1/2-oz American Gold Eagle (Random Year)

The American Gold Eagle has been the official gold bullion coin of the United States since 1986, and the half ounce carries that standing in a smaller unit. Each holds a half troy ounce of pure gold and is legal tender at twenty-five dollars, with the weight and purity backed by the federal government. That backing is why dealers buy them back on sight instead of testing them. The alloy is .9167 fine, with copper and silver added to make these hard enough to take handling that would mark a softer coin. Ours ship brilliant uncirculated in mixed dates. Random date issues carry the same intrinsic value as their current year counterparts, but they come at a lower premium over spot.

The obverse carries Augustus Saint-Gaudens' striding Liberty, a torch in one hand and an olive branch in the other. She steps out of a burst of sun rays with LIBERTY arched above her, and the relief is high enough that the rays catch light across the fields as the coin turns. Reverses vary across the run. Earlier issues show Miley Busiek's family of eagles, the male returning above a nest, a design built around protection of the household. Later issues carry Jennie Norris' close portrait of an eagle's head, the feathering cut fine enough to read strand by strand. Both have reeded edges.

The half ounce lets a holder release part of a gold position without cashing out a larger piece, which matters when metal is priced high and only some of it needs to move. Recognition does the rest of the work: any precious metals dealer in the country will quote on these without authentication, and the twenty-two karat alloy holds up in a tube or a safe over decades of storage. Buyers building a position in stages tend to keep some weight in this size for exactly that reason.

For up-to-the-minute pricing or to ask about quantity discounts, call us at 800-928-6468.