1999-W Emergency Issue $10 American Gold Eagle Coin PCGS MS-69 Mint Error

 1999 was the run up to the Y2K hysteria and there was a great deal of concern about whether or not the computers of the world would function properly when the date changed from December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000.

Many people bought gold and silver coins so that they would be able to barter if the monetary systems all became unusable. 

Tenth ounce
1998   1,344,520
1999   2,750,338
2000      569, 153

Quarter ounce
1998   309,829
1999   564,232
2000   128,964

In late 1999, there was unprecedented demand for smaller denomination American Gold Eagles. In my opinion, the US Mint had run out of regular dies for these coins and because of the demand, reached up on the shelf and utilized some dies that were prepared for Proof Only strikings. They used these dies to make commercial strikings of the $5, 1/10 ounce, and the $10, ¼ ounce coins.

Some people refer to these coins as errors, but I prefer to call them Emergency Issues, like the 1942/41 dimes. The estimated mintage for the 1999-W $10 are less than 5000.