Gold Buffalo Coin

American Buffalo Coins are collector versions of the official U.S. Mint American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins. Each coin contains one ounce of.9999 fine, 24-karat gold and is presented in an elegant hardwood box with distinctive finishing touches, and is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. American Gold Buffalo coins were created by the United States Mint as a means of competing with bullion coins from other sovereign mints struck in 24-karat gold. The official gold bullion coin of the United States, the American Gold Eagle, is popular around the globe, but is produced in 22-karat gold rather than 24-karat gold.

American Buffalo Coin Program

The American Buffalo, also known as a gold buffalo, is a 24-karat bullion coin first offered for sale by the United States Mint on June 22, 2006, and available for shipment beginning on July 13. The coin follows the design of the Indian Head nickel and has gained its nickname from the American Bison on the reverse side of the design. Gold Buffalo coins are offered in a 1 oz gold coin size. The American Gold Buffalo coin is considered by many gold bullion industry experts, one of the best gold coins available throughout the physical gold bullion market. Gold Buffalo Coin Prices. American Buffalo Gold coin prices are based on the world’s fluctuating gold spot price.

Year of Issue: 2020
Authorizing Legislation: Public Law 109-145

Background

Investors in Gold Have Another Choice

For the first time in its history, the United States Mint is proud to offer its customers the opportunity to purchase a 24-karat gold bullion coin.

The American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coin represents the convergence of timeless elegance in numismatic design and uncompromising quality in coinage production, the result of which is this one ounce coin made of pure .9999 fine gold.

Authorized by Congress in 2005 and first minted in June 2006, American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins are among the world’s purest gold coins in terms of the fineness of the metal they contain. Each coin contains its full, stated weight of pure gold. By law, the gold for United States Mint American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins must be taken from newly mined sources in America. They are struck at the United States Mint at West Point, New York. While struck at West Point, American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins do not have a mint mark.

Purity, Weight and Content Guaranteed

Gold Buffalo Coin Value

United States Mint gold bullion coins are the only official investment-grade gold bullion coins whose weight, content and purity are guaranteed by the United States Government. Like the U.S. dollar, gold bullion coins are welcome in major investment markets worldwide. Investment firms have for years considered pure, 24-karat (.9999) fine gold coins to be bullion eligible for U.S. Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).

Consult with your investment firm on whether it has decided to include pure .9999 American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins in its portfolios.

Easy to Buy and Sell

One measure of an investment is liquidity, or the ease with which an asset can be converted to cash. The American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coin, with its unique backing by the United States Government, can be sold for cash at most coin and precious metals dealers worldwide. Although the coin is also United States legal tender, its face value is largely symbolic as the value of the gold it contains has historically been far greater.

You can buy American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins at major coin and precious metals dealers, as well as many brokerage firms and participating banks. They sell at gold’s prevailing market price, plus a small premium to cover coining and distribution costs.

Characteristics

The designs chosen to grace both the obverse and reverse of this historic American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coin are steeped in American numismatic tradition. With images originally executed by noted sculptor James Earle Fraser, the Buffalo, or Indian Head, nickel debuted in 1913 and was produced until 1938, quickly becoming one of our Nation’s best-loved circulating coins. The specific image used for this new 24-karat gold bullion coin is known to collectors as Fraser’s 1913, Type I design.
The Native American portrait featured on the obverse once again honors the legacy of our land’s first inhabitants, while the power of the American Buffalo on the coin’s reverse recalls the pioneering spirit of the Nation’s westward expansion.

Obverse Inscriptions

LIBERTY
Year

Reverse Inscriptions

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
E PLURIBUS UNUM
IN GOD WE TRUST
$50
1 OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD

Mint and Mint Mark

Specifications

Content: Gold, 1.0000 Troy Ounce (31.1035g)

Gold Buffalo Coin Value

Weight: 1.0001 Troy Ounce (31.108g)
Diameter: 1.287in. (32.70mm)
Thickness: 0.116in. (2.95mm)

Artist Information

Designer: James Earle Fraser

Related Information

Realizing the demand for a 24-karat gold coin, the US government authorized the Gold American Buffalo with the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005. Gold Buffalo coins, first introduced in 2006, are the second bullion coin produced in the United States. Since 1985, the only American gold bullion coin was the American Gold Eagle, but it was soon joined by the Gold Buffalo. Gold Buffalos are available only in a $50 denomination and some are eligible for precious metals IRAs.

Gold Buffalo Coin Design

The design of the American Gold Buffalo is a modified version of the noted Buffalo nickel designed by James Earle Fraser which was first issued in early 1913. The obverse of the coin depicts a Native American profile. The right-facing profile blankets the whole of the obverse, leaving room only for the date at the base of the portrait and the word, “LIBERTY,” to the upper right of the profile. The reverse features a left-facing American Buffalo standing atop a mound. Inscribed along the base of the coin are the weight, purity, and denomination of the coin. Inscribed along the top rim of the coin are the words, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.” Just underneath the word, “America,” the national motto, “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” can be found in smaller lettering.

The American Gold Buffalo weighs 31.108 grams, has a diameter of 32.7 millimeters, a thickness of 2.95 millimeters, and has reeded edges. The Gold American Buffalo is a .9999 pure, 24-karat, 1-ounce gold bullion coin. First offered for sale by the United States Mint on June 22, 2006, the Gold Buffalo nearly supplanted the American Gold Eagle bullion coin. From 1985 to 2006, the American Gold Eagle was the only American gold bullion coin. The Gold Eagle is still larger and heftier than the Gold Buffalo, however. The Gold Eagle is made of 22-karat gold and a copper-silver alloy which is added for durability. This makes the American Gold Eagle coin larger and heavier than a comparable American Gold Buffalo.

Buffalo Nickel Design

The Gold Buffalo design only deviates very slightly from the original nickel design. The main difference is the inscription of the denomination, weight, and purity.

2006 Gold Buffalo Coin Worth Today

The design by Fraser is supposed to be inspired by the faces of three different Native Americans. While two of the three people were identified by Fraser, the third model remains a mystery. There remains some controversy as to who this unknown model is. Many Native Americans have come forward as the enigmatic third model, but because of a lack of acceptable documentation, no one has been accepted.