Proof American Eagles

September 15, 2009 · Posted in Collecting Proof Gold Eagles

Produced is limited numbers by the United States Mint, Proof American Eagles are a collectible version of the standard coins from the American Eagle Coin Program. The Mint replicated the obverse design for the American Gold Eagle coin from the original creation by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, which he used on his widely revered 1907 twenty-dollar coin. The reverse features a design by sculptor Miley Busiek,depicting an American bald eagle landing in his nest while tightly clutching an olive branch. The nest contains a female eagle along with her newly born hatchlings. This reverse also displays' the coin's gold content within along with the coin's denomination, and the phrases 'IN GOD WE TRUST' and 'E PLURIBUS UNUM'.

The coins are available in four denominations: 1-ounce, 1/2-ounce, 1/4-ounce and 1/10-ounce and are minted in 22-karat gold, which is mined exclusively in the United States.

The proof versions are subjected to a different production process than the standard coins, as they are struck on specially fabricated dies designed to imprint each coin with as much detail as possible. The Mint uses lustrous coin blanks, each one receiving multiple strikes as they are fed individually into the coin press. This unique process creates images that are frosted set atop a a smooth, mirror-like background. The United States Mint goes to great lengths to ensures that each coin is of the highest possible quality.