US Gold Coin Melt Values: $1 to $20 Pre-1933 Gold
As of October 2, 2026, with gold at $4,135.51 per troy ounce, a $20 double eagle is worth $4,001.11 in melt value, a $10 eagle $2,000.56, a $5 half eagle $1,000.26, a $2.50 quarter eagle $500.15 and a $1 gold dollar $200.03. Each figure is the coin's pure gold content times spot.
Gold content and melt value for US gold coins struck from 1838 to 1933, from the $1 gold dollar to the $20 double eagle, computed from the live gold spot price.
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US Gold Coin Melt Value Chart, 1838 to 1933
Every coin below is .900 fine. Click a coin for its specifications, a melt table at different gold prices, and the dates collectors pay more for.
| Coin | Gross weight | Gold content (troy oz) | Melt value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle$20, 1907 to 1933 | 33.436 g | 0.9675 | $4,001.11 |
| Liberty Head Double Eagle$20, 1850 to 1907 | 33.436 g | 0.9675 | $4,001.11 |
| Indian Head Eagle$10, 1907 to 1933 | 16.718 g | 0.48375 | $2,000.56 |
| Liberty Head Eagle$10, 1838 to 1907 | 16.718 g | 0.48375 | $2,000.56 |
| Indian Head Half Eagle$5, 1908 to 1929 | 8.359 g | 0.24187 | $1,000.26 |
| Liberty Head Half Eagle$5, 1839 to 1908 | 8.359 g | 0.24187 | $1,000.26 |
| Indian Head Quarter Eagle$2.50, 1908 to 1929 | 4.18 g | 0.12094 | $500.15 |
| Liberty Head Quarter Eagle$2.50, 1840 to 1907 | 4.18 g | 0.12094 | $500.15 |
| Gold Dollar$1, 1849 to 1889 | 1.672 g | 0.04837 | $200.03 |
Every melt value above uses the same gold price, $4,135.51 per troy ounce. The gold price page has the live chart.
Gold Coin Melt Values at Different Gold Prices
One row per gold price, one column per denomination. The Liberty Head and Indian Head (or Saint-Gaudens) designs of each denomination hold the same gold, so they share a column.
| Gold spot | $20 | $10 | $5 | $2.50 | $1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,500 | $3,386.25 | $1,693.13 | $846.55 | $423.29 | $169.30 |
| $3,750 | $3,628.13 | $1,814.06 | $907.01 | $453.53 | $181.39 |
| $4,000 | $3,870.00 | $1,935.00 | $967.48 | $483.76 | $193.48 |
| $4,250 (closest to current spot) | $4,111.88 | $2,055.94 | $1,027.95 | $514.00 | $205.57 |
| $4,500 | $4,353.75 | $2,176.88 | $1,088.42 | $544.23 | $217.67 |
| $4,750 | $4,595.63 | $2,297.81 | $1,148.88 | $574.47 | $229.76 |
| $5,000 | $4,837.50 | $2,418.75 | $1,209.35 | $604.70 | $241.85 |
How Much Gold Is in a US Gold Coin?
From 1837 to 1933, US gold coins were struck at 25.8 grains of .900 gold per dollar of face value, so every dollar of face holds 0.048375 troy ounces of pure gold. A $20 double eagle has twenty times that, 0.9675 troy ounces, and the smaller coins scale down in step. That ratio is where the old official gold price of $20.67 an ounce came from. Two coins aren't in the table: the $3 gold piece (1854 to 1889), which holds 0.14512 troy ounces, and the earlier designs struck from 1795 to 1839, some to different standards. Dealers call all of this pre-33 gold. Modern bullion coins such as the American Gold Eagle, Maple Leaf and Krugerrand are priced per ounce on the gold coin price page.
The 1933 Gold Recall
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 6102, signed April 5, 1933, required Americans to turn in gold coin, bullion and gold certificates to the Federal Reserve, with an exemption for coins of recognized special value to collectors. 1933 was the last year the Mint struck gold coins for circulation, and private ownership of gold bullion became legal again on December 31, 1974.
Which US Gold Coins Sell Above Melt?
Common-date pre-1933 gold trades at melt plus a premium, and the premium is smallest, relative to the gold, on $20 double eagles. Quarter eagles and gold dollars carry much larger premiums for the little gold they hold. Key dates are priced as rarities, and each coin's page lists the famous ones: the Saint-Gaudens double eagle (1907 High Relief, 1933), the Liberty double eagle (1870-CC), the $10 eagle, the $5 half eagle, the $2.50 quarter eagle and the $1 gold dollar. Typical dealer markups are on the coin premium page.
Published by MetalCharts, a free precious metals resource providing real-time prices, interactive charts, educational guides, and portfolio management tools. All market data sourced from COMEX, LBMA, and LME.
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