Metals, APMEX, Coins & Things, Dillon Gage, Fidelitrade, Jack Hunt Coin Broker, Manfra, Tordella & Brookes, SD Bullion, StoneX Bullion, Upstate Coin & Gold, U.S. Gold Bureau and Bayerische Landesbank. Not all of them sell to consumers. The Mint's suggestion is to find "a local or national coin and precious metal dealer that fits your needs."
Proof and uncirculated Gold Eagles work differently. The Mint sells those collector versions directly at fixed prices under its pricing policy, and strikes them at West Point. The gold coins guide explains the difference; how to buy gold and gold dealers cover the buying side.
Can the American Gold Eagle go in an IRA?
Yes, and it gets in by name. Internal Revenue Code section 408(m) treats an IRA's purchase of a collectible as a distribution, and coins count as collectibles by default. Section 408(m)(3)(A)(i) then excludes "a gold coin described in paragraph (7), (8), (9), or (10) of section 5112(a) of title 31." Those four paragraphs are the $50, $25, $10 and $5 American Gold Eagles.
The naming matters. There's a separate bullion exception in section 408(m)(3)(B) for gold at or above the fineness a futures exchange requires for delivery, which is 995 for CME Group's COMEX gold contract. At 91.67%, the Eagle wouldn't pass that test. IRS Publication 590-A puts it plainly: an IRA "can invest in one, one-half, one-quarter, or one-tenth ounce U.S. gold coins." The Mint adds that "long-term savers can include American Eagles in their Individual Retirement Accounts."
You can check other coins with the gold IRA coin checker. The gold IRA guide covers how the accounts are set up.
IRA coin checkerDoes a coin or bar meet the IRS rules for an IRA? The Eagle next to other bullion coins
It shares the 22-karat standard with South Africa's Krugerrand. The Mint's other gold bullion coin, the American Gold Buffalo, is 24 karat (99.99% gold) and comes in one size, and the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf is 99.99% gold too. Every one-ounce coin among them holds the same troy ounce of gold. What differs is the alloy, the design and who issued it. There's a side-by-side table in the gold coins guide.
More on the Gold Eagle
How much is a 1 oz Gold Eagle worth?
It holds one troy ounce of gold, worth today’s spot price at today's spot price. Dealers sell it for that plus a premium and buy it back at a price tied to spot.
Is the American Gold Eagle pure gold?
No. It's 22 karat: 91.67% gold, 3% silver and the balance copper. It still contains its full stated weight of pure gold, so a one-ounce coin holds one troy ounce.
Why does a 1 oz Gold Eagle weigh more than an ounce?
It weighs 33.931 grams (1.0909 troy ounces) because the silver and copper alloy sits on top of the full ounce of gold.
Who designed the Gold Eagle coin?
The obverse is based on Augustus Saint-Gaudens' 1907 Double Eagle. Miley Busiek Frost designed the reverse used from 1986 to 2021. The current reverse, introduced in 2021, was designed by Jennie Norris and sculpted by Renata Gordon.
Can I buy Gold Eagles directly from the U.S. Mint?
Not the bullion version; the Mint sells those only to authorized purchasers. You can buy proof and uncirculated Eagles from the Mint directly.
Is the Gold Eagle IRA eligible?
Yes. It's named in Internal Revenue Code section 408(m)(3)(A)(i), which refers to the coins described in 31 U.S.C. 5112(a)(7) to (10).
Sources and fact-check10 primary sources, checked October 17, 2026
- United States Mint: Bullion Coin Programs
- United States Mint: Redesigning the American Eagle Gold and Silver Coins (October 21, 2020)
- United States Mint: American Eagle Coins
- United States Mint: Becoming an Authorized Purchaser
- United States Mint: Authorized Purchasers of United States Mint Bullion
- United States Mint: U.S. Mint at West Point
- 31 U.S. Code 5112, Denominations, specifications, and design of coins (Cornell LII)
- 26 U.S. Code 408(m), Investment in collectibles (Cornell LII)
- IRS: Publication 590-A, Investment in Collectibles
- CME Group: Gold Futures Contract Specs
We check every figure against the original source: the mint, the regulator, the exchange or the company itself. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
