$10 Gold American Eagles are among the four denominations of gold bullion coins that the United States Mint has made each year since inception of the bullion coin program in 1986. $10 American Gold Eagles contain one-quarter troy ounce of 22-karat gold and is the second-lowest denomination in the U.S. bullion coin program. On the obverse is a design by Augustus Saint-Gaudens that was first popularized on the $20 double eagle gold coin in 1907. The design shows Miss Liberty walking in a full-length gown while holding a torch in her right hand and in her left an olive branch. The reverse of the coin depicts a gorgeous design by Miley Busiek that shows an eagle’s nest with containing a female and her hatchlings as a male swoops in carrying an olive branch.
The $10 American Gold Eagle coins are 0.866 inches in diameter and weigh a total of 0.2727 try ounces. The composition of the coin is 3% silver and 5.333% copper, with the balance in gold, which results in a current melt value of $910, although all bullion coins command a small premium over the spot melt value. In general, a $10 Gold American Eagle should have a price around $1,000. The mixed metal composition enhances the overall strength of the planchet and helps the coin resist wear. While the $10 American gold eagle is a wholly legal tender coin, the denomination on the coin is purely symbolic – clearly the intrinsic value of the coin is far greater than $10. Bullion coins are made at the Philadelphia mint and proof coins as well as burnished finish coins are minted at West Point. From 1986 through 1991, the date on the coin was expressed as Roman numerals.
$10 American Gold Eagle coins are made in bullion, uncirculated, and proof finishes, with the bullion version selling very close to the actual intrinsic value of the coin. Proof American Eagle specimens appeal more to numismatists and offer finer details and mirror-like surfaces.
$10 American Gold Eagles are certainly appreciated by many collectors, but they by far have a much greater following in the bullion investment market. The only U.S. bullion coin that has a strong numismatic base is the American Silver Eagle. That may be because American Silver Eagles are generally much less expensive than American Gold Eagles.