2017 American Gold Eagle
Every version of the 2017 Gold Eagle with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2017
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 228,000
- Versions
- 9
- 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 2017 Gold Eagle worth?
The 2017 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 2017 1/4 oz bullion (64,000) 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 2017 Gold Eagle version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($50) | 228,000 | Metal value |
| Bullion | None | 1/2 oz ($25) | 37,000 | Small premium |
| Bullion | None | 1/4 oz ($10) | 64,000 | Small premium |
| Bullion | None | 1/10 oz ($5) | 395,000 | Metal value |
| Proof | See below | 1 oz ($50) | 9,245 | Small premium |
| Uncirculated (burnished) | "W" | 1 oz ($50) | 5,800 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/2 oz ($25) | 12,717 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/4 oz ($10) | 14,516 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/10 oz ($5) | 11,158 | Small premium |
Nine versions carry the 2017 date. Bullion coins, in all four sizes, lack a mint mark. The four proofs have mirror fields with frosted design and a mint mark. The burnished one ounce has a W mint mark and a satin finish. Both collector versions came in capsules and boxes with certificates. Two one ounce coins carry a mint mark this year and both are low mintage, so the finish is what separates them. Proofs and burnished coins share the same dimensions as bullion coins of the same size, so measure only to confirm the size.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 2017 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 2017 Gold Eagles were made?
- 228,000 one ounce bullion coins plus 53,436 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 2017 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 2017
Sales of bullion coins fell sharply in 2017. The one ounce coin sold 228,000, down from 817,500, while the tenth ounce dropped to 395,000, the quarter ounce to 64,000 and the half ounce to 37,000. Total bullion production was just over a third of the 2016 figure. In ounces of gold, bullion sales fell from 985,000 to 302,000. The one ounce figure was the lowest since 2007.
Collector sales hit new lows. The one ounce proof sold just 9,245, the first one ounce proof below 10,000. The burnished one ounce sold 5,800, the lowest burnished figure until 2024. Fractional proofs came to 11,158 tenth ounce, 14,516 quarter ounce and 12,717 half ounce. Unusually, the tenth ounce proof sold fewer than the quarter ounce proof. The 2017 coins mark the point where nearly every collector version of the Gold Eagle dropped to mintages that would have seemed tiny in the 1990s. They're also some of the first modern dates where the one ounce proof itself is genuinely scarce.
2017 Gold Eagle by the numbers
The Mint sold 228,000 one ounce bullion Gold Eagles dated 2017. That ranks 9th lowest of the 39 bullion dates from 1986 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2017 bullion sales were 3.6 times fewer than 2016 and 1.2 times the 2018 figure.
Collector versions dated 2017 add up to 53,436 coins across 5 versions. The scarcest is the 2017-W 1 oz uncirculated (burnished) at 5,800; the most plentiful is the 2017 1/4 oz proof at 14,516.
Fractional bullion that year: 395,000 1/10 oz coins, 64,000 1/4 oz coins and 37,000 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 5,800 is the scarcest 2017 Gold Eagle. The one ounce proof at 9,245 is close behind. Both carry a collector premium over metal value, higher for coins in their original packaging or certified in top grades. The fractional proofs also earn a collector premium. Bullion coins trade close to metal value; the half ounce at 37,000 can bring a small premium in high grades. Check proofs for small spots before buying, since they can appear on gold proofs kept for years.
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
Is the 2017 one ounce proof Gold Eagle rare?
It's scarce. Only 9,245 were struck, the first one ounce proof under 10,000. It carries a collector premium, especially with its original box and certificate. Fractional proofs were also low that year.
What is the lowest mintage 2017 Gold Eagle?
The burnished one ounce W, with 5,800 struck. It is the lowest final burnished figure in the program, though early sales of the 2024 coin are running lower. The one ounce proof, at 9,245, is next.
Mintages: American Gold Eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.