2016 American Gold Eagle
Every version of the 2016 Gold Eagle with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2016
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 817,500
- Versions
- 5
- 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 2016 Gold Eagle worth?
The 2016 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 2016 1/2 oz bullion (74,000) 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 2016 Gold Eagle version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($50) | 817,500 | Metal value |
| Bullion | None | 1/2 oz ($25) | 74,000 | Small premium |
| Bullion | None | 1/4 oz ($10) | 152,000 | Metal value |
| Bullion | None | 1/10 oz ($5) | 925,000 | Metal value |
| Uncirculated (burnished) | "W" | 1 oz ($50) | 6,887 | Small premium |
The 2016 versions in the mintage figures are the four bullion coins and the one ounce burnished coin. W proofs with mirror fields were sold that year too, but their totals are not part of these figures. Bullion coins have no mint mark and a bright finish and were sold in bulk. The burnished coin carries a W mint mark on the obverse and a satin finish. It came in a capsule and box with a certificate. If your 2016 coin has a mint mark, compare its surface carefully, since the burnished W is satin rather than mirrored. A burnished W one ounce measures 32.7 mm and weighs 33.931 g, the same as the bullion coin.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 2016 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 2016 Gold Eagles were made?
- 817,500 one ounce bullion coins plus 6,887 collector versions. Proofs in all four sizes were also issued that year, but their mintages are not in these figures.
- Is the 2016 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 2016
2016 was the program's 30th year. Bullion demand was strong: 925,000 tenth ounce, 152,000 quarter ounce, 74,000 half ounce and 817,500 one ounce coins went out to authorized purchasers, nearly a million ounces of gold in all. The tenth ounce total was the second highest for that size since 1999, behind only 2015. The quarter ounce total of 152,000 was close to its 2015 figure, while the half ounce slipped by just 1,000.
The burnished one ounce W sold 6,887, which makes it the scarcest coin in the 2016 mintage figures by a wide margin. Every bullion size was made in the tens or hundreds of thousands. The Saint-Gaudens obverse and Busiek's family of eagles were in their 30th year together. The pairing would last until 2021, when the eagle head reverse arrived. Bullion production of 1,968,500 coins was the highest since 2009, part of a strong two year run for the tenth ounce in particular. For finders, a loose 2016 coin is very likely to be bullion.
2016 Gold Eagle by the numbers
The Mint sold 817,500 one ounce bullion Gold Eagles dated 2016. That ranks 29th lowest of the 39 bullion dates from 1986 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2016 bullion sales were 1.3 times the 2015 figure and 3.6 times the 2017 figure.
Collector versions dated 2016 add up to 6,887 coins across 1 version. The scarcest is the 2016-W 1 oz uncirculated (burnished) at 6,887. Proofs in all four sizes were also issued that year, but their mintages are not in these figures.
Fractional bullion that year: 925,000 1/10 oz coins, 152,000 1/4 oz coins and 74,000 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 burnished one ounce at 6,887 is the scarcest 2016 Gold Eagle and carries a collector premium over metal value, best kept with its original box and certificate. The half ounce bullion coin at 74,000 is the lowest bullion figure of the year but still trades close to metal value in most grades. The tenth and one ounce bullion coins, made by the hundreds of thousands, trade on their gold content. A burnished coin with spots or a rubbed surface brings much less, so store it in its capsule.
One ounce burnished coins and shrinking proofs (2011 to 2020)
When the burnished W coin returned in 2011 it came in the one ounce size only, with 8,729 struck. Every year since has followed the same pattern. Through 2020 the burnished mintage stayed between 5,800 and 8,729, low enough that each of these coins carries a collector premium over metal value.
Proof sales fell sharply over the decade. The quarter and half ounce proofs, which sold more than 40,000 each in 2010, dropped to between about 12,700 and 15,800 from 2012 to 2015. In 2018 and 2019 the half ounce proof slipped below 10,000, with 9,961 and 9,454 struck. The 2017 one ounce proof managed just 9,245. For collectors this is the period when ordinary proofs started to become genuinely scarce.
Bullion demand swung with the gold market. One ounce sales ran from 857,000 in 2011 down to 108,000 in 2019, the lowest one ounce bullion figure of any year from 1986 to 2024. In 2020 the pandemic sent buyers back to physical gold and one ounce sales jumped to 747,500. The same year the Mint issued a one ounce proof with a V75 privy mark for the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Only 1,939 were sold, the lowest figure of any Gold Eagle from 1986 to 2024. For most finders, the bullion coins of this decade trade on their gold. The burnished and low mintage proof coins are where the premiums are.
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
How many 2016 W burnished Gold Eagles were made?
6,887, all in the one ounce size. It's the scarcest 2016 Gold Eagle in the mintage figures and carries a collector premium over metal value. Keep the box and certificate with it.
Was 2016 a big year for Gold Eagle bullion?
Yes. Bullion sales reached 1,968,500 coins across four sizes, including 925,000 tenth ounce and 817,500 one ounce coins. All of them trade close to metal value. None of them is scarce.
Mintages: American Gold Eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.