By CoinWeek ….
Product options for the 2024 American Gold Eagle Proof coin (collectible versions of the annual bullion coin) will be available for purchase directly from the United States Mint tomorrow, May 2, at noon Eastern Time. Each 22-karat gold coin is struck at the West Point Mint and features the Type 2 reverse introduced in 2021.
Available product options are included in the table below. There is a household order limit of three units per product in place for the initial 24 hours after release.
Individual coins come encapsulated in a black presentation case and packaged in a box replete with the Seal of the United States Mint on the lid. An outer sleeve decorated with a gold foil image of Liberty fits around the box. This same motif is featured on the Certificates of Authenticity that accompany each product.
Pricing for each 2024 American Gold Eagle Proof product option is determined by the Mint’s Pricing of Numismatic Gold, Commemorative Gold, and Platinum and Palladium Products table (PDF link). The Mint updates these prices every Wednesday according to then-current market prices.
While not all of the available products are part of the Authorized Bulk Purchase Program (ABPP), the one-ounce coin, one-tenth coin, and four-coin set are, which may affect their availability to the general public but in most cases does not.
A Classic Design, Updated for the 21st Century
Besides their precious metals content, another significant part of the American Gold Eagle Proof coin’s appeal is the iconic obverse design adapted from Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ Double Eagle. Considered the most beautiful coin ever issued by the United States, it depicts a full standing portrait of Liberty in a classical chiton, holding a torch towards the viewer and an olive branch symbolizing peace in her other hand. The United States Capitol building is far in the background, with the rays of the sun radiating from the horizon. When the Mint changed to the Type 2 reverse in 2021, it also sharpened the details on the obverse using Saint-Gaudens’ original bronze casting and added anti-counterfeiting measures to the reeding.
The new reverse was designed by Artistic Infusion Program Designer Jennie Norris and sculpted by Mint Medallic Artist Renata Gordon. It features a close-up of the head of an American bald eagle rendered in an extra-realistic style. The design replaces the Type 1 reverse created by artist Miley Tucker-Frost (formerly Busiek) and sculpted by Mint Sculptor-Engraver Sheril Joseph Winter that featured a male and female eagle tending to their eagle chick in a nest.
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