← Back to articles · Hobby & visiting shops ·
2026 Eagles are out. That does not make last year’s coin old.
West Point strikes the new year. Authorized purchasers take the first delivery. Your 2024 and 2025 Eagles did not turn into scrap. They are still ounces.
Every January somebody walks in worried their “old” Eagle expired.
It did not. The Mint started 2026 metal so the authorized purchasers — the handful of firms allowed to buy bullion Eagles at the official premium — could load trucks. Coin World had the 2026 silver bullion Eagle in production at West Point in January, with a published purchaser premium in that $3-an-ounce neighborhood. That number is their wholesale add-on, not your shop’s window.
What actually changed
The date. The box color, if you care. The fact that some people will pay a little extra for a fresh year in January and stop caring in June.
Your 2018, 2024, and 2025 bullion Eagles are still recognized ounces. Government vs generic. Milk spots do not care what year it is.
Proof vs the bullion you stack
The Mint will also sell 2026 proof Eagles on the catalog at a collector price. That is a different product. Proof vs bullion. US Mint vs the shop.
If you are selling a mix of years
We count ounces first. Then we see if any year is actually collected. Most are not. That is good news if you wanted metal, not a hobby.
Should you sell. Call ahead if it is a box. Monster boxes.
Part of the coin and money library · visitors & collectors
Extra pad history for 2026 American Eagles
Every January somebody walks in worried their “old” Eagle expired. It did not. The Mint started 2026 metal so the authorized purchasers — the handful of firms allowed to buy bullion Eagles at the official premium — could load trucks. The date changed. The box color, if you care. Some people will pay a little extra for a fresh year in January and stop caring in June.
Your 2018, 2024, and 2025 bullion Eagles are still recognized ounces. Government vs generic. Milk spots do not care what year it is. The Mint will also sell 2026 proof Eagles on the catalog at a collector price. That is a different product. Proof vs bullion. US Mint vs the shop.
If you are selling a mix of years
We count ounces first. Then we see if any year is actually collected. Most are not. That is good news if you wanted metal, not a hobby. Should you sell. Call ahead if it is a box. Monster boxes. A one-ounce Gold Eagle is still one ounce of gold in a 22k jacket. What an Eagle is made of. Year does not expire the gold.
Do not clean last year’s coin to compete with this year’s shine. Don’t clean. Pre-33 gold is a different animal: collectible plus melt. Modern Eagles are bullion.
People also ask
Did my 2025 Eagle go down because 2026 is out? As bullion, no. It is still an ounce.
Is a fresh year worth a premium in July? Usually the January fuss is gone.
Are 2026 proofs the same as bullion? No. Collector product vs stacker.
Will you buy a mixed-year tube? Yes. Ounces first.
Extra pad history for the new Eagle year
A new date does not retire last year’s Eagle. Both are ounces. Premiums move with demand and mint allocations, not with the calendar alone. American Silver Eagle. 2026 Eagles.
What the shop does
We buy common dates as bullion. We do not pay a first-week story six months later unless the market still does.
People also ask
Is 2025 now old? It is last year. It is still an ounce.
Should I swap dates? Usually you just pay two spreads.
Is the 2026 gold Eagle different metal? No. Same program family.