Saint Gaudens Double Eagle Gold Coin - A Symbol of Greatness

Truly one of the most beautiful, brilliant and popular gold coins, the Saint Gaudens Double Eagle Gold Coin is a true symbol of greatness. This gold coin's history is a commentary on the spirit of America.

In the early 1900's, President Theodore Roosevelt inquired of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens as to whether or not he would be interested in re-crafting the design or the nation's coinage to look more like the coins of ancient Greece, where democracy first took root. What Saint Gaudens created was a breathtaking high relief design featuring the image of Miss Liberty on one side and a flying eagle on the other. This coin symbolized both the county's strength while moving into the future and independence as a powerful and glorious nation.

Only a few proofs were struck, and then production began of the $20 gold coins. Because of the high relief, these coins were not the favorite of bankers (they wobbled when being stacked). Eventually the coin was altered to be flatter. Even though all of the Double Eagle gold coins are considered collectors items, those struck in high relief are more highly prized.

Interestingly, this incredible symbol of America was, for a time, produced without the motto "In God We Trust." Roosevelt felt that it was sacrilegious to have that motto on coins that could be used for gambling. The Saint Gaudens Double Eagle gold coin is indeed a symbol of greatness. A symbol of artistry, independence, strength and even the workings of our government, this gold coin has a history that spans a century and beauty that is unmatched.

Saint Gaudens Double Eagle Gold Coins represent great collectible and investment opportunity as they increase in price on average about 8% a year.

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History of the American Buffalo Gold Coin

The American Buffalo gold coin happens to be the first pure gold bullion coin to be minted by the United States Mint and offered up for sale. Often simply known as the buffalo coin, the American Buffalo is a 24-karat gold coin minted at the one ounce size. The buffalo coin was originally authorized in 2005 through the Presidential $1 Coin Act and was first offered for sale in June of 2006.

The $50 Buffalo was created to fulfill the demand for gold coins from investors. Though the American Eagle a 22-karat gold coin is popular with investors, a pure gold coin was preferred and with the creation of the buffalo coin, the American government was hoping to increase their gold sales in the world market.

The American Buffalo coin features the design first used in the Indian Head or Buffalo nickel first released in 1913. The Indian Head is considered one of the best American coin designs and stands as a symbol of the American West. The Indian Head was created by noted American sculpture, James Earle Fraser.

The front of the $50 Buffalo features the profile of an American Indian and Fraser based the design on three different Indian chiefs who posed for him. Most notably is Iron Tail of the Lakota tribe and Two Moon of the Cheyenne who both fought in the Battle of Little Bighorn. The third model who posed for Fraser is believed to be Big Tree of the Kiowa tribe. The back of the coin features an American Bison which is widely believed to be Black Diamond a buffalo who lived at the New York Zoo during the early part of the 1900s when the design for the coin was made.

Offered as legal tender by the government, each $50 Buffalo contains pure .9999 fine gold that is mined from American gold sources and the coins are struck at the West Point Mint in New York. The government also guarantees the coins gold content and purity as well as its weight. The American Buffalo gold coin has a face value of $50. In 2008, for the first time purchasers could buy different sizes of the coin a 1/10 oz coin worth $5, a 1/4 oz coin valued at $10 and a $25 coin made of ½ oz of gold. Temporarily sale of the coins was halted in September of 2008, due to soaring demand exceeding the supply, thanks to a worldwide economic downturn.

Over 168,000 buffalo coins were sold in 2008 before the United States Mint halted sales. The American Buffalo gold coin can still be purchased from big name banks, brokerage firms and major coin and gold dealers. A proof version of the buffalo coin has also been minted and was made available to collectors in limited qualities in 2006 and 2007. The proof versions feature raised softly frosted surfaces and extremely detailed mirror like fields to make them more attractive. The proof buffalo coins for 2006 initially sold at $800 while the 2007 version fetched just five cents short of $900. The value of a gold buffalo coin held by a collector or investor will depend on the current market price for gold.

GoldProofSets.com provides information on the gold buffalo coin. For more information visit Buffalo Gold Coins.

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American Eagle Gold Coins - A Strong Worldwide Representation of America

American Eagle Gold Coins, which are minted in the U.S.A., are regarded as well-known gold bullion coins. The standard of their gold content is that it should be 100% from U.S. sources alone to be considered legal. Initially launched in 1986, during the time when South African gold had been banned as an import product in protest to apartheid, the popularity of the American Eagle gold coin went up. Furthermore, it also encountered high demand amidst the ongoing situation.

The availability of American Eagle Gold Coins are in 1/10 oz, ¼ oz, ½ oz and 1 oz denominations which also represent the gold content of the coin plus other metals that add up to the gold's weight. All consist of 22-karat gold, that is 91.67% pure gold. American Eagle Gold Coins has copper and silver alloy content which makes them different from the South African Kruggerands. The copper and silver alloy content are responsible for the yellower tone and lighter weight of these coins contrary to Kruggerands' deep orange tone.

The Lady Liberty which holds her torch is depicted on one side of the coin and on the other side is a male eagle which is flying above its female counterpart and their offspring. The male eagle is a symbolic representation of the United States' power and its promise to protect itself and its entire people. The male eagle can also be seen grasping an olive branch which symbolizes the mission and quest of America for peace while keeping its strength. All denominations carry a similar design. The gold content listed is the only thing that creates the distinction.

All American Eagle Gold Coins also carry a face value. 1/10 oz coins carry a mark of $5, ¼ oz coins carry a mark of $10, ½ oz coins carry a mark of $25 and finally, 1 oz coins are marked $50. Ideally, the face values are symbolic representation also reflecting the status of the coins as legal tender. The market value of these coins' gold content plus their certain specified premiums is their real and actual value. Therefore, it is safe to say that one American Eagle Gold Coin carrying a label of $50 has a market value of as much as $900 at the present time. This makes these coins ideal and worthy investments.

Another great property of American Eagle Gold Coins is that they are recognized and well-known worldwide. In fact, they are regarded as one of the most popular gold coins in the world. Their beauty, the powerful symbol they depict and the uniqueness of their design add up to their appeal making them every gold coin collector's dream. These gold coins also have a classic gold tone making them pleasing to display. Any owner will take pride in an American Eagle Gold Coin. Furthermore, their weight and gold content which is guaranteed by the U.S. mint make them great investments as well. Anyone who is serious about collecting gold coins should own an American Eagle Gold Coin. It is one strong representation of America that anyone should be proud of.

Kingster H has been a collector of gold coins and gold bars for over 20 years. He owns and operates the website On The Gold where he has a American Eagle Gold Coins store which has a wide variety of values, weights, year and sizes.

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