$5 Gold American Eagles are among the four kinds of gold bullion coins that the United States Mint strikes on an annual basis. The American Eagle bullion coin program has continued each year since 1986, and offers silver, gold, and platinum coins. The $5 American Gold Eagle is the lowest gold denomination and is perhaps one of the most popular of the four gold denominations, perhaps because its price is so small as compared to the larger gold coins among the offerings. The $5 American Gold Eagle coin has one-tenth troy ounce of 22-karat gold and contains a composition consisting of 91.67% gold, 5.333% copper, and 3% silver which results in a current melt value of $364, although all bullion coins command a small premium over the spot melt value. The values listed below are for coins in their original US Mint packaging and therefore are slightly higher than the bullion value of a typical $5 Gold Eagle, which generally should have a price around $420. The addition of copper and silver to the American Gold Eagle helps to strengthen the coin against wear, and while these coins are indeed legal tender, they are not intended to circulate. The $5 face value of the 1/10 ounce gold eagle is merely symbolic.
The design on the obverse was created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and was originally used on the $20 double eagle gold coin in 1907. The design portrays Miss Liberty walking in a full-length gown with a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left. The reverse depicts a design by Miley Busiek with a female eagle roosting in her nest with her hatchlings as a male flies in with an olive branch.
The $5 American Gold Eagles measure 0.650 inches in diameter and weigh a total of 0.1091 troy ounces. The $5 American Gold Eagle has a composition that is 91.67% gold, 5.333% copper, and 3% silver, with the other metals added in to enhance the strength of the coin. The $5 American Gold Eagle is a legal tender coin and can be used in standard transactions. Of course, the denomination itself is purely symbolic and is much lower than the actual intrinsic value of the coin. 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.
Here’s a look at the various dates, mintages, and approximate values for the $5 American Gold Eagle:
Values listed below are for uncirculated coins and proofs in their original government-issued packaging. Since values for gold bullion coins fluctuate on a daily basis, you should frequently double-check the current prices on this page to better approximate the exact value.
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MCMLXXXVI (1986), 912,609 minted; $579
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MCMLXXXVII (1987), 580,266; $564
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MCMLXXXVIII (1988), 159,500; $681
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MCMLXXXVIII (1988-P) Proof, 143,881; $564
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MCMLXXXIX (1989), 264,790; $626
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MCMLXXXIX (1989-P) Proof, 84,647; $564
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MCMXC (1990), 210,210; $626
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MCMXC (1990-P) Proof, 99,349; $564
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MCMXCI (1991), 165,200; $626
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MCMXCI (1991-P) Proof, 70,334; $564
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1992, 209,300; $626
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1992-P Proof, 64,874; $564
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1993, 210,709; $550
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1993-P Proof, 45,960; $564
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1994, 206,380; $550
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1994-W Proof, 62,849; $564
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1995, 223,025; $550
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1995-W Proof, 62,667; $564
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1996, 401,964; $557
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1996-W Proof, 57,047; $564
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1997, 528,515; $543
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1997-W Proof, 34,977; $564
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1998, 1,344,520; $535
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1998-W Proof, 39,395; $564
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1999, 2,750,338; $535
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1999-W Proof, 48,428; $564
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2000, 569,153; $543
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2000-W Proof, 49,971; $564
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2001, 269,147; $535
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2001-W Proof, 37,530; $564
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2002, 230,027; $535
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2002-W Proof, 40,864; $564
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2003, 245,029; $535
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2003-W Proof, 40,027; $564
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2004, 250,016; $535
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2004-W Proof, 35,131; $564
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2005, 300,043; $535
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2005-W Proof, 49,265; $564
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2006, 285,006; $535
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2006-W Burnished Uncirculated, 20,643; $543
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2006-W Proof, 47,277; $564
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2007, 190,010; $543
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2007-W Burnished Uncirculated, 22,501; $543
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2007-W Proof, 58,553; $564
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2008, 305,000; $535
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2008-W Burnished Uncirculated, 12,657; $543
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2008-W Proof, 29,000; $564
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2009, 270,000; $543
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2010, 435,000; $543
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2010-W Proof, 54,285; $564
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2011, 25th Anniversary, 350,000; $535
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2011-W Proof, 42,697; $564
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2012, 290,000; $543
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2012-W Proof, 20,740; $564
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2013, 555,000; $535
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2013-W Proof, 21,879; $564
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2014, 545,000; $535
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2014-W Proof, 22,725; $564
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2015, 980,000; $535
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2015-W Proof, 26,769; $564
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2016, 30th Anniversary, 925,000; $535
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2016-W, 30th Anniversary Proof, 37,312; $564
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2017, 395,000; $535
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2017-W Proof, 20,969; $564
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2018, 230,000; $535
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2018-W Proof, 22,155; $564
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2019, 195,000; $535
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2019-W Proof, 19,612; $564
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2020, 350,000; $535
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2020-W Proof, 24,033; $564
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2021 (both varieties), 490,000; $535
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2021-W Proof, Variety 1 Reverse, 20,062; $564
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2021-W Proof, Variety 2 Reverse, 26,342; $564
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2022, 575,000; $535
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2022-W Proof, 23,712; $564
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2023, 675,000; $535
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2023-W Proof, 22,821; $564
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2024, 540,000; $535
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2024-W Proof, 15,452; $564
$5 American Gold Eagles are made in bullion, uncirculated, and proof formats, with the bullion version selling for the amount closest to the coin’s actual intrinsic bullion value. The proof specimens of the American Gold Eagles are normally purchased by coin collectors, who like the finer details and mirror-like surfaces of proof coinage.
Though $5 American Gold Eagles do enjoy some decent numismatic following, they tend to have a much smaller collector base than American Silver Eagles, which are widely pursued by collectors. This is due to the much lower prices for American Silver Eagles as opposed to gold pieces like the $5 American Gold Eagle.