1/2 oz American Eagle Gold Coin | Mixed Years

1/2 oz American Gold Eagle

Half a troy ounce of pure gold, carried in 16.966 g of crown gold alloy at .9167 fineness. The coin measures 27.00 mm across and 2.24 mm thick, with a face value of 25 US dollars.

Mixed-year stock, so the date and the reverse type vary. Both reverse types contain the same half ounce of gold.

Specifications

Crown gold, not four nines

The American Eagle is struck in crown gold: 91.67 per cent gold, 3 per cent silver and the balance copper. The stated ounce refers to the pure gold content, so the coin weighs more than an ounce in total. The alloy is the old English coinage standard, and it makes the coin far more resistant to handling marks than a 999.9 piece.

Obverse and reverse

The obverse is Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ Liberty, taken from the 1907 double eagle and widely regarded as the finest design ever used on United States coinage.

The reverse changed in mid-2021. Coins up to then carry the Type 1 family of eagles by Miley Busiek Frost; from 2021 the Type 2 reverse shows a close portrait of an eagle’s head, designed by Jennie Norris and sculpted by Renata Gordon.

VAT and UK capital gains tax

HMRC treats a coin minted after 1800 as investment gold if it is at least 900 thousandths fine, is or has been legal tender in its country of origin, and normally sells at no more than 180 per cent of the open market value of its gold (VAT Notice 701/21A). The American Eagle is .9167 fine, United States legal tender and sold on the gold price, so it meets all three tests.

Capital gains tax is a separate matter. The UK exemption follows sterling legal tender, so it covers Sovereigns and Britannias but not a United States coin. This is a statement of the published rule, not tax advice — your own position depends on your circumstances.

Questions buyers ask

Does it contain a full half ounce of gold? Yes. The half ounce refers to the pure gold. The coin weighs 16.966 g in total because of the silver and copper in the alloy.

Which reverse will I receive? Mixed-year stock ships as available, so it may be the Type 1 family of eagles or the Type 2 eagle head.

Is the alloy a disadvantage? Not for a buyer holding coins physically. Crown gold resists scratches and dents far better than four nines gold.

Is it exempt from UK capital gains tax? No. That exemption follows sterling legal tender; this is a United States coin.

Authenticity checked at GoldInvest24 before dispatch. Other sizes are on the American Eagle gold coins page. Live quotes on the precious metals prices page.