2018 American Gold Eagle
Every version of the 2018 Gold Eagle with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2018
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 191,000
- Versions
- 9
- 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 2018 Gold Eagle worth?
The 2018 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 2018 1/4 oz bullion (62,000) 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 2018 Gold Eagle version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($50) | 191,000 | Metal value |
| Bullion | None | 1/2 oz ($25) | 32,000 | Small premium |
| Bullion | None | 1/4 oz ($10) | 62,000 | Small premium |
| Bullion | None | 1/10 oz ($5) | 230,000 | Metal value |
| Proof | See below | 1 oz ($50) | 15,564 | Small premium |
| Uncirculated (burnished) | "W" | 1 oz ($50) | 8,518 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/2 oz ($25) | 9,961 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/4 oz ($10) | 12,769 | Small premium |
| Proof | See below | 1/10 oz ($5) | 22,155 | Small premium |
2018 has nine versions. Bullion coins in four sizes have no mint mark. Proofs in four sizes have mirror fields, frosted devices and a small mint mark. The only burnished coin is the one ounce W, with its satin finish. The proofs and the burnished coin came boxed with certificates. The half ounce proof is the coin collectors look for, so check any 2018 half ounce for a mirror finish and mint mark. The half ounce proof measures 27 mm, so don't confuse it with the 32.7 mm one ounce in photos or listings.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 2018 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 2018 Gold Eagles were made?
- 191,000 one ounce bullion coins plus 68,967 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 2018 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 2018
Sales slipped again in 2018. The one ounce coin sold 191,000, the tenth ounce 230,000, the quarter ounce 62,000 and the half ounce 32,000. No half ounce bullion total had been that low since 1991. Total bullion production fell to 515,000 coins. In ounces of gold, sales came to 245,500, down from 302,000.
On the collector side, proofs sold 22,155 tenth ounce, 12,769 quarter ounce, 9,961 half ounce and 15,564 one ounce. The half ounce proof was the first fractional proof below 10,000. The burnished one ounce sold 8,518, higher than the 5,800 of 2017 but still low. With bullion down and proofs still low, 2018 is one of the leaner years of the decade. It's also a year where the half ounce is scarce in both of its versions, which is worth remembering if you have one. Even the bullion half sits close to the levels of the early Roman numeral coins. Combined proof sales were 60,449, up from 47,636.
2018 Gold Eagle by the numbers
The Mint sold 191,000 one ounce bullion Gold Eagles dated 2018. That ranks 5th lowest of the 39 bullion dates from 1986 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2018 bullion sales were 1.2 times fewer than 2017 and 1.8 times the 2019 figure.
Collector versions dated 2018 add up to 68,967 coins across 5 versions. The scarcest is the 2018-W 1 oz uncirculated (burnished) at 8,518; the most plentiful is the 2018 1/10 oz proof at 22,155.
Fractional bullion that year: 230,000 1/10 oz coins, 62,000 1/4 oz coins and 32,000 1/2 oz coins. The 1/2 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 burnished one ounce at 8,518 is the scarcest 2018 Gold Eagle, with the half ounce proof just behind at 9,961. The pair carry a collector premium above metal value. The quarter ounce proof at 12,769 also earns a collector premium. The half ounce bullion coin at 32,000 can bring a small premium in high certified grades, while other bullion sizes trade close to metal value. Packaging adds confidence for buyers of low mintage proofs like these. Spotting or hairlines reduce the premium noticeably on any of them.
One ounce burnished coins and shrinking proofs (2011 to 2020)
When the burnished W coin returned in 2011 it came in the one ounce size only, with 8,729 struck. Every year since has followed the same pattern. Through 2020 the burnished mintage stayed between 5,800 and 8,729, low enough that each of these coins carries a collector premium over metal value.
Proof sales fell sharply over the decade. The quarter and half ounce proofs, which sold more than 40,000 each in 2010, dropped to between about 12,700 and 15,800 from 2012 to 2015. In 2018 and 2019 the half ounce proof slipped below 10,000, with 9,961 and 9,454 struck. The 2017 one ounce proof managed just 9,245. For collectors this is the period when ordinary proofs started to become genuinely scarce.
Bullion demand swung with the gold market. One ounce sales ran from 857,000 in 2011 down to 108,000 in 2019, the lowest one ounce bullion figure of any year from 1986 to 2024. In 2020 the pandemic sent buyers back to physical gold and one ounce sales jumped to 747,500. The same year the Mint issued a one ounce proof with a V75 privy mark for the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Only 1,939 were sold, the lowest figure of any Gold Eagle from 1986 to 2024. For most finders, the bullion coins of this decade trade on their gold. The burnished and low mintage proof coins are where the premiums are.
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
Is the 2018 half ounce proof Gold Eagle scarce?
Yes. Only 9,961 were struck, the first fractional Gold Eagle proof below 10,000. It carries a collector premium, best with its original box and certificate. The half ounce bullion coin is also low.
How many 2018 one ounce Gold Eagles were made?
191,000 bullion coins, 15,564 proofs and 8,518 burnished W coins. The bullion coin trades close to metal value; the proof and burnished coins carry a premium. The burnished coin is the scarcest of the three.
Mintages: American Gold Eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.