One of the smallest coins in the Gold American Eagle Series is the 1/4 oz coin. Introduced in the BU Series in 1986 when the collection started and offered in the Proof Series as of 1988, the 1/4 oz Gold Eagle typically has one of the lower mintage figures in a given year. Today, 1997 1/4 oz Gold American Eagles are available to you online at Silver.com.
Coin Highlights:
- Available inside an individual plastic flip!
- 12th year of release in the Gold American Eagle Series!
- Mintage limited to 108,805 coins only!
- Consists of One-Quarter Troy ounce of actual gold content.
- The face value of $10 (USD) is fully backed by the US government.
- On the obverse of the coin is Liberty.
- The reverse features a family of bald eagles.
In 1986, the United States Mint introduced the BU Gold Eagles for investors, offering four weights in total in the series. The collection includes 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz gold coins. Each coin experiences its own ebbs and flows in demand. Generally speaking, the 1/4 oz and 1/2 oz coins have a far lower mintage each year than the 1 oz and 1/10 oz gold coins.
All of these 1997 1/4 oz Gold American Eagles are available to you for purchase with an individual plastic flip. The 1997 release for the 1/4 oz Gold Eagle experienced one of the largest year-over-year increases in this history of this particular weight. Demand for the 1/4 oz Gold Eagle had risen each year from 1991 to 1995, but experienced a sudden drop in 1996. The coins immediately rebounded in 1997, jumping from 60,318 coins the previous year to 108,805 coins this year. The 1997 coin had the highest mintage since 1987 when 269,255 coins were sold in this weight.
On the obverse of the 1997 1/4 oz Gold Eagle is an effigy of Lady Liberty. This design comes from the Gold $20 Double Eagle and was created in 1907 by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The image shows the full-length figure of Liberty walking toward you with a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left. The field includes sun rays framing Liberty’s figure and a ring of 50 stars around the edge of the coin design.
The reverse side of the 1997 Gold American Eagle comes with a depiction of a family of American bald eagles. In this design from Miley Busiek, a male eagle is soaring over the family nest while a female eagle is shown in the nest with hatchlings.
Please feel free to contact Silver.com if you have any questions. Our team is available to assist you at 888-989-7223, online using our live chat, and via our email address.
