Authorised under the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985, the coins bear the face value of $25 and are legal tender. Each half ounce American Gold Eagles contain 22 karat gold purity (91.67% gold, 3% silver and 5.33% copper). There is a full half ounce (15.55g) in each coin, with a total weight of 0.545 troy oz(16.96g).
The obverse features an eagle soaring above a nest where its eaglet waits. Perhaps ironically, these post 1986 coins are referred to as an ‘eagle’ in the singular, whereas the Pre 1933 equivalents that only featured a single eagle are known as ‘double eagles’ owing to their $20 face value.
The reverse features Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ Lady Liberty. The designer was commissioned by then President Theodore Roosevelt to reimagine the old coin again 1905 while already quite ill. Saint-Gaudens passed away less than a month after the final Lady Liberty design was accepted and the rest is history.
American Gold Eagles are a very rare find in Australia and highly sought after. These are a magnificent addition to any collection.
Available only in Melbourne