Half-ounce of pure gold in the United States Mint’s flagship bullion series. 22-karat alloy, $25 face value U.S. legal tender, IRA-eligible by statute. Year selected from available stock.
91.67% (22k)
Brilliant Uncirculated
United States Mint
Mint Dates
Varies by issue
Composition
91.67% gold, 3% silver, 5.33% copper
Diameter / Weight
0.50 oz / 27 mm
IRA Eligible
Yes, IRA Approved
Available Sizes
See SKU weight
The 1/2 oz American Gold Eagle Coin pairs 91.67% (22k) gold content with sovereign-grade authority, giving you a tradeable bullion position with clear provenance.
The 1/2 oz American Gold Eagle was struck from the inaugural 1986 release alongside the 1 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz fractional coins, all authorized by the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985. It carries a $25 face value as U.S. legal tender, with weight, purity, and gold content guaranteed by the U.S. Mint.
Saint-Gaudens’ Liberty obverse and the eagle reverse (Type 2 Norris bald eagle head portrait from mid-2021; Type 1 Busiek ‘Family of Eagles’ from 1986-2021) are scaled to the half-ounce format and struck to identical fineness as the 1 oz coin. Both reverse types remain in active circulation and trade at full bullion premium. The Gold Eagle’s 22-karat composition (with copper and silver alloy) gives the coin its distinctive warm tone and superior wear resistance compared with pure-gold strikes, which matters if the coin is ever handled outside the capsule.
The 1/2 oz is a popular size for investors who want meaningful exposure with more divisibility than a full ounce. Bullion desks recognize it instantly and pricing tracks tightly to the 1 oz on a per-ounce basis. Cedar Gold’s Buyback Guarantee commits to purchase this product back at competitive market rates for as long as you hold it, with zero liquidation fees on the outbound side.
All sizes of the American Gold Eagle are listed in IRC §408(m)(3)(B) and remain IRA-eligible at 22-karat (.9167) fineness as a statutory exception. The 1/2 oz adds fine-grained position sizing inside an IRA without introducing eligibility ambiguity. Inside a self-directed Precious Metals IRA, this product is held by a qualified custodian at an approved depository, so you retain ownership but cannot take personal possession until distribution.
Weight: 0.50 oz
Diameter: 27 mm
Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated (BU)
Edge: Reeded
Denomination: $25
Grade: BU
Dimensions and weight are to mint specification. Coins ship in capsule where noted; bars ship in sealed assay packaging.
Metal: Gold
Purity: 91.67% (22k)
22-karat gold (.9167 fine). Alloy composition: 91.67% gold, 3% silver, 5.33% copper. The copper-silver alloy gives the coin its warm tone and improves wear resistance for circulation-grade handling.
Mint: United States Mint
Year varies by release.
Struck by the United States Mint. The U.S. Mint guarantees weight, metal content, and purity on every coin, and its bullion strikes carry federal legal-tender status.
Obverse: Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ Liberty striding forward with torch and olive branch, the celebrated 1907 Double Eagle motif.
Reverse: Bald eagle head close-up portrait by Jennie Norris, sculpted by Renata Gordon (Type 2, mid-2021 onward) on current strikes; Miley Busiek’s ‘Family of Eagles’ (eagle landing at nest with mate and hatchlings), sculpted by Sherl J. Winter, on 1986-2021 (Type 1) issues.
Ships in a protective capsule. Store in the capsule to maintain the BU finish.
U.S. Mint strike with reeded edge. No overt micro-security features; authenticity is verified by weight, dimensions, and dealer recognition (the world’s most-recognised bullion series).
The American Gold Eagle is listed by name in IRC §408(m)(3)(B) as a statutory exception, which is why it remains IRA-eligible at 22-karat (.9167) fineness despite being below the .995 gold floor. This set carries that statutory authority on all four fractional coins.
IRS REQUIREMENTS (IRC §408(m)(3))
The Internal Revenue Code sets statutory minimum fineness thresholds for metals held in an IRA: gold .995, silver .999, platinum .9995, palladium .9995. Coins must be produced by a qualifying sovereign mint; bars must be produced by a refiner accredited by NYMEX, COMEX, NYSE-LIFFE, LME, LBMA, LPPM, TOCOM, ISO 9000, or a national government mint.
Collectibles are generally disallowed under IRC §408(m); the precious-metals exception in §408(m)(3) is narrow and fineness-driven. Specific U.S. coins, notably the American Gold Eagle and Silver Eagle are listed by statute.
A Precious Metals IRA must be held under a qualified custodian (trust company, bank, or qualifying non-bank custodian) and the metals themselves must be stored at an approved depository. You do not take personal possession of IRA-owned metals while they remain inside the account.
Common depositories include the Delaware Depository, Brink’s Global Services, IDS of Delaware and Texas, and A-M Global Logistics. Your chosen custodian will coordinate shipment and intake with the depository on your behalf.
Depositories offer two storage modes: segregated (your coins are held in a dedicated account and never commingled) and non-segregated or pooled (like-kind coins of the same series are stored together and a specific bar/coin is returned on distribution). Segregated storage carries a higher fee but preserves specific-coin identity.
All IRA-approved depositories carry all-risk insurance with Lloyd’s of London underwriting covering fire, theft, natural disaster, and employee dishonesty. Annual storage and insurance fees typically run from approximately $100 to $300, depending on account size and storage mode.
Traditional Precious Metals IRA: contributions may be deductible; growth is tax-deferred; distributions are taxed as ordinary income. Roth Precious Metals IRA: contributions are after-tax; qualified distributions (age 59½ and 5-year rule) are tax-free. Physical metals held in an IRA are treated identically to paper assets for tax purposes; the collectibles-rate long-term capital gains rule does NOT apply to metals held inside a qualifying IRA.
You can fund a Precious Metals IRA through a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer, a 60-day indirect rollover, or annual contributions. Direct transfers have no frequency limits and are not reported to the IRS as distributions. 60-day rollovers are limited to one per 12-month period across all of your IRAs (the Bobrow rule).
Eligible source accounts: Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA (after two years), 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and TSP. The 2026 annual IRA contribution limit is $7,500 ($8,600 with the age-50 catch-up, per IRS Notice 2025-67). Confirm with your CPA or custodian.
Note: Cedar Gold Group is not a tax, legal, or financial advisor. IRA eligibility information is based on IRC §408(m)(3) as interpreted at the time of publication. Consult your tax professional and IRA custodian for guidance on your specific account.
