The Eagle was the first US federal gold coin authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792.
The law established the United States Mint and specified an eagle worth ten dollars. It also authorized the half eagle, worth five dollars, and quarter eagle, worth two dollars and fifty cents. The eagle was a unit of account as well as a physical coin denomination.
The first eagles were not minted until 1795, when the Philadelphia Mint began producing them. Early eagles carried designs by Chief Coiner Henry Voigt. Later versions changed in appearance as American coin designs developed.
The term “eagle” can cause confusion because it referred both to the $10 denomination and, in broader usage, to the family of US gold coins. The double eagle was a later $20 coin, while the half eagle was a $5 coin. The eagle remained an important denomination until US gold coins disappeared from ordinary circulation in the 1930s.