2011 American Gold Eagle
The 2011 Gold Eagle was first available on January 3, 2011. This was the date when the United States Mint began accepting orders for the one ounce bullion version of the coin from their authorized purchasers. In contrast to the start of sales in the prior two years, the allocation program was not imposed, meaning that the coins could be ordered in unrestricted quantities. Sales of fractional weight coin began in February.
After several tumultuous years for the US Mint’s most popular gold bullion coin offering, the present year is shaping up to be much more orderly. When demand for gold started to surge in 2008, Gold Eagles were frequently subject to sales suspensions, rationing, and delayed releases for some options. This occurred despite the legal requirement to supply the coins in quantities necessary to meet public demand. The situation seemed to culminate with the cancellation of the collector versions of the coins in 2009.
For 2011, the US Mint is no longer subject to the requirement to fulfill public demand for bullion coins before collector coin can be produced. This was the result of legislation passed towards the end of the prior year, which modified production requirements. Even without the change in law, the US Mint seems to have made progress in acquiring sufficient precious metals blanks and increasing production capacity.
Sales of the 2011 Proof Gold Eagle began at the US Mint on April 21, 2011. The US Mint increased some of the maximum product limits from the previous year. Limits for individual options were established at 30,000 one ounce, 15,000 one-half ounce, 16,000 one-quarter ounce, and 30,000 one-tenth ounce coins. The limit for the four coin set was 40,000 units. Initial sales levels have been somewhat muted for the offering, but steady. The coins are expected to remain available from the Mint throughout the remainder of the year.
On May 5, 2011, sales of the 2011-W Uncirculated Gold Eagle began at the US Mint. This represented a separate collector offering that had been canceled for the prior two years. The one ounce coins are struck on specially burnished blanks and carry the “W” mint mark. For some previous years, this version of the coin has remained overlooked, resulting in lower mintages. The US Mint offered the coins without a maximum mintage or ordering limits.
2011 Gold Eagle Specifications
Date: 2011
Mint Mark: none (bullion), W (proof and uncirculated)
Composition: 91.67% gold, 3% silver, 5.33% copper
Weight ($50 Coin): 1.0909 troy oz (33.930 grams)
Diameter ($50 Coin): 1.287 inches (32.7 mm)
Thickness ($50 Coin): 0.113 inches (2.87 mm)
Designers: Augustus Saint-Gaudens (obverse), Miley Busiek (reverse)
2011 Gold Eagle Mintage
Bullion Mintage: TBD
Proof Mintage: TBD
Burnished Mintage: TBD
2011 Gold Eagles For Sale
