Gold coins were often used as currency in the earliest times of civilization. But these coins are considered a type of investment now. Bullion gold coins are particularly well recognized for their investment purposes. The price of gold coins tends to fluctuate a great deal from one day to the next depending upon gold prices. All countries have their official bullion gold coins. American Eagle gold coins are known as the official USA bullion gold coins.

American Eagle Gold Coins are much admired gold bullion coins which are minted in the United States. The gold which is in these coins is required by law to come solely from US sources. The American Gold Eagle coins were introduced in 1986, at a time when South African gold was prohibited from being imported in order to protest apartheid, and its popularity skyrocketed as it satisfied the great demand for gold under this embargo.

American Eagle Coins come in 1 oz., 1/4 oz., 1/10 oz., and 1/2 oz. denominations and they're 22 carat gold, or 91.67% pure gold. The coin denomination denotes the coin's gold content, with additional metals added to the weight of that gold. Unlike the Kruggerands of South Africa which have a copper alloy, American Eagles have a silver and copper alloy which gives them a lighter yellow tone as opposed to the Kruggerands' deep orange.

One side of the coin bears a picture of Lady Liberty raising a torch, while the other side depicts a family of eagles complete with children. The male eagle signifies America's military strength and resolve to defend itself and the people who live there, while it carries an olive branch to symbolize its love of and preference for peace. Each denomination has exactly the same design, but has a different amount of stated gold content.

All American gold coins come with a stated face value. One-ounce coins have a face value of $50, half-ounce coins carry a face value of $25, quarter-ounce coins bear a $10 face value, and 0.1 ounce coins have a face value of $5. However, these face values are symbolic, meant to emphasize that the coins are legal tender. Their actual value depends on the market value of the gold that they contain, plus a small premium. An American Eagle coin with a $50 face value is presently worth about $900.

American gold coins are some of the most popular gold coins in the world. Their beautiful design and powerful symbolism, as well as their classical gold hue, make American Eagles pleasing gold coins for collection and display. And with their full weight and gold content being guaranteed and backed by the US mint, they also make a fine investment. Every serious gold coin collector owns an American Eagle!