Eagle was the popular name for a $10 gold coin minted in the United States between 1795 and 1933. The coin was not minted from 1805 to 1837. It was one of three coins named in 1792 in the first act of Congress to authorize coinage. For many years it was the highest denomination of any U.S. coin. In 1933, a law was passed to take all gold coins, including eagles, out of circulation. In 1986, however, the U.S. Mint began selling gold and silver bullion coins called American Eagles. Investors buy these coins for their value as metals rather than as money. The mint began selling platinum American Eagles in 1997. The face value—that is, the value printed on the coin—is $20 for gold eagles, $1 for silver eagles, and $100 for platinum eagles.
