1993 American Gold Eagle
Every version of the 1993 Gold Eagle with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1993
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 480,192
- Versions
- 8
- 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 1993 Gold Eagle worth?
The 1993 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 1993 1/4 oz bullion (71,864) 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 1993 Gold Eagle version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($50) | 480,192 | Metal value |
| Bullion | None | 1/2 oz ($25) | 73,324 | Small premium |
| Bullion | None | 1/4 oz ($10) | 71,864 | Small premium |
| Bullion | None | 1/10 oz ($5) | 210,709 | Metal value |
| Proof | See below | 1 oz ($50) | 34,369 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/2 oz ($25) | 43,819 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/4 oz ($10) | 46,464 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/10 oz ($5) | 58,649 | Small premium |
There are eight 1993 versions. Bullion coins in four sizes have no mint mark and a bright finish and were sold in bulk. Proofs in four sizes carry a small mint mark on the obverse and have mirror fields with frosted design. The Mint sold proofs in individual capsules inside presentation boxes with certificates. A 1993 one ounce coin with a mirror finish is the version to set aside. Proofs and bullion coins share the same design and sizes, so the finish and mint mark are the only reliable differences. Weigh the coin if the size is in doubt.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 1993 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 1993 Gold Eagles were made?
- 480,192 one ounce bullion coins plus 183,301 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 1993 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 1993
Bullion demand jumped in 1993. One ounce sales reached 480,192, up from 275,000 the year before. The half ounce rose to 73,324, slightly ahead of the quarter ounce at 71,864, while the tenth ounce sold 210,709. Measured in ounces of gold, it was the strongest bullion year since 1987, though still far below the launch years. Total bullion production reached 836,089 coins, the most since 1987 and well above the 598,250 of 1992.
Proofs went the other way. The one ounce proof fell to 34,369, the lowest one ounce proof up to that point, while the half ounce proof came in at 43,819, the quarter ounce at 46,464 and the tenth ounce at 58,649. It's an unusual year in which the big one ounce proof is the scarcest proof size. In most years the half ounce holds that spot. The 1993 one ounce proof is therefore the coin collectors look for first. It's a good example of why mintage tables matter more than assumptions about which size should be rare.
1993 Gold Eagle by the numbers
The Mint sold 480,192 one ounce bullion Gold Eagles dated 1993. That ranks 22nd lowest of the 39 bullion dates from 1986 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 1993 bullion sales were 1.7 times the 1992 figure and 2.2 times the 1994 figure.
Collector versions dated 1993 add up to 183,301 coins across 4 versions. The scarcest is the 1993 1 oz proof at 34,369; the most plentiful is the 1993 1/10 oz proof at 58,649.
Fractional bullion that year: 210,709 1/10 oz coins, 71,864 1/4 oz coins and 73,324 1/2 oz coins. The 1/4 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 one ounce proof at 34,369 is the scarcest 1993 Gold Eagle. It brings a small premium over metal value, more when it's in a high certified grade or complete with its original box and certificate. The 1993 bullion coins were made in healthier numbers than the years around them and generally trade close to metal value. Top graded bullion examples can earn a modest collector premium. Coins with spotting or handling marks on Liberty trade closer to metal value, so condition matters even for the scarcer proof.
Arabic dates and the bullion boom (1992 to 2005)
From 1992 the date switched to ordinary numerals and the program settled into a routine of four bullion sizes and four proofs every year. Bullion demand was modest in the early and middle 1990s. The one ounce coin sold just 189,148 pieces in 1996. The quarter and half ounce sizes stayed below 100,000 every year from 1992 to 1996.
Then came the late 1990s surge. One ounce bullion sales jumped to 664,508 in 1997, 1,468,530 in 1998 and 1,505,026 in 1999, while the tenth ounce hit 2,750,338 in 1999, by far its biggest year. Worries about computer failures at the turn of the millennium are often given as one reason people stocked up on gold. In 1999 a small number of tenth and quarter ounce bullion coins were struck with unfinished proof dies and show a W mint mark, a recognized variety worth checking for.
Demand dropped almost as quickly as it had risen. The 2001 one ounce bullion coin sold only 143,605, one of the lowest one ounce totals of any year. Proof mintages drifted down across the era too, from about 41,000 to 65,000 per size in 1992 to between 23,000 and 38,000 in 2001, before recovering a little by 2005. The half ounce is usually the scarcest proof of the year in this period. Most of these proofs are plentiful enough to carry only a small premium over metal value when they're complete with box and certificate.
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
What is the scarcest 1993 Gold Eagle?
The one ounce proof, with 34,369 struck. That's lower than any of the 1993 fractional proofs, which is unusual, since the half ounce proof is normally the scarcest size in a given year.
Did Gold Eagle bullion sales go up in 1993?
Yes. The one ounce bullion coin rose to 480,192 from 275,000 in 1992. The half ounce climbed to 73,324, its best total since 1987. Altogether 836,089 bullion coins were made that year.
Mintages: American Gold Eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.