2009 American Gold Eagle
Every version of the 2009 Gold Eagle with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2009
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 1,493,000
- Versions
- 4
- 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 2009 Gold Eagle worth?
The 2009 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.
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 2009 Gold Eagle version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($50) | 1,493,000 | Metal value |
| Bullion | None | 1/2 oz ($25) | 110,000 | Metal value |
| Bullion | None | 1/4 oz ($10) | 110,000 | Metal value |
| Bullion | None | 1/10 oz ($5) | 270,000 | Metal value |
2009 has just four versions, all bullion: tenth, quarter, half and one ounce. None carries a mint mark and all have the standard bright finish. If someone offers a 2009 Gold Eagle described as a proof or burnished W coin, be very careful. No such regular issues were made, so the description is either a mistake or the coin isn't what it claims. Bullion coins from 2009 were sold loose or in tubes rather than in Mint presentation boxes. A genuine 2009 tenth ounce weighs 3.393 g and the one ounce 33.931 g. A quick weigh is sensible for any coin bought online.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 2009 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 2009 Gold Eagles were made?
- 1,493,000 one ounce bullion coins.
- Is the 2009 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 2009
2009 is the year with no collector Gold Eagles at all. Bullion demand stayed so strong after the 2008 financial crisis that the Mint put its gold blanks into bullion coins. There are no proof or burnished Gold Eagles dated 2009, which is why searches for a 2009 proof come up empty. Supply of gold coins had already been tight in late 2008. The pressure carried on well into the new year.
The bullion numbers show how intense demand was. The Mint sold 1,493,000 one ounce coins, close to the 1999 record of 1,505,026, along with 270,000 tenth ounce, 110,000 quarter ounce and 110,000 half ounce coins. In gold content, 2009 was the biggest year since 1999. Proofs came back in 2010, while burnished coins returned in 2011 in the one ounce size only. So 2009 stands alone as the only year from 1986 to 2024 with just four Gold Eagle versions. Any complete date set of collector coins simply skips it. Total bullion production reached 1,983,000 coins.
2009 Gold Eagle by the numbers
The Mint sold 1,493,000 one ounce bullion Gold Eagles dated 2009. That ranks 38th lowest of the 39 bullion dates from 1986 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2009 bullion sales were 2.1 times the 2008 figure and 1.3 times the 2010 figure.
Fractional bullion that year: 270,000 1/10 oz coins, 110,000 1/4 oz coins and 110,000 1/2 oz coins. None of the fractional sizes is scarce.
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 quarter and half ounce bullion coins tie as the scarcest 2009 issues at 110,000 each, but neither is scarce in real terms. All 2009 Gold Eagles trade close to metal value. A certified coin in a top grade can bring a small premium. Some collectors want a 2009 simply to fill the gap in a date run of bullion coins. There's no key coin this year. Since every 2009 coin is bullion, the main things that matter are authenticity and gold content. Condition comes a distant third.
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 there no 2009 proof Gold Eagle?
Bullion demand after the 2008 financial crisis was so heavy that the Mint used its gold blanks for bullion coins. Proof Gold Eagles were skipped for 2009 and returned in 2010.
How many 2009 Gold Eagles were made?
1,983,000 bullion coins: 270,000 tenth ounce, 110,000 quarter ounce, 110,000 half ounce and 1,493,000 one ounce. No proof or burnished coins were issued with the 2009 date. That's why every 2009 coin is a bullion strike.
Mintages: American Gold Eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.