Pre-1933 US Gold Coins

Pre-1933 US Gold Coins at Silver.com

The US Mint is among the most well-known mints in the world. The US Mint was authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792 and was founded in the same year. Pre-1933 US Gold Coins encapsulate gold coins struck by the US Mint from their establishment in 1792 until 1933. This includes several popular coins and even more popular designs. Learn more about these Pre-1933 US Gold Coins, right here at Silver.com.

Gold Content in US Mint Coinage

Every gold coin struck by the US Mint from 1795 to 1833 contained 22-karat gold (91.67%). The remaining 8.33% was made up of either all copper or a copper/ silver alloy mixture. However, this led to merchants exporting US gold coins and melting them down for their gold value outside of the United States.

As a result, from 1834 to 1836, US gold coins had a gold content of just 89.92%. In 1837, the new standard was set and all gold coins from this point until 1933 contained 90% gold.

$2.50 US Quarter Eagles

The $2.50 US Quarter Eagle was regularly struck from 1795 to 1929. Quite literally, it has a face value of 1/4 of the US Eagle. These coins, much like the US Mint, were authorized under the Coinage Act of 1792.

In total, 6 branches of the US Mint (Philadelphia, Charlotte, New Orleans, Dahlonega, San Francisco, and Denver) struck these coins. No coins were struck from 1809-1820, and 1916-1924.

Many designs have been used on these coins, but two stand out as being among the most popular.

• Liberty Quarter Eagle: These coins were struck between 1840 and 1907. Designed by Christian Gobrecht, the obverse shows Liberty in left-profile relief with a coronet crown, while the reverse shows a heraldic eagle design.
• Indian Quarter Eagle: These coins were struck occasionally between 1908 and 1929 and designed by Bela Lyon Pratt. The obverse shows a Native American male wearing a feather headdress while the reverse shows a bald eagle on a sheaf of arrows.

$5 US Half Eagles

Much like the Quarter Eagle, the $5 US Half Eagle was struck from 1795 to 1929. Many unique designs have been featured on these coins, such as the capped bust right design (1795-1807) and the capped bust left design (1807-1812). However, two designs stand out.

• Liberty Half Eagle: The design of this coin is the same as the Liberty Quarter Eagle. In 1866, the motto “In God We Trust” was added above the heraldic eagle on the reverse.
• Indian Half Eagle: Struck sporadically from 1908 to 1929, these coins feature the same Bela Lyon Pratt design seen on the Indian Quarter Eagle.

$10 US Eagles

These $10 US Eagles were struck from 1795 to 1933. The Coinage Act of 1792 established five base units of denominations for US coinage – mil, cent, dime, dollar, and eagle. The eagle served as the basis for other Pre-1933 US Gold Coins such as the quarter eagle, half eagle, and double eagle.

In total, just three designs were used on this coin.

• Turban Head: These coins were produced from 1795 to 1804. The obverse showed Robert Scot’s Liberty which displayed her in right-profile relief wearing a Phrygian cap. Originally, the reverse showed an eagle holding a wreath in its mouth but was quickly updated to a heraldic eagle design.
• Liberty Eagle: These coins were struck from 1838 to 1907. Lady Liberty is seen in left-profile relief on the obverse with a coronet crown, while a heraldic eagle is on the reverse. Just like the Half Eagle, the “In God We Trust motto was added in 1966.
• Indian Eagle: Struck from 1907 to 1933, these coins were designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The obverse features a left profile bust of Liberty wearing a headdress. The reverse shows an eagle standing on a bundle of arrows.

$20 US Double Eagles

Unlike the other 3, these $20 US Double Eagles were authorized under the Coinage Act of 1849. This act not only authorized the Double Eagle, but also named the eagle, half eagle, and quarter eagle.

Interestingly, in 1849 two proof coins were created. One was given to the Treasury Secretary while the other was presented to the Smithsonian Institution. The Double Eagle consisted of two main designs.

• Liberty Double Eagle: These coins were struck from 1849 to 1907. Designed by James B. Longacre, Lady Liberty is in left-profile relief wearing a coronet crown. The reverse shows Longacre’s heraldic eagle design. The reverse featured 3 iterations over the years with slight alterations including adding a motto and changing how the denomination is displayed.
• Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle: These coins were minted from 1907 to 1933. Still seen on the Gold American Eagle Coin, Lady Liberty is displayed walking toward the viewer, holding a torch in one hand and an olive branch in the other. The original design featured 46 stars surrounding her, 2 stars were added for 1912 with the additions of Arizona and New Mexico. The reverse showcases an eagle flying in left-profile relief.

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