American Gold Buffalo Coins

American Buffalo Gold Coins at Provident Metals

While the American Eagle Gold Coin is the official gold bullion coin of the United States, it’s not the only annual release by the US Mint. In 2006, the US Mint debuted a new coin program, American Buffalo Gold Coins. You can learn all about these coins below:

American Buffalo Gold Coin History

These coins were authorized by the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005. This act required a presidential dollar coin series, along with a first spouse gold coin program to be created. This act also mandated the production of a 1 oz 24-karat gold bullion coin with a face value of $50 and a mintage of at least 300,000 coins. Thus, the American Buffalo Gold Coin was born.

The American Buffalo Gold Coin program debuted in 2006 with a 1 oz gold coin. This first release had a mintage of 337,012. This release was historic as it was the first time the United States government released a .9999 pure gold coin for the public.

Similar to the American Eagle Gold Coin, all coins in this program are struck at the West Point Mint. These coins have been released annually since 2006 in just a 1 oz weight. In 2008, three fractional ounce weights (1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz) were released for just that year.

Design of the American Buffalo Gold Coin

While the coin program debuted in 2006, the designs featured on both the obverse and the reverse have a history that dates back to 1913. The designs featured are modified versions of the design featured on the Buffalo/ Indian Head Nickel, created by James Earle Fraser.

• Obverse – The obverse field of these coins features a modified version of the original Buffalo/ Indian Head Nickel designed by James Earle Fraser. This design depicts a Native American in right-profile relief. The Native American shown is a combination of three historical figures. The likeness of Iron Tail of the Sioux, Big Tree of the Kiowa, and Two Moons of the Cheyenne are used to create this portrait.
• Reverse – Like the obverse, the reverse displays a modified version of the original Buffalo/ Indian Head Nickel reverse. This design showcases a bison in left-profile relief, standing on a mound of dirt. Identifying marks of the coin surround this image.

Proof and Reverse Proof Versions

Like the American Eagle Gold Coin Series, the American Buffalo Gold Coins feature two variations. While the American Eagle Gold Coins have a proof and burnished options, American Buffalo Gold Coins offer a proof and reverse proof strike.

A 1 oz proof strike was released alongside the BU version in 2006. In 2008, for one year only, three fractional ounce weights were offered before returning to just the 1 oz proof gold coin in 2009.

For the 100th anniversary of the original Buffalo Nickel design, the US Mint released a special reverse proof strike of the American Buffalo Gold Coin. This was the lone year the reverse proof was released and it featured a total mintage of just 47,836.

Packaging for the American Buffalo Gold Coin

American Buffalo Gold Coins (BU) will arrive individually in protective plastic flips. Plastic tubes of 20 coins are also available for people looking to order larger quantities. Proof strikes in this series offer more collectible value and as such are offered in a presentation box along with a Certificate of Authenticity. The reverse proof strike was also initially made available in a presentation box with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Certified American Buffalo Gold Coin

At Provident Metals, we also offer certified American Buffalo Gold Coins for purchase. Certified coins are coins that have been graded by either the National Guaranty Corporation (NGC) or the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).

Both coin grading companies use the same Sheldon Scale of 1-70 to grade coins. Most American Buffalo Gold Coins will be graded either an MS 70 or an MS 69. More specifically this means the following:

• MS 70: Perfect specimens with no post-production imperfections. Contain the coin’s full, original mint luster.
• MS 69: Near-perfect specimens. Contain the coin’s full, original mint luster with a maximum of two imperfections.

For more information, you can also check out our other Certified Gold Coins.

Buying American Buffalo Gold Coins at Provident Metals

Provident Metals has a wide selection of American Buffalo Gold Coins. For any questions about these coins, please don’t hesitate to ask. Our customer service team is available at 1-800-313-3315. Alternatively, we can also be reached through email or our online chat feature.