The American Gold eagle bullion coins were first released in 1986. The Roman numeral date changed every year up until the early nineties, when it became Arabic. The obverse is a modified rendition of Augustus Saint-Gaudens classic $20 gold design of 1907 - 1933. The reverse is a contemporary design by Mrs. Miley Busiek. The coins come in $50, $25, $10, and $5 denomination. These coins are issued in 22 karat fineness, and contain, respectively, 1 oz., 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce, and 1/10 ounce of pure gold. They are the only gold coins the US government will allow to be included in IRA's and SEP's. Like all bullion coins, these coins are sold for the price of gold contained plus a small premium to cover the cost of manufacturing, marketing, and distribution.