2021 American Gold Eagle
Every version of the 2021 Gold Eagle with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2021
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 1,122,000
- Versions
- 17
- 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 2021 Gold Eagle worth?
The 2021 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 2021 1/4 oz bullion (Type 1) (56,000) 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 2021 Gold Eagle version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion (Type 1) | None | 1 oz ($50) | 456,500 | Metal value |
| Bullion (Type 2) | None | 1 oz ($50) | 665,500 | Metal value |
| Bullion (Type 1) | None | 1/2 oz ($25) | 31,000 | Small premium |
| Bullion (Type 2) | None | 1/2 oz ($25) | 65,000 | Small premium |
| Bullion (Type 1) | None | 1/4 oz ($10) | 56,000 | Small premium |
| Bullion (Type 2) | None | 1/4 oz ($10) | 108,000 | Metal value |
| Bullion (Type 1) | None | 1/10 oz ($5) | 150,000 | Metal value |
| Bullion (Type 2) | None | 1/10 oz ($5) | 350,000 | Metal value |
| Proof (Type 1) | See below | 1 oz ($50) | 12,558 | Small premium |
| Proof (Type 2) | See below | 1 oz ($50) | 15,731 | Small premium |
| Uncirculated (burnished) | "W" | 1 oz ($50) | 9,063 | Small premium |
| Proof (Type 1) | See below | 1/2 oz ($25) | 9,741 | Small premium |
| Proof (Type 2) | See below | 1/2 oz ($25) | 12,163 | Small premium |
| Proof (Type 1) | See below | 1/4 oz ($10) | 10,837 | Small premium |
| Proof (Type 2) | See below | 1/4 oz ($10) | 13,511 | Small premium |
| Proof (Type 1) | See below | 1/10 oz ($5) | 21,078 | Small premium |
| Proof (Type 2) | See below | 1/10 oz ($5) | 24,984 | Small premium |
With seventeen versions, 2021 has the largest lineup of any Gold Eagle year. Turn the coin over first: a male eagle bringing an olive branch to a nest is Type 1, a large eagle head is Type 2. Then check the finish. No mint mark and ordinary luster means bullion, while mirror fields with a mint mark mean proof. The burnished one ounce has a W and a satin surface. Proofs and the burnished coin, a Type 2, came boxed with certificates. About 7,924 Type 2 quarter ounce bullion coins were struck with an unfinished proof obverse die and show a W, a recognized variety worth checking for.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 2021 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 2021 Gold Eagles were made?
- 1,122,000 one ounce bullion coins plus 129,666 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 2021 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 2021
2021 is the most complicated Gold Eagle year. Partway through the year the Mint retired Miley Busiek's family of eagles reverse, used since 1986. Jennie Norris's eagle head took its place. Coins with the old reverse are called Type 1 and coins with the new one Type 2. Both types were struck as bullion and proof in all four sizes, in the program's 35th year. The change was the first new reverse design in the program's history.
Demand stayed strong all year. Type 1 bullion sales were 150,000 tenth ounce, 56,000 quarter ounce, 31,000 half ounce and 456,500 one ounce. Type 2 bullion came to 350,000, 108,000, 65,000 and 665,500 in the same sizes. Proofs split the same way, with Type 1 at 21,078, 10,837, 9,741 and 12,558 and Type 2 at 24,984, 13,511, 12,163 and 15,731. A single burnished one ounce W was issued, with 9,063 struck. Combined one ounce bullion sales topped a million for the first time since 2010.
2021 Gold Eagle by the numbers
The Mint sold 1,122,000 one ounce bullion Gold Eagles dated 2021. That ranks 34th lowest of the 39 bullion dates from 1986 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2021 bullion sales were 1.5 times the 2020 figure and 1.3 times the 2022 figure.
Collector versions dated 2021 add up to 129,666 coins across 9 versions. The scarcest is the 2021-W 1 oz uncirculated (burnished) at 9,063; the most plentiful is the 2021 1/10 oz proof (Type 2) at 24,984.
Fractional bullion that year: 150,000 1/10 oz coins, 350,000 1/10 oz coins, 56,000 1/4 oz coins, 108,000 1/4 oz coins, 31,000 1/2 oz coins and 65,000 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 9,063 is the scarcest 2021 issue, with the Type 1 half ounce proof at 9,741 close behind. Both carry a collector premium. Type 1 coins are scarcer than Type 2 in every bullion and proof size, so Type 1 proofs draw the most interest. The Type 1 half ounce bullion coin, at 31,000, can bring a collector premium in high certified grades. Most other bullion coins trade near metal value. Complete boxed proofs of either type are easier to sell than loose ones.
The eagle head reverse (2021 to 2024)
2021 was the 35th year of the program and the year the reverse changed. Miley Busiek's family of eagles was retired partway through the year and Jennie Norris's eagle head took its place. Coins with the old design are known as Type 1 and coins with the new one as Type 2. Both types were struck as bullion and proof in all four sizes.
That split year produced some of the lowest mintages of the period. The Type 1 half ounce proof came in at 9,741 and the Type 1 half ounce bullion coin at 31,000, while the single burnished W coin of 2021 reached 9,063. Type 1 coins are scarcer than their Type 2 counterparts in every bullion and proof size, because they were only made for part of the year. If you have a 2021 Gold Eagle, check the reverse before anything else.
Since then the eagle head has been the standard reverse and the lineup has gone back to nine coins a year. Bullion demand stayed strong in 2022 and 2023, with one ounce sales of 850,000 and 924,000, before easing to 308,000 in 2024. Burnished sales kept falling, from 8,900 in 2022 to 6,645 in 2023. Early 2024 sales ran at well under half that. Recent collector coins like these carry a collector premium, especially with original boxes and certificates.
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 do you tell a 2021 Type 1 from a Type 2 Gold Eagle?
Look at the reverse. Type 1 coins carry Miley Busiek's family of eagles with their nest. Type 2 shows Jennie Norris's close-up of an eagle's head. Both types share the 2021 date. Check the reverse first.
Which 2021 Gold Eagle is rarest?
Among regular issues, the burnished one ounce W at 9,063, closely followed by the Type 1 half ounce proof at 9,741. The W marked Type 2 quarter ounce bullion variety, about 7,924 released, is scarcer still.
Mintages: American Gold Eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.