American Gold Eagle coins are considered collectibles by the IRS. If you own your Eagles for less than a year and sell them, they’ll be taxed at your personal marginal tax rate. If you hold them for more than a year before selling, they’re taxed at 28 percent, which is the IRS tax rate for collectibles. Gold and silver bars can attract unwanted attention or require special declarations for currency instruments, but a gold chain is, well, just another gold chain.