2008 American Gold Eagle
Every version of the 2008 Gold Eagle with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2008
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 710,000
- Versions
- 12
- 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 2008 Gold Eagle worth?
The 2008 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 2008 1/4 oz bullion (70,000) 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 2008 Gold Eagle version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($50) | 710,000 | Metal value |
| Bullion | None | 1/2 oz ($25) | 61,000 | Small premium |
| Bullion | None | 1/4 oz ($10) | 70,000 | Small premium |
| Bullion | None | 1/10 oz ($5) | 305,000 | Metal value |
| Proof | See below | 1 oz ($50) | 30,237 | Small premium |
| Uncirculated (burnished) | "W" | 1 oz ($50) | 11,908 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/2 oz ($25) | 22,602 | Small premium |
| Uncirculated (burnished) | "W" | 1/2 oz ($25) | 16,682 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/4 oz ($10) | 18,877 | Small premium |
| Uncirculated (burnished) | "W" | 1/4 oz ($10) | 8,883 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/10 oz ($5) | 28,116 | Small premium |
| Uncirculated (burnished) | "W" | 1/10 oz ($5) | 12,657 | Small premium |
Twelve versions are dated 2008: bullion, proof and burnished in each of four sizes. Bullion strikes show no mint mark. Proofs have mirror fields with frosted design and a mint mark. Burnished coins have a W mint mark and a satin finish with no mirror. Both collector versions came in a capsule and box with a certificate, so keep the packaging together. The burnished quarter ounce is the one to look for. Weights are a useful check on the fractional sizes: 3.393 g for the tenth ounce, 8.483 g for the quarter and 16.966 g for the half.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 2008 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 2008 Gold Eagles were made?
- 710,000 one ounce bullion coins plus 149,962 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 2008 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 2008
2008 started quietly and ended in a scramble. As the financial crisis deepened, bullion demand surged and the one ounce coin sold 710,000, more than five times the 2007 figure. The tenth ounce sold 305,000, the quarter ounce 70,000 and the half ounce 61,000. Gold coins became hard to find at times as buyers looked for something solid. Total bullion production came to 1,146,000 coins, nearly three times the 2007 total. In ounces of gold, the jump was even larger.
Collector versions went the other way. Proof sales fell to 28,116 tenth ounce, 18,877 quarter ounce, 22,602 half ounce and 30,237 one ounce. The burnished coins dropped to 12,657 tenth ounce, 8,883 quarter ounce, 16,682 half ounce and 11,908 one ounce. 2008 was the last year for burnished coins in the fractional sizes. When burnished coins returned in 2011, only the one ounce was offered, which leaves the 2006 to 2008 fractional burnished coins as a closed group of nine. The 2008 quarter ounce is the scarcest of them.
2008 Gold Eagle by the numbers
The Mint sold 710,000 one ounce bullion Gold Eagles dated 2008. That ranks 26th lowest of the 39 bullion dates from 1986 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2008 bullion sales were 5.1 times the 2007 figure and 2.1 times fewer than 2009.
Collector versions dated 2008 add up to 149,962 coins across 8 versions. The scarcest is the 2008-W 1/4 oz uncirculated (burnished) at 8,883; the most plentiful is the 2008 1 oz proof at 30,237.
Fractional bullion that year: 305,000 1/10 oz coins, 70,000 1/4 oz coins and 61,000 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 2008 burnished quarter ounce, with 8,883 struck, is the scarcest Gold Eagle of the year and one of the lowest mintage fractional Gold Eagles of any kind. It carries a collector premium. Certified high grade coins bring more. The other 2008 burnished coins also earn a collector premium as the last fractional burnished issues. The 2008 proofs bring a small premium. The bullion strikes sell close to their gold value. Collectors building a full set of burnished fractional coins need all three 2008 sizes, which keeps demand steady. Keep each coin in its capsule.
Burnished W coins and the 2009 gap (2006 to 2010)
2006 brought the first new Gold Eagle version in two decades: burnished uncirculated coins with a W mint mark from the West Point Mint, offered in all four sizes. They have a soft satin look rather than a proof's mirror and were sold in a capsule and case much like the proofs. The program's 20th anniversary fell in the same year. For the first time, collectors could buy an uncirculated Gold Eagle straight from the Mint.
The burnished fractional coins never sold in big numbers. The 2007 half ounce reached only 11,455 and the 2008 quarter ounce just 8,883. Those three years, 2006, 2007 and 2008, are the only ones with burnished tenth, quarter and half ounce coins. That keeps them in steady demand with collectors trying to complete a set by size and version.
Then the financial crisis hit. One ounce bullion sales rose from 140,016 in 2007 to 710,000 in 2008 and 1,493,000 in 2009. The Mint used its gold blanks for bullion coins, so there are no proof or burnished Gold Eagles dated 2009 at all. Proofs returned in 2010 in all four sizes, but the burnished coins sat out a second year and came back only in 2011. If you're building a run of dates, the 2009 gap is the thing to remember: a 2009 Gold Eagle described as a proof or burnished coin is not a regular Mint issue.
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
Why is the 2008 W quarter ounce Gold Eagle valuable?
Only 8,883 burnished quarter ounce coins were made, the lowest figure for any burnished fractional Gold Eagle. 2008 was also the last year burnished coins were offered in fractional sizes.
Did Gold Eagle bullion sales increase in 2008?
Sharply. One ounce bullion sales rose from 140,016 in 2007 to 710,000 in 2008 as the financial crisis pushed buyers toward gold. Demand rose even further in 2009. No proofs were made that year.
Mintages: American Gold Eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.