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Unsurprisingly, but the fact is that gold coins are the most expensive, of course there are many varieties where some coins are more expensive than others, depending on the sample, release date and design.
It is obviously more difficult to get such coins than nickel or even silver ones.
Nevertheless, many collectors are interested in having such rare tokens in their collection, and if you already have gold and silver coins, you can check it through many services, such as the coin identifier app for free, to find out all the relevant information.
Top 5 Most Valuable Gold Tokens. How Much Are Gold Coins Worth?
Coin | Year | Record Price |
Double Eagle | 1933 | 18.9 million USD |
Half Eagle ($5) | 1822 | 8.4 million USD |
Brasher Doubloon | 1787 | 7.4 million USD |
Umayyad Gold Dinar | 723 | 6.0 million USD |
U.S. $4 Stella Flowing Hair | 1879 | 5.3 million USD |
The 22, 24k gold coins prices can change based on market demand, condition, grading, and the specific characteristics of individual tokens.
1933 Double Eagle $20
Weight: 33.431 g
Diameter: 34.1 mm
Mintage: 445,500 made, but most were melted — about ≈13 ones left
What it looks like: The front has Lady Liberty standing tall. The back has a flying eagle.
1822 Half Eagle $5
Weight: 8.75 g
Diameter: 25.00 mm
Mintage: 17,796 made. Only 3 coins left — two are in a museum
What it looks like: The front has Liberty's head with a cap. The back has an eagle.
1797 Brasher Doubloon
Weight: ≈26.6 g
Diameter: ≈29.8 mm
Mintage: only ≈7 ones are known
What it looks like: The front has the New York coat of arms. The back has a US seal version with the maker's initials (EB)
723 Umayyad Gold Dinar
Weight: ≈4.25 g
Diameter: ≈20 mm.
What it looks like: It has religious text, no pictures
1879 U.S. $4 Stella Flowing Hair
Weight: 7.00 g
Diameter: 22.0 mm.
Mintage: A test token, so about 425 tokens were made
What it looks like: The front has Liberty's bust. The back has a five-pointed star
Other Types of Gold Coins and Their Features
American Eagle Gold Coins
Name: American Eagle Gold Bullion Coins for investing or Proof for collecting.
Metal Mix: 22 karat (purity 916.7). Such US mint gold coins are a mix of gold 91.67%, silver, and copper, and the copper makes the token harder so it does not wear out fast when you handle it.
Weight and Face Value: They are made in 31.1 grams, 15.5 grams, 7.7 grams, and 3.1 grams — small gold coins, and the money value printed on 50, 25, 10, and 5 dollars is just a symbol, but it means they are real money that the government made.
Easy to Sell: 2024 American Eagle Gold Bullions are very easy to sell and are known all over the world, and many people think they are the best gold coins to buy for American investors because the taxes are often better in the USA.
Krugerrand Gold Coins — South Africa
Name: The Krugerrand, the world's first popular gold bullion piece.
Metal Mix: 22 karat (purity 916.7)
Weight and Face Value: The standard token contains grams of fine gold. It has no face value printed on it, but South Africa's law says its value is the price of the gold inside it.
Easy to Sell: It was the first one made just for investors and is known and trusted worldwide.
Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coins
Name: Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, from the Royal Canadian Mint.
Metal Mix: Very high purity of 24 karat (purity 999.9)
Weight and Face Value: The main coin size is 31.1 grams. The face value printed is 50 Canadian Dollars.
Easy to Sell: Newer ones have a tiny laser-engraved maple leaf for security, making them safe to buy.
Austrian Gold Philharmonic Coins
Name: Austrian Gold Philharmonic, also called the Vienna Philharmonic.
Metal Mix: It is also a pure 24 karat (purity 999.9).
Weight and Face Value: The largest token is 31.1 grams. The value printed is 100 Euros, the design shows musical instruments from the famous Vienna Orchestra.
Easy to Sell: It is one of the most popular gold coins in Europe with musical design.
British Gold Sovereign Coins
Name: British Gold Sovereign, made by the Royal Mint.
Metal Mix: 22 karat (purity 916.7), using the traditional English 'Crown Gold' mix with copper for hardness.
Weight and Face Value: This coin is smaller than one ounce, with 7.32 grams of pure gold. The money value printed is £1, but the gold value is much higher.
Easy to Sell: Since 1817 in the UK, many investors have been buying it because it is often exempt from certain capital gains taxes.
Collecting Value
The Premium is the extra money you pay that is more than the gold's basic value, and this extra money comes from a few different sources:
Dealer's Extra Charge: This is the difference between the price the dealer buys them for and the price they sell the coin for.
Coin Type: Gold money made for putting money into, like the American Eagle, Krugerrand, or Maple Leaf, have a small extra charge usually 3%-8% more than the Spot Price because many millions of these are made by the government.
Collecting Value: For very old and rare US gold coins or those that have high grades from PCGS/NGC, the extra charge can be ten or one hundred times more than the gold's value, which is why these are very expensive.
Key Idea: For people who want to buy gold, the best gold coins to buy are the new ones made for investing, because they have the smallest extra charge over the gold's value.
Where to Buy Gold Coins
Online Sellers
Big online sellers, like APMEX Gold Coins, are the most common place to buy gold tokens for investing because of their large selection.
Pros: They have many different coins, they are easy to sell back to, and their prices are often good because they sell a large number of pieces — perfect for people looking for gold coins for sale at the best price.
Cons: You have to wait for shipping, and you must make sure the shipping is safe and insured for the trip to your house.
Local Dealers
These are the shops and local dealers in your city, where you can buy them face-to-face.
Pros: You get the piece right away, and you can look at it yourself before you buy it to check its condition.
Cons: The prices might be higher because their costs to run the shop are higher than online sellers, so they need more profit.
Big Stores
Some big stores, like Costco gold coins, sometimes sell gold coins, usually gold Eagle tokens or Maple Leaf, to their members, but the stock is often limited.
Pros: You can trust the seller a lot, and sometimes the prices are good for club members who can get special deals.
Cons: They do not have many types, and they sell out very fast, so you need to be quick to buy them.
How to Buy Gold Coins
Decide how much money you have and why you are buying: Is it for investing — small extra charge or for collecting — big extra charge?
Choose the type: For people who are new to this, the American Eagle 31.1 grams or the Maple Leaf 31.1 grams are good options because they are easy to sell later.
Check the prices: Look at the price of your chosen coin at a few big sellers, and remember that the extra charge is different everywhere, so you need to check carefully.
Check how to pay and ship: Make sure the shipping is insured and needs a signature when it arrives, and use a bank transfer or check for big buys, because the extra charge is often lower than when you use a credit card.
Tips for Selling Gold Coins
Know your price: Before you talk to a dealer, check the current Spot Price and think about the extra money you should get for your type of coin for investment, it should be very small.
Keep them safe: The condition of the coin is very important, so never clean your pieces, and keep them in their original holders or cases, because scratches or damage can make your selling price lower.
Check different offers: Before you make the final choice, get at least 2 or 3 offers from different buyers, so you can choose the best price.
Things that Change the Prices
Gold Spot Price: This is the main thing that moves the price up or down.
Bad Economy: When there are problems with the economy or when prices go up quickly, more people want gold making the extra charge higher because of the high demand.
Making and Rarity: Proof and older US gold ones can have a high extra charge for collecting, which makes them very expensive.
Size: The smaller the piece is, the bigger the extra charge is compared to the gold value, for example, a 3.1-gram coin like the American Eagle 1/10 will have an extra charge of 15%-20%, while a 31.1 gram coin is only 3%-5%, because you pay more for the ease of selling small parts.
How to Check If the Coin Is Real
Check Weight and Size
This is the easiest check you can do, because every real coin, like the Maple Leaf, the Eagle, or the Philharmonic, has a correct total weight and an exact diameter, but fake makers often use cheaper metals to make tokens that might be the correct weight but then they will be the wrong size.
Check with a Magnet
Gold is a metal that is not magnetic, and this means that if your coin sticks to a strong magnet, it is probably a fake coin made from steel or another metal, which is a very simple thing to remember.
Check the Sound
Pure gold makes a special sound that is long and high when you hit it very softly, but if the sound is quiet and short, it can mean the coin is a mix of metals or it is not a real coin.
Check the Purity
You must check that the karat is the same as the information written on the coin:
(24 Karat) is used for the softer pieces like the Maple Leaf and the Philharmonic.
916.7 (22 Karat) is used for the harder coins like the American Eagle and the Krugerrand because they use a mix of metals.
Check the Security Features
Some new coins, like the Canadian Maple Leaf, have special security marks, such as a very small maple leaf engraved with a laser, and these marks are very difficult for fake makers to copy.
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