Gold Eagle Coins


Coins & Paper Money -> Gold -> American Eagle

Gold Eagle coins are American currency, first released in 1986, that contains the stated amount of actual gold weight claimed in troy ounces, with a silver and copper alloy added to make the coins less soft and more wear resistant. The coins are an official US gold bullion coin, authorized by the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1986.

The first Gold Eagle coins minted from 1986 to 1991 are dated with Roman numerals. Gold Eagle coins from 1992 onward switched to Arabic numbering. These coins are worth far more than their face value, because of their gold content. In the beginning of 2008, a $5 American Golden Eagle was actually worth about $110, with this amount varying daily, of course, based on the price of gold. The US Mint makes a proof suitable for collectors, most which carry the mint mark of “W” (which stands for the West Point mint in New York) beneath the date.

The design on Gold Eagle coins is often referred to as one of the most beautiful to grace an American coin. It features Lady Liberty holding a torch and an olive branch, her hair flowing, with the Capitol building in the background. The reverse of the coin boats an eagle above his nest of hatchlings, with the mother eagle watching over her brood. The male eagle carries an olive branch, long known as the symbol for peace. The coins come in four sizes: one-ounce, half-ounce, quarter-ounce and one-tenth ounce. The American Golden Eagle has become the most widely traded gold bullion coin in the world.

Gold Eagle coins are certainly valuable to coin collectors, and investors, thanks to their gold content. For collectors interested solely in the design, Golden Eagle proofs are a great addition to your collection. They’re designed specifically for coin collectors, and don’t carry the high price of the real gold bullion coins. These are widely available in places like flea markets, online stores and online auctions and their value is based on their condition. They should be graded like ordinary coins, from poor to uncirculated, and judged on that basis.

True Gold Eagle coins, though, are an actual investment whose gold content and purity are actually guaranteed by the US Government. American Eagles are actually even valid deposits for Individual Retirement Accounts, otherwise known as IRAs. Every major government holds gold in reserve because it’s a tangible asset. What you hold in your hand is what’s valuable, unlike paper money and coins, whose value is representative of assets like gold that are held in the treasury.

Gold Eagle coins are an easy and affordable way to invest in gold. Where big investors might trade for gold in thousands of dollars or more at a time, the average investor or beginning investor can choose to purchase American Eagle coins instead. The value may vary daily with the price of gold, but the rarity of real gold virtually ensures that the value won’t drop dramatically as other investments can.

Photo Credits: kevindooley

Originally posted 2008-10-16 05:00:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Interesting Facts about the English Gold Sovereign

There are many coins which have been used for a long time, but few have been used longer than the English Gold Sovereign. This is a coin which has been used for over 500 years. It has gone through different obverses and has even gone through periods where it has not been coined. Other than that, it is still the most widely used coin in England and in other countries which are a sovereign nation of England or once were a part of the British Empire. The rich history of the coin makes it a highly collectible item for numismatics.

There are a few things which you should know about the English Gold Sovereign if you are considering collecting them. These points are more points of interest than they are to provide any statistics on what makes the coins valuable. Of course, the more you know about a coin, the easier it is to determine what value they have. It is interesting to know about the amount of gold present and the weight of the English sovereign. It is also interesting to know about the use of coining of the sovereign. Most importantly to numismatics, it is interesting to get to know all of the different variations which have evolved out of the sovereign.

Weight and Gold Content

It is easy to spot an original gold sovereign by judging how many carats the coin is made out of. The original coins used 23 carats of gold while the current coin only has 22 carats. This was a change which was put into effect by Henry VIII. This is what is known as the gold standard or the crown gold. The weight is something which has also been toned down from the original. The coin which used to weight 240 grains (15.552 grams) now weighs a total of 113 grains (7.322 grams).

Coining the Sovereign

The gold sovereign is a coin which is made out of nearly pure gold. It has a 91% purity level. This means it is possible for the Mint to melt down the gold coins and re-coin them as new coins. This means that while some people might have just received a coin from the mint, they might have metal which was mined over 500 years ago. This is because of the practice of regularly reclaiming coins once they become worn and melting them down to create new coins.

Variations of the Numismatics

The basic gold sovereign has a value of one pound even though they do not have any kind of denomination on it. These include the half sovereigns (10 Shillings), the quarter sovereigns (5 shillings), the double sovereigns (2 pounds) and the quintuple sovereigns (10 sovereigns). While the values of the different sovereigns has changed over the years, the fact that the Mint has a policy to reuse coins for Minting means that those which survive from year to year will increase in value very quickly for those who want to collect them.

Photo Credits: practicalowl

Originally posted 2010-08-16 03:51:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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