U.S. Gold, Silver Coin Sales Top Goal

The U.S. Mint announced Tuesday that sales of the new American Eagle gold and silver coins have topped their first-year sales goals with six months still left in the government’s fiscal year.

Officials said 2.2 million ounces of the gold coins have been sold since the coins first went on sale last Oct. 20. This was the original sales goal for the first 12 months of the program.

In addition, 8 million one-ounce silver coins had been sold through March, triple the total expected for the first year of silver sales, the mint said.

The Eagle gold coin, introduced with only three months left in 1986, accounted for 37% of worldwide gold sales last year, according to estimates made by the mint.

“We are all very proud to be producing an American product that is so popular both at home and abroad,” said Donna Pope, director of the mint.

Both the gold and silver coins are sold for the market value of their bullion content. The silver coin is sold only in a one-ounce size while the gold coins come in one-ounce, half-ounce, quarter-ounce and one-tenth-ounce sizes.