Authorized by the Bullion Coin Act of 1985 and first minted in 1986, American Eagle gold coins are the official gold bullion coins of the United States. By law these coins are minted at the 22-karat standard (.9167 gold) and can be produced only from gold mined in the United States. While imprinted with both their gold content (guaranteed by the U.S. government) and legal tender or face value, their actual value is based on the fluctuating market price of the metal.

The coin’s obverse was inspired by Augustus Saint-Gaudens' celebrated $20 gold piece minted from 1907 to 1933, featuring a rendition of Lady Liberty with flowing hair, holding a torch in one hand and an olive branch in the other. The reverse, which was designed by sculptor Miley Busiek, features a male eagle, with an olive branch in his talons, about to land in a nest next to a female.

These coins come in four denominations: 1/10 oz, which has a face value of $5; ¼ oz, which is marked as a $10 coin; ½ oz with a $25 face value; and 1 oz with a $50 face value. No...t surprisingly, the higher-denomination coins are larger than the lower denominations, but the face values are largely irrelevant since the coins trade for the going rate of gold. They are seen as solid investments because they are the only coins in the world whose contents are guaranteed by the government of the United States.