1989 American Gold Eagle
Every version of the 1989 Gold Eagle with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1989
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 415,790
- Versions
- 8
- Metal
- 22 karat gold (91.67%)
Original illustration of the coin's size and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because metal and coin prices change daily.
What is a 1989 Gold Eagle worth?
The 1989 bullion Gold Eagle is worth its gold content: weight times the day's spot price, plus a modest dealer premium when you buy and less when you sell. Its scarcer versions are different: the 1989 1/2 oz bullion (44,829) rates small premium.
Metal value = troy ounces of gold × the day's spot price. For collector versions, check recent sold results for the same version and grade.
Every 1989 Gold Eagle version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($50) | 415,790 | Metal value |
| Bullion | None | 1/2 oz ($25) | 44,829 | Small premium |
| Bullion | None | 1/4 oz ($10) | 81,789 | Metal value |
| Bullion | None | 1/10 oz ($5) | 264,790 | Metal value |
| Proof | See below | 1 oz ($50) | 54,570 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/2 oz ($25) | 44,798 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/4 oz ($10) | 54,170 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/10 oz ($5) | 84,647 | Small premium |
Eight versions carry the 1989 date. The bullion coins come in four sizes with no mint mark and bright mint luster. The proofs, also in four sizes, have mirror fields, frosted relief and a mint mark. Each proof came in a capsule with a box and certificate. A loose 1989 coin with mirror fields was almost certainly separated from its original packaging at some point, which happens a lot with inherited coins. The quarter ounce is 22 mm across and the half ounce 27 mm, which helps when coins have been mixed together in a single box.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 1989 Gold Eagle?
- Each coin contains its stated weight of pure gold: 1/10 troy ounce in the $5 coin, 1/4 troy ounce in the $10 coin, 1/2 troy ounce in the $25 coin and one troy ounce in the $50 coin. The alloy is 91.67% gold, 3% silver, 5.33% copper.
- How many 1989 Gold Eagles were made?
- 415,790 one ounce bullion coins plus 238,185 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 1989 Gold Eagle worth more than its gold?
- The bullion coin trades close to its metal value plus a dealer premium. Collector versions in their original packaging bring a small premium.
- Is the Gold Eagle legal tender?
- Yes. Each size carries a face value ($5, $10, $25 and $50), but nobody spends them: the gold is worth far more than the face value.
The Gold Eagle in 1989
MCMLXXXIX coins come from a quiet year for gold bullion. The one ounce coin sold 415,790, down a little from 1988, while the tenth ounce climbed to 264,790 and the quarter ounce to 81,789. The half ounce stayed stuck in the 40,000s at 44,829. Buyers of the period clearly preferred the largest and smallest sizes, leaving the middle sizes as the scarce ones. Total bullion production came to 807,198 coins, slightly more than the 719,000 of 1988.
Proof sales dropped across the board compared with 1988. The tenth ounce proof fell to 84,647, the quarter ounce to 54,170 and the one ounce to 54,570, while the half ounce proof finished at 44,798. That half ounce proof figure is just 31 coins below the half ounce bullion total, so the two 1989 half ounce versions are almost exactly as scarce as each other. Few years in the program line up so neatly. It also means a 1989 half ounce is worth a careful look whichever finish it has.
1989 Gold Eagle by the numbers
The Mint sold 415,790 one ounce bullion Gold Eagles dated 1989. That ranks 16th lowest of the 39 bullion dates from 1986 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 1989 bullion sales were 1.1 times fewer than 1988 and 1.1 times the 1990 figure.
Collector versions dated 1989 add up to 238,185 coins across 4 versions. The scarcest is the 1989 1/2 oz proof at 44,798; the most plentiful is the 1989 1/10 oz proof at 84,647.
Fractional bullion that year: 264,790 1/10 oz coins, 81,789 1/4 oz coins and 44,829 1/2 oz coins. The 1/2 oz is the scarce size of the year.
What to check on yours
- Weigh and measure it. A genuine one ounce Gold Eagle weighs 33.931 g and measures 32.7 mm; the fractional sizes are 3.393 g (1/10 oz), 8.483 g (1/4 oz) and 16.965 g (1/2 oz). Fakes are usually the wrong weight or the wrong thickness.
- Try a magnet. Gold is not magnetic, so a coin that sticks is not genuine. A coin that does not stick still needs the other checks.
- Look for the mint mark. Bullion strikes have none; proofs and burnished coins carry a small letter. A mirror field with frosted design means a proof, a soft satin look means burnished.
- Handle it by the edge and never clean it. Fingerprints, wiping and polishing leave marks that cost collector versions much of their premium.
- Keep the original capsule, box and certificate with collector versions. Coins that come with them are easier to sell and more likely to bring their full premium.
The 1989 half ounce is the coin to watch. The proof at 44,798 is technically the scarcest issue of the year, with the bullion half at 44,829 right behind it. Bullion halves in high grades carry a collector premium because few were saved carefully, while the proof brings a smaller premium in its original packaging. The other bullion sizes trade close to metal value unless certified in top condition. Original proof boxes and certificates add buyer confidence, though the coin itself always matters most. Spotting lowers appeal on any finish.
Roman numeral years (1986 to 1991)
The Gold Eagle arrived in 1986 with a bang. Bullion buyers took 1,362,650 one ounce coins and more than half a million of each fractional size that first year, while the Mint sold 446,290 one ounce proofs. Every coin from these first six years carries its date in Roman numerals, from MCMLXXXVI to MCMXCI, which makes the era easy to spot at a glance.
Proofs were added a size at a time. Only the one ounce came in proof in 1986. The half ounce joined it in 1987 and from 1988 all four sizes were offered, with sales per size landing between about 44,000 and 144,000 from 1988 to 1991. Collectors were buying steadily even as bullion demand for the smaller coins faded fast.
That fade is what makes this era interesting. The half ounce bullion coin fell from 599,566 in 1986 to 131,255 in 1987, then to 45,000 in 1988, 44,829 in 1989, 31,000 in 1990 and finally 24,100 in 1991, the lowest bullion figure from 1986 to 2024. The quarter ounce followed a similar path down to 36,100. Bullion coins were bought for their metal and handled freely, so nice examples of these fractional dates are harder to find than the mintages suggest. Collectors pay a premium for them, larger for coins in high certified grades. The one ounce bullion coins of the period, made in the hundreds of thousands or more, mostly trade on their gold content.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Program | American Gold Eagle |
|---|---|
| Issuer | United States Mint |
| Metal | 22 karat gold (91.67%) |
| Alloy | 91.67% gold, 3% silver, 5.33% copper |
| Sizes | 1/10 oz ($5, 3.393 g, 16.5 mm); 1/4 oz ($10, 8.483 g, 22 mm); 1/2 oz ($25, 16.965 g, 27 mm); 1 oz ($50, 33.931 g, 32.7 mm) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| One ounce coin | 33.931 g, 32.7 mm |
Frequently asked questions
What is the lowest mintage 1989 Gold Eagle?
The half ounce proof at 44,798, followed by the half ounce bullion coin at 44,829. Either one is worth checking for condition, since both are scarce for the program. Buyers also check for spots and scratches.
How can you tell a 1989 proof Gold Eagle from bullion?
Look for mirror fields, frosted design areas and a small mint mark. Bullion coins have no mint mark and an even luster across the whole surface, with no mirror effect. A proof out of its box is still a proof.
Mintages: American Gold Eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.