Today, Nov. 19th, the United States Mint introduces its 2020-W $50 Uncirculated American Gold Eagle and offers it for sale to the public at noon ET.
The 7,000-limited gold piece is the last in the series to showcase the inaugural reverse design which first appeared in 1986. The coin is struck in 22-karat gold and features an uncirculated collector grade finish created by using burnished coin blanks and special coin dies.
American Gold Eagles debuted more than three decades ago. Originally available in bullion and proof versions, this uncirculated variety was added in 2006. All have born the same basic designs.
Coin Designs
Found on coin obverses (heads side) is Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ full-length figure of Liberty. She is shown with flowing hair and holding a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left. This design was first on 1907-1933 $20 gold coins and is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful to ever appear on American coinage. Obverse inscriptions include LIBERTY, 2020, and a ‘W’ indicating the coin’s production at the West Point Mint.
Designed by Miley Busiek, coin reverses (tails side) depict a male eagle carrying an olive branch flying above a nest containing a female eagle and her eaglets. This design will change next year. Surrounding the eagles are inscriptions of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, IN GOD WE TRUST, the composition of 1 OZ. FINE GOLD, and the face value of 50 DOLLARS.
American Gold Eagle Coin Specifications
| Denomination: | $50 |
| Composition: | 91.67% Gold, 3.0% Silver, Balance Copper |
| Weight: | 1.0909 troy oz. (33.931 grams) |
| Diameter: | 1.287 inches (32.70 mm) |
| Thickness | 0.113 inch (2.87 mm) |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| Mint Mark: | West Point — W |
Ordering, Price and Recent Sales
2020-W $50 Uncirculated American Gold Eagles may be ordered directly from the U.S. Mint’s website page dedicated to gold coins, located here. Sales of the coin have an initial 24-hour household order limit of one.
Pricing is $2,490. That is subject to change weekly according to a matrix the U.S. Mint uses which ties its gold coin pricing to market conditions.
For reference, the 2019 Uncirculated Gold Eagle has been unavailable for some time. Its last sales were reported at 5,851. The 2018 edition topped out at 8,518 while the one from 2017 ended at 5,800.
U.S. Mint customer service representatives at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468) can assist with any questions but are unable to accept credit card information due to operational adjustments in response to COVID-19.
