- Gold Buffalo Coins As Seen On Tv
- American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin
- Gold Buffalo Coin Value
- Gold Buffalo Coin Price
| Value | $1750 (Proof), 4–5% above spot (Bullion) U.S. dollars |
|---|---|
| Mass | 31.108 g (1.0001 troy oz) |
| Diameter | 32.7 mm (1.287 in) |
| Thickness | 2.95 mm (0.116 in) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Composition | 99.99% (24K) gold |
| Years of minting | 2006–present |
| Catalog number | BA6 |
| Obverse | |
| Design | American Indian head |
| Designer | James Earle Fraser's design of the Indian Head nickel was modified for the American Buffalo coin |
| Design date | 1913 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | American bison |
| Designer | James Earle Fraser's design of the Indian Head nickel was modified for the American Buffalo coin |
| Design date | 1913 |
The American Buffalo, also known as a gold buffalo, is a 24-karatbullion 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. This was the first time ever that the United StatesGovernment has minted pure (.9999) 24-karat gold coins for the public.[1] The coin has a legal tender (face) value of US$50. Due to a combination of the coin's popularity and the tremendous increase in the price of gold since its creation the coin's value has increased considerably in a short time of just a few years. The initial 2006 U.S. Mint price of the proof coin was $800.[2] In 2007 the Mint proof coin was $899.95,[3] $1,410.00 in 2009,[4] and $2,010.00 in 2011.[5]
In addition to requiring a presidential dollar coin series to begin in 2007 and redesigning the cent in 2009, the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 mandated the production of a one-ounce 24-karat gold bullion coin with a face value of $50 and a mintage limit of up to 300,000 coins.
Design[edit]
The design of the American Buffalo gold bullion coin is a modified version of James Earle Fraser's design for the Indian Head nickel (Type 1), issued in early 1913. After a raised mound of dirt below the animal on the reverse was reduced, the Type 2 variation continued to be minted for the rest of 1913 and every year until 1938, except for 1922, 1932, and 1933 when no nickels were struck. Generally, Fraser's Indian Head nickel design is regarded as among the best designs of any U.S. coins. The same design also was used on the 2001 Smithsonian commemorative coin.
The obverse (front) of the coin depicts a Native American, whom Fraser said he created as a mixture of the features of three chiefs from different American Indian tribes, Big Tree, Iron Tail, and Two Moons, who posed as models for him to sketch. The obverse also shows the motto 'LIBERTY' on the top right, the year of mintage on the bottom left, and below that the letter F for Fraser.
The Gold Buffalo coin is designed after James Earle Fraser's famous 1913 Type 1 Buffalo Nickel. The obverse shows the well-known Indian Head design, created by combining images of three Native American chiefs: Iron Tail (Lakota), Two Moons (Cheyenne) and John Big Tree (Seneca). Buy American Gold Buffalo Coins. Many of the gold coins that are popular in the United States have a 22 karat quality to them, or just over 91% gold with other metals forming an alloy. That isn't the case with the 1 oz American Gold Buffalo Coin. All US Mint Gold Buffalo Coin are made with.9999 24K gold bullion, the very first pure gold coins.
The American Buffalo gold bullion coin further has in common with the nickel the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM above the buffalo's lower back and the device UNITED·STATES·OF·AMERICA along the top.Differences that can be noted between the nickel and the fifty dollar piece are, on the gold American Buffalo coin the mound area of the reverse of the Indian Head nickel bearing the words, FIVE CENTS, has been changed to read $50 1 OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD. Also, the motto, IN GOD WE TRUST, appearing on all U.S. gold coins since 1908, can be seen on the reverse of the newer coin to the left of, and beneath, the buffalo's head.
Fractional sizes[edit]
The U.S. Mint indicated an expansion of the program, to include buffalo gold coins in fractional sizes for 2008 only. The specially-packaged 8–8-08 Double Prosperity set contained a one-half ounce gold buffalo coin.[6]
Weights and measures provided below:[7]
Gold Buffalo Coins As Seen On Tv
| Diameter | Thickness | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5 (1/10 oz.) | 16.5 mm (0.650 in.) | 1.19 mm (0.047 in.) | 0.10 Troy oz. (3.11 g, 0.109 oz.) |
| $10 (1/4 oz.) | 22.0 mm (0.866 in.) | 1.83 mm (0.072 in.) | 0.25 Troy oz. (7.776 g, 0.274 oz.) |
| $25 (1/2 oz.) | 27.0 mm (1.063 in.) | 2.24 mm (0.088 in.) | 0.503 Troy oz. (15.552 g, 0.5485 oz.) |
Distribution[edit]
Currently, all U.S. bullion coins, including the American Buffalo gold piece, are being struck at the West Point Mint in New York. According to the U.S. Mint website, only the proof version of the buffalo gold coin bears the mint mark 'W' on the obverse (front) of the coin, behind the neck of the Indian; the bullion version does not have the 'W' mint mark. The 2006 and 2007 coins only have been issued in a one-ounce version, but in 2008, $5, $10, and $25 face value coins were minted with 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/2 oz of gold respectively.
After a long wait by both collectors and investors, the uncirculated version of the American Buffalo gold piece was made available to coin dealers on June 20, 2006. Collectors who wanted to purchase the proof version from the mint were given the opportunity to place their orders with the mint beginning on July 22. The 2006 proof quality coin has a strict mintage limit of 300,000, with an additional enforced limit of only ten (10) coins per household. The catalog number of the 2006 proof coin at the U.S. Mint is (BA6).
The coin was created in order to compete with foreign 24-karat gold bullion coins. Since investors sometimes prefer 99.99% pure gold over the 91.67% gold used in the American Gold Eagle, many were choosing non-U.S. coins, such as the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, to meet their bullion needs. With the American Buffalo coin, the U.S. government hopes to increase the amount of U.S. gold sales and cash in on the 24-karat sales, which makes up about 60% of the world gold market.
On September 26, 2008, the U.S. Mint announced that, temporarily, it would halt sales of the American Buffalo coins because it could not keep up with soaring demand as investors sought the safety of gold amid the subprime mortgage crisis of the late 2000s,[8] which had also affected the price of gold.
Mintage[edit]
Mintage[9] for the bullion version of the American Buffalo is as follows (all 1 ounce coins):
| Year | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 61,500 |
| 2018 | 121,500 |
| 2017 | 99,500 |
| 2016 | 219,500 |
| 2015 | 220,500 |
| 2014 | 180,500 |
| 2013 | 198,500 |
| 2012 | 100,000 |
| 2011 | 250,000 |
| 2010 | 209,000 |
| 2009 | 200,000 |
| 2008 | 189,500 |
| 2007 | 136,503 |
| 2006 | 337,012 |
See also[edit]
- American Buffalo (play), in which three criminals conspire to steal a valuable Indian Head nickel American coin
References[edit]
- ^United States Mint. 'United States Mint Strikes First Pure Gold U.S. Coins for Investors & Collectors'. Archived from the original on 14 July 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-21.
- ^United States Mint. 'American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin Available from the United States Mint Beginning June 22'. Archived from the original on 14 July 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-21.
- ^United States Mint. '2007 American Buffalo Gold Proof One Ounce Coin (BA7)'. Archived from the original on 25 March 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
- ^United States Mint. '2009 American Buffalo Gold Proof One Ounce Coin (BA7)'. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2010.
- ^United States Mint. '2011 American Buffalo Gold Proof One Ounce Coin (BA7)'. Retrieved 2011-12-01.
- ^www.usmint.gov'...newly-released fractional weight options in the expanded American Buffalo Coin Program'
- ^https://www.moderncoinmart.com/fractional-buffalo-gold/
- ^'Mint suspends sale of 24-karat gold coins'. USA Today. September 26, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
- ^'Bullion Sales/Mintage Figures - 2014 American Buffalo Bullion (year-dated coins sold)'. United States Mint. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
External links[edit]
American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin
In 2006, the United States Mint released the American Buffalo Gold Coin, its first 24-karat denomination, under Public Law 109-145 (the Presidential $1 Coin Act).
The American Buffalo Gold Coin's obverse and reverse designs feature images by noted American sculptor James Earle Fraser, once a student of Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
The coin recreates the popular 'Indian Head' or 'Buffalo' nickel, which was introduced in 1913 and produced until 1938. The design showcases the native beauty of the American West.
American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins
American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins are the first .9999 fine 24-karat gold coins ever struck by the Mint. These $50 gold coins are available to members of the public seeking a simple and tangible way to own and invest in 24-karat gold in the form of legal tender coins whose content and purity is guaranteed by the U.S. government.
The United States Mint does not sell its bullion coins directly to the public. Instead, we distribute the coins through a network of official distributors called authorized purchasers.
Gold Buffalo Coin Value
American Buffalo Gold Proof Coins
The Mint also produces American Buffalo Gold Proof Coins for collectors. The term 'proof' refers to a specialized minting process that begins by manually feeding burnished coin blanks into presses fitted with special dies. Each coin is struck multiple times so the softly frosted and highly detailed images seem to float above the field.
Gold Buffalo Coin Price
An official Certificate of Authenticity accompanies each coin. American Buffalo Gold Proof Coins sell at a fixed price and can be purchased directly from the United States Mint.
