2015 $5 Gold American Eagle — Wide Reeds, NGC MS 70 Early Releases
A superb 2015 $5 (1/10 oz.) American Gold Eagle, certified by NGC MS 70 Early Releases and attributed as the distinctive Wide Reeds variety.
The American Gold Eagle is one of the world's most recognized modern gold bullion coins. The obverse features Augustus Saint-Gaudens' iconic Walking Liberty design, with Liberty carrying a torch and olive branch beneath the rays of the rising sun. The reverse, designed by Miley Busiek (now Miley Frost), depicts a male eagle carrying an olive branch as he flies above a nest containing a female eagle and her young.
This 1/10-ounce Gold Eagle contains 0.1 troy ounce of pure gold, with a total weight of approximately 3.393 grams. It is composed of 91.67% gold, along with silver and copper, giving the coin its distinctive rich golden appearance. (ngccoin.com)
The Wide Reeds variety makes the 2015 issue particularly interesting. NGC discovered two distinct edge varieties for the 2015 1/10-ounce Gold Eagle: Wide Reeds and Narrow Reeds. The Wide Reeds variety has the standard, broader edge reeding used on earlier Gold Eagles, while the Narrow Reeds variety features unusually fine and closely spaced reeds. NGC notes that the Wide Reeds variety appears to be more abundant, although the discovery of these varieties makes the 2015 issue especially interesting to variety collectors.
This example received the coveted MS 70 grade, indicating a coin with no post-production imperfections at the level recognized by NGC. Even more desirable is the Early Releases designation, identifying the coin as having been submitted within NGC's designated early-release period for the 2015 Gold Eagle.
According to the NGC population information provided, 321 examples are graded MS 70, with 0 examples graded higher.
TOP POP — MS 70
This places the coin at the highest numerical grade reported by NGC for the specified Wide Reeds Early Releases designation. For collectors seeking the finest certified examples, this combination of Wide Reeds attribution, Early Releases designation, and MS 70 grade makes the coin particularly appealing.
The 2015 Gold Eagle is also an interesting issue historically. NGC notes that the 2015 $5 Gold Eagle had a mintage approaching one million pieces, the highest mintage for the denomination since 1999, while quality was notably lower than in many other years.
A stunning modern U.S. gold coin combining 1/10 ounce of gold, the iconic Saint-Gaudens design, the sought-after Wide Reeds variety, Early Releases designation, and the prestigious NGC MS 70 grade. A standout piece for American Gold Eagle, modern U.S. gold, and registry-set collectors.
