The American Buffalo gold coin has been minted since 2006 simultaneously with the famous American Golden Eagle series. It immediately became the rival to the bullion Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin due to its high gold fineness and small circulations. American Buffalo is primarily a bullion coin, but in order to meet the collectors’ demand, it is issued as “proof” without the mint mark. The gold Buffalocoin is known by 50 US dollar denomination, but there are also 5, 10 and 25 dollar denominations, that initially can be purchased only in sets of all four ones. Today, you can buy any coin individually.
Denominations of American Buffalo gold coins
5 dollar denomination
All 5 Dollars US gold coins in our catalog.
- Obverse: profile of a native American Indian; inscription «LIBERTY» to the right; denomination to the bottom left, two mint marks: «F» – James Earl Fraser and “W” – West Point mint (there is no such mark on collectible items).
- Reverse: buffalo; inscriptions «UNITED STATES OF AMERICA» and «E PLURIBUS UNUM» at the top, «1/2 OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD» and denomination «$ 5» at the bottom; inscription «IN GOD WE TRUST» below the head of a buffalo.
- Edge: reeded
- Thickness: 1.19 mm
- Diameter: 16.5 mm
- Weight: 3.11 g
- Metal: 999.9 Au
10 US dollar denomination
All 10 Dollars US gold coins in our catalog.
- Obverse: profile of a native American Indian; inscription «LIBERTY» to the right; denomination to the bottom left, two mint marks: «F» – James Earl Fraser and “W” – West Point mint (there is no such mark on collectible items).
- Reverse: buffalo; inscriptions «UNITED STATES OF AMERICA» and «E PLURIBUS UNUM» at the top, «1/2 OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD» and denomination «$ 10» at the bottom; inscription «IN GOD WE TRUST» below the head of a buffalo.
- Edge: plain
- Diameter: 22 mm
- Weight: 7.7759 g
Metal: 999.9 Au
25 US dollar denomination
All 25 Dollars US gold coins in our catalog.
- Obverse: profile of a native American Indian; inscription «LIBERTY» to the right; denomination to the bottom left, two mint marks: «F» – James Earl Fraser and “W” – West Point mint (there is no such mark on collectible items).
- Reverse: buffalo; inscriptions «UNITED STATES OF AMERICA» and «E PLURIBUS UNUM» at the top, «1/2 OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD» and denomination «$ 20» at the bottom; inscription «IN GOD WE TRUST» below the head of a buffalo.
- Edge: reeded
- Diameter: 27 mm
- Weight: 15.5518 g
- Metal: 999.9 Au
50 US dollar denomination
All 50 Dollars US gold coins in our catalog.
- Obverse: profile of a native American Indian; inscription «LIBERTY» to the right; denomination to the bottom left, two mint marks: «F» – James Earl Fraser and “W” – West Point mint (there is no such mark on collectible items).
- Reverse: buffalo; inscriptions «UNITED STATES OF AMERICA» and «E PLURIBUS UNUM» at the top, «1/2 OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD» and denomination «$ 50» at the bottom; inscription «IN GOD WE TRUST» below the head of a buffalo.
- Edge: reeded
- Diameter: 32.7 mm
- Weight: 31.1035 g
- Metal: 999.9 Au
All American gold coins in our catalog.
Circulations of American Buffalo gold coins
The circulations of fractional denominations of 5, 10 and 25 US dollars initially were minimal and ranged from 13,125 to 16,908 copies per year. As for the basic fifty-dollar denomination, the table provides information on the circulation of 2006-2014, which will give an opportunity to assess the rareness of coins of different years of coinage:
| Year of minting | Circulations (pcs) |
| 2006 | 569,267 |
| 2007 | 226,498 |
| 2008 | 211,632 |
| 2009 | 249,306 |
| 2010 | 258,263 |
| 2011 | 203,193 |
| 2012 | 151,765 |
| 2013 | 305,432 |
| 2014 | 198,057 |
Design
The design of the American Buffalo coins was developed on the basis of a five-cent coin from nickel and copper of coinage in 1913, which had images of an Indian and a bison.
The sketches of the obverse and the reverse of the coin were developed by the assistant of the famous August Saint-Gaudens – famous American sculptor James Earl Fraser.
The profile of the Indian depicted on the obverse of the coin combines the images of the three chiefs of the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Kiov tribes. The reverse, according to Fraser himself, depicts a bison named Black Diamond, which was kept in the Central Park of New York in the early 1900s.
You can buy American Buffalo coins in two versions:
- set of four denominations;
- one coin in a hermetic plastic capsule and gift packing.
Besides that, each coin has a unique serial number and a certificate confirming its authenticity, quality, and protection against counterfeit.
Mints
The mint in West Point (New York) was founded in 1937 and originally served as a storehouse for precious metal ingots. Then, for 12 years, this mint issued coins for internal circulation. Today, it is again a depository of ingots and it mints exclusively commemorative and bullion coins, including the American Buffalo. It is also interesting that the Mint received the official status only on March 31, 1988.
Cost on the market
The American Buffalo coins are one of the newest bullion coins. Therefore, first of all, their market price depends on the cost of 1 troy ounce of gold on international exchanges and the quality of coinage. The demand for these coins among investors and numismatists-collectors, as well as small annual circulations, increases the cost of coins exceeding their denomination several times.
We give the approximate cost of coins of all four denominations at the international exchanges and auctions:
- 5 US dollars – $ 368-517;
- 25 US dollars–$ 636.58-1,567;
- 10 US dollars – $ 318.38-1,641;
- 50 US dollars – $ 1,382.53-1,424.55.
Interesting facts
- For the first time the “W” mint mark, that stands for the West Point mint, was placed on gold coins only in September 1983.
- As for the prototypes for the image of the Indian on the “Buffalo” coins, there was a lot of controversies, both during the life of James Earl Fraser and after his death. He himself claimed that he personally knew the leaders of the Indian tribes, two of which were called the Iron Tail and Two Moons. However, the famous sculptor could not remember the name and image of the third one. At the same time, the Indian John Big Three claimed that he was the third model. His numerous public statements and speeches led to the fact that in 1966 he was noted in the agreement of the Texas Numismatic Association as a real prototype of a well-known coin. However, after BigThree’s death, the Mint of West Point denied this information.