2009 American Gold Eagles
American Gold Eagle - Click to Enlarge
The American Eagle Gold Coin was introduced to the world in 1986 and has since become a favorite among both investors and collectors. The coins come in three flavors, but so far this year, only the bullion version of the 2009 Gold Eagle has been issued.
The collector 2009 Proof Gold Eagle and 2009-W Uncirculated Gold Eagle have been suspended, according to the United States Mint, as a result of:
"unprecedented demand for American Eagle Gold Bullion Coins. Currently, all available 22-karat gold blanks are being allocated to the American Eagle Gold Bullion Coin Program, as the United States Mint is required by Public Law 99-185 to produce these coins "in quantities sufficient to meet public demand..."
The US Mint adds that the production of the proof an uncirculated versions would resume when "sufficient inventories of gold bullion blanks can be acquired to meet market demand for all three American Eagle Gold Coin products."
Officially legal tender of the United States, the true value of the bullion Eagles are based on the intrinsic value of the gold contained within them while the collector version values are driven more by the grade of each and to a lessor degree by the amount produced in a given year.
As required by law, the gold used to produce these coins must come from newly mined sources in the United States. Each one contains its full stated weight of pure gold, plus small amounts of silver and copper, giving the alloy a 22 karat rating. These additional metals help increase the coins durability and resistance to scratching and marring.
The United States government guarantees the content, weight and purity of every Gold Eagle making the bullion versions highly desirable as investment instruments. With the backing of the US, world markets treat the coins as extremely liquid assets and trade them readily. In addition, these pieces are even allowed to be used in IRA's (Individual Retirement Accounts) because of their known value. Prices for the bullion coin are dictated by the current spot price of gold, plus a small premium.
Gold Eagle Design
Since their introduction, the obverse has contained an image based on a design that many consider to be the most beautiful ever produced on a coin from the United States. The Augustus St. Gauden's Liberty was first introduced on the Double Eagle coin in 1907. It features the full-length mythical figure of 'Liberty' in a flowing gown with a torch in one hand and an olive branch in the other. Seen behind her are rays of sunshine and the United States Capitol. Also seen are the inscriptions 'Liberty' and the date of mintage.
Augustus St. Gaudens was born in Dublin, Ireland but his family relocated to America while he was still an infant. Taking to the arts at an early age, Augustus would eventually train at locations throughout the world. Once back in the United States, his works would make him a famous man. Finally, in the early 1900's, President Theodore Roosevelt chose St. Gaudens to redesign American coinage to reflect the strength and beauty of the country. Unfortunately, poor health took his life before he could ever see his 'Liberty' design struck on a coin.
Mrs. Miley Frances Busiek designed the reverse of the gold bullion coin which features a family of eagles along with the inscriptions 'United States of America', 'E Pluribus Unum', and 'In God We Trust.' The amount of gold content and its corresponding face value are shown as well.
These coins are available in four sizes; 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz and 1/10 oz with a face value of $50, $25, $10 and $5 respectively. But again, only the 1 oz bullion version has been minted to date as a result of the previously mentioned inventory issue. 2009 has been an exception year for these sizes, with 969,500 struck as of the first week of Oct.
Gold bullion coins are not available directly from the Mint, but may be purchased through authorized resellers or on the secondary market.
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US $254.30
American Gold Eagle Specifications
Mintmark: W for Uncirculated and Proof, None for bullion
Composition: 91.67% gold, 3% silver, 5.33% copper
Weight: 33.930 grams or 1.0909 troy ounces
Diameter: 32.7 mm or 1.287 inches
Date of Issue: 2009
Mintages: Based on Demand
Obverse Designer/Sculptor: Augustus St. Gaudens
Reverse Designer/Sculptor: Mrs. Miley Frances Busiek
