The Gold American Buffalo is one of the most popular coins to invest in.
Key Features
Purity and Weight:
The Gold American Buffalo coin contains one ounce of .9999 fine, 24-karat gold. The 24-karat gold content appeals to investors looking for a pure gold investment, as it guarantees the coin's intrinsic value based on the current market price of gold.
Design:
The design of the American Gold Buffalo coin is one of its most attractive features, drawing inspiration from James Earle Fraser's original 1913 Buffalo Nickel design. The coin's obverse features a right-facing profile of a Native American, a composite portrait derived from the facial features of three Native American chiefs: Iron Tail (Sioux), Big Tree (Kiowa), and Two Moons (Cheyenne). This design element honors the legacy of the Native American tribes and their significant place in American history.
The reverse of the coin showcases an American buffalo, often referred to as a bison, standing on a mound of dirt. This design was inspired by Black Diamond, a bison that resided in New York City's Central Park Zoo. The detailed depiction of the bison symbolizes the pioneering spirit and the westward expansion of the United States.
Investment Value
The U.S. Gold Bureau has partnered with former Director of the U.S. Mint, Ed Moy, to offer hand-signed certification labels on Gold American Buffalo Proof 70 coins. The Ed Moy Signature Series of Gold American Buffalo Proof 70 coins will be highly sought after by investors and is exclusive to the U.S. Gold Bureau, meaning population for Proof 70 coins and Date Runs will be extremely low, adding to their investment potential.
Ed Moy Signature Series Gold American Buffalo Proof 70 are available as single coins, 4-coin sets, and even a full Date Run featuring one of each Gold American Buffalo minted since 2006. Demand for these hand-signed coins is expected to outpace supply.
Historical Significance:
The Gold American Buffalo coin’s design is rooted in the iconic Buffalo Nickel, first issued in 1913. James Earle Fraser, a renowned sculptor and student of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, designed the original Buffalo Nickel. Fraser's experience growing up in the American Midwest inspired him to create this timeless design, which is widely regarded as one of the best coin designs in U.S. history. By incorporating Fraser’s design, the American Gold Buffalo coin connects modern investors to a significant chapter in American numismatic history.
Market Demand:
Since its introduction, the Gold American Buffalo coin has enjoyed stable demand among both investors and collectors. The coin's high gold purity and its historical design make it an attractive option for those seeking to diversify their investment portfolios with precious metals. Annual sales figures have consistently demonstrated strong interest, with initial sales in 2006 reaching 337,012 coins. In subsequent years, sales have averaged around 200,000 coins, underscoring the coin's enduring popularity.
Mintage:
The Gold American Buffalo coin is minted in limited quantities each year, which enhances its collectability and potential future value. The 2024 Gold American Buffalo Proof coin has a mintage limit of 16,000 coins, meaning the Proof 70 population will be a fraction of the total mintage. The limited mintage ensures that each coin retains a level of exclusivity, making it a sought-after item among Investors. The mintage limit, combined with the coin's historical design and high gold purity, contributes to its appeal as a valuable investment.
Gold American Buffalo Coins
This famous piece of currency, also coined the Gold Buffalo, carries quite a bit of history along with it. Although it was first minted in 2006, the design of the piece dates all the way back to 1913. James Earle Fraser, an American sculptor from Minnesota, originally designed what you see on the American Buffalo for the Buffalo nickel. The design's popularity throughout the decades helped cement its inclusion in today's minting of American coins. The obverse side of this gold coin features the iconic profile of a Native American, with the word LIBERTY just to the right of his head. The reverse has a left-facing buffalo with the face value of $50 just beneath its feet. The coin contains 1 Troy ounce of 24-karat gold, ensuring that the piece is worth quite a bit more than just its face value. You can find both American Buffalo bullion and graded proof coins on our site.
Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle Coins
The Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle is popular for a number of reasons. Minted from 1907 to 1933, this gold coin gets its name from both the designer of the coin and from the original "eagle" coin minted by the United States due to the Coinage Act of 1792. The eagle had a face value of $10, so naturally, the double eagle has a face value of twice that, which is $20. Augustus Saint-Gaudens was asked to design the coin by Theodore Roosevelt. He had faith in Saint-Gaudens' skills and wanted to beautify America's coinage, which he thought was overall pretty unattractive. Though Saint-Gaudens died before the minting of the coin, Roosevelt was smart to commission him; the design is famous to this day. The obverse of the coin has Lady Liberty holding an olive branch in one hand with a torch in the other. Sun rays stream out from behind her. The reverse shows an eagle in flight, soaring over a sun.
Gold Indian Head Coins
Indian Head gold coins are not to be confused with Gold American Buffalo coins. Indian Head coins have a storied history. In fact, the Indian Head gold pieces can actually refer to two different coin series. One of the runs goes from 1908 to 1915. Afterward, it was reintroduced in 1925 and was circulating for another four years, until 1929. This piece is also referred to as the Pratt-Bigelow coin, due to its designer and the story behind its design. William Sturgis Bigelow was a friend of President Roosevelt and he suggested the president hire Bela Lyon Pratt to design the coin. The obverse of the coin features a Native American with a headdress, facing to the left. On the reverse, Pratt put an eagle perched on a branch, with the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above him. The face value of this coin can be found in either $2.50 or $5.
The other Indian Head coin is also known as the Indian Head eagle. This coin was designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and actually features quite a similar design to the other gold Indian coin. Minted from 1907 to 1933, this piece carries a face value of $10, just like the other eagle coins. Saint-Gaudens' design, like the Lyon-Pratt's, has an obverse side featuring a profile of Lady Liberty wearing a Native American headdress, but in this display 13 stars are floating above her head. The reverse has an eagle perched on a branch with the face value of the coin underneath the eagle, appearing as "TEN DOLLARS". At the U.S. Gold Bureau we offer both versions of the Indian Head gold piece from a number of different years.
Gold Liberty Head Coins
The Gold Liberty Head coin is another example of the double eagle. This version is a bit older than some of the more famous double eagles. It was first minted in 1849 and the minting stretched to 1907. Like most pieces of U.S. currency, these coins were minted in five different minting facilities through the years: Carson City, Denver, New Orleans, Philadelphia, or San Francisco. The mint mark will be either a CC, D, O, or S, based on the mint where it was produced. If no mint mark is visible, this just means that the coin was minted in Philadelphia, as coins minted in that facility don't carry a mintmark. The Chief Engraver at the time, James B. Longacre, was tasked with designing the coin. The head of Lady Liberty sits in profile on the obverse and her head is tilted slightly upward. The reverse has a heraldic image: an eagle sits behind a shield, clasping in its left talons a bundle of arrows. The words IN GOD WE TRUST sit above its head. Just like other double eagles, this piece of American currency carries a face value of $20.
Gold International Coins, Commemorative Coins & First Spouse Coins
The U.S. Gold Bureau doesn't just sell American gold bullion and coins, we also offer a variety of other international gold coins. In fact, there are mints everywhere around the world. For instance, the Royal Canadian Mint produces Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins, the Perth Mint puts out the Gold Australian Kangaroo, Swissmint, the official mint of Switzerland, mints the Swiss Franc gold coin, The Austrian Mint produces the Gold Philharmonic, and the Krugerrand is minted by the South African Mint. All of these are available on our site.
One of the largest selections we carry at the U.S. Gold Bureau is our array of commemorative coins. These types of coins are special in that they're minted by the U.S. Mint and theoretically be used as legal tender, but they are not intended for circulation, since the face value is so much less than the value of the metal they contain. A lot of the value of commemorative coins is dependent on factors like the condition of the coin, rarity, and its certification grade. Some of the more popular commemorative pieces are those from the First Spouse series. These coins feature spouses of American presidents on the obverse of the coin. The reverse of the coin always differs depending on the spouse. For example, the reverse of the Eliza Johnson coin, who was the First Lady of Lyndon Johnson, features an image of children dancing while a violinist plays. The design is meant to depict Lyndon Johnson's 60th birthday. Look through our stock to see even more First Spouse coins and scope out the variety for yourself.