Gold is an incredibly soft element and is one of the most malleable and ductile metals. In fact, it is possible for a single gram of gold to be stretched into a sheet that is 1 meter long.
To compensate for this softness, gold coins are often made from an alloy of gold and other metals to increase their strength, but pure gold remains very soft. American Gold Eagles, for example, are struck from 91.67% fine gold. This alloyed composition makes Gold Eagles more durable and less prone to damage than their 99.99% pure gold counterparts.
