2011 will celebrate the 26th year in which the American Gold Eagle has been offered by the United States Mint. Since their introduction in 1986 these beautiful twenty two karat gold coins have been struck in uncirculated, proof and bullion varieties with only the creation of bullion Gold Eagles being mandatory by law. This fact has the potential to perform a part in the availability and minting of these gold collector's coins.

Most collectors should recall that the U.S. Mint in 2009 received a record number of orders for bullion Gold Eagles. The United states mint was unable to acquire enough quantities of gold blank planchets to meet the lawfully required demand for the bullion strikes. This scarcity forced the United States Mint to cancel the Gold eagle proof and uncirculated versions in order to guarantee sufficient bullion production. Proof variations of the Gold American Eagle did not come back to the market in 2010, although the Mint also decided not to manufacture the uncirculated version of the coin during the duration of that year either.

Four distinctive versions of the Gold Eagle are generally produced - one ounce, 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce and 1/10 ounce denominations will be offered with respective face values of $5, $10, $25 and $50. As a consequence of unforeseen circumstances the fractional versions have been occasionally canceled in several years (including the years 2009 and 2010) when just the 1-oz. size bullion gold Eagle was produced.

As in past years, the coin will present a full-length representation of the historical figure of Lady liberty on the coins obverse. Miss liberty is depicted wearing a flowing gown while holding a torch in one hand and an olive branch in the other representing her continued desire for world harmony.

In the background rays of sunshine along with the U.S. Capitol are featured. The incredibly popular design is the creation of famed sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens which was previously featured on the 1907 to 1933 $20 Gold Piece. This stunning work of art is considered by many to be one of the most stunning images ever to be imprinted on a United States coin.

Miley Busiek created the reverse of the coin which depicts an eagle family's nest that features a mother and her young hatchlings with an adult male soaring above.

American Gold Eagles are the only bullion gold coins whose purity and weight have been guaranteed by the US government. On account of this guarantee, bullion investors have the ability to buy them as an addition to their individual retirement accounts (IRAs).

A release of collector versions of the coin is also estimated to take place during the year with many coin enthusiasts already making inquiries as to the potential release date.

Eagles are considered bullion, so they are worth their face value plus a price over spot. Spot is the term for the price at which gold trades in its raw state over a 2 day period. Spot is the standard for the cost of the most precious of all precious metals.

As a usual practice, the Mint creates four weights: 1/10-oz, 1/4-oz, 1/2-oz, and 1-oz. But the Mint has not released any American Eagle Gold coins other than the 1 oz this year, and probably won't until close to 2010.

The 1-oz item is easily the largest coin by weight of all the coins. In certain years, the 1/10-oz Gold Eagles outsold the 1-oz coins, but if determined by weight, the 1-oz Eagles are the most popular.

The one-ounce Eagle is worth $50 as it is minted. This means that in theory the coin could be exchanged for $50 worth of goods. But, since eagles sell at prices slightly above the spot price of  gold (currently hovering around $1,000 per ounce), the coin's worth is actually a lot higher than its stated value of $50.

Presently, one-ounce Gold Eagle Coins are the most popular gold bullion coin in the U.S.A., making up over 80% of all products that are offered. Almost 12 million of these coins have sold between 1986 and the present. In 2008, the Mint sold more than 700,000 of these coins, and are expected to sell almost 1,000,000 of them this year. American Gold Eagle coins have become extremely popular with the general public since people have started to realize the financial intelligence of owning silver and gold.

Of course, no one is very happy with the financial state of the country right now, however anyone who was smart enough to own some American gold bullion coins in their portfolio, should find themselves more financially stable than are the people who elected not to have gold, silver or platinum bullion encompass a portion of their investment package.

These days individuals who invest in and collect gold bullion coins have a great number of choices as to where they can make potential coin purchases also. You will find that many savvy collectors and investors find that online auctions are a great place to uncover some really good deals on rare coins, as many reputable sellers are doing business on these auction sites themselves increasing the number of trusted sellers that you may choose to deal with.

The internet has become a tremendous resource to gather all kinds of important information about investment grade gold, silver and platinum coins. With websites providing up to the minute quotes on precious metal prices along with expert analysis of current trends, there is really no reason why anyone should not be able to get a fairly thorough online education on gold bullion products in a relatively short amount of time. You will also come to find that there is a growing online community of coin investors and collectors who are looking for to share ideas and resources with their fellow enthusiasts and can usually be found in online groups and forums. The members who make up these communities tend to be made up of collectors and part-time dealers who have an inventory of rare and investment grade coins. Alternatively you may come across coin collectors who are in a situation where they may be looking to sell either parts of their collections, or their collection in it's entirety. You will find that the time spent browsing the internet in search of different resources will in the end be a truly valuable use of your time as you begin to create associations with a number of different like-minded numismatists.

When choosing to focus on gold bullion coins, it should be noted that there is really no other bullion coin on the market today, that is as well-respected and highly sought-after as the Gold Eagle American coin. You will come to discover that the attention to detail that has been put into each and every one of these unique coins is nearly beyond belief. As you may already be aware, the obverse of the coin features the beautiful work of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, as his depiction of Lady Liberty striding forward is with parallel. The highly detailed coin also features a view of the United States Capitol building set in the backdrop. The reverse of the gold eagle features a touching depiction of a bald American eagle landing near a nest that is holding a female eagle along with her hatchlings.

As you begin to acquire the knowledge and confidence to invest in higher grade coins and coin with a higher gold content, you should find that with so many choices in size and weight the American Eagle offers you a multitude of quality choices. They are made available in 1/10 -ounce, 1/4 -ounce, 1/2 -ounce and 1 -ounce denominations. As the price of gold seems to be constantly rising to new heights recently, finding really good deals has become a bit harder as the competition from fellow investors and collectors has become quite stiff. However, with time and patience along with good decision making, you will be able to continue to build up a quality collection of coins no matter the economic climate.