2010 American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coin

American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coin (2008 Bullion Coin Shown) - click on image to enlarge

American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coin (2008 Bullion Coin Shown) - click on image to enlarge

With a release date of April 29, 2010, the 2010 American Buffalo Gold Bullion coin marks the fifth year in which the coin has been available from the United States Mint. Struck for the first time in June 2006, the Buffalo Bullion coin would blaze a new trail while still retaining a historical link to the American coinage that came before it.

When the coins were created, they marked the first time the US Mint had ever created .9999 fine 24-karat gold coins in the history of the country. But in doing so, the Mint did not forget the glory days of circulating coins in the United States. This is because the new bullion coin used the same basic design concept that had been featured on a coin introduced over 90 years ago.

James Earle Frasier created the design which had a portrait of a Native American on the obverse and an image of an American Buffalo (also known as a bison) on its reverse. It was struck on circulating nickels from 1913 until 1938. Collectors commonly refer to this coin as the "Indian Head Nickel" or the "Buffalo Nickel." Many consider it one of the most beautiful coins every produced by the US Mint.

Frasier used three different Indian Chiefs as models in creating his profile, two of them are Chief Iron Tail of the Lakota Sioux and Chief Two Moons of the Cheyenne. The third person used has never been positively identified, but many have claimed to have been that individual. The buffalo design is said to be based on "Black Diamond" who supposedly was kept in captivity at the New York City Zoo.

The Buffalo bullion coins are not available directly from the Mint, but must be purchased through a series of authorized suppliers, or on the secondary market.

Buffalo coins were not struck in the first part of 2009. The Mint had suspended sales citing "unprecedented demand" for the bullion gold Eagles. Law requires the Mint to produce enough bullion Eagles to meet demand, not leaving enough gold blanks for the Buffalos. That changed, however, and the Mint was able to build up enough blank inventory to release the 1 ounce Buffalos on the 15th of October. No fractional sizes were struck.

Demand was so intense for the 2009 Gold Buffalos that an amazing 71,500 were sold in the first five days. Then, on December 4, 2009, the Mint stopped sales of the coins after having reached the 200,000 they had in inventory. In those short few weeks in which the coins were available, the Mint actually sold more than it had in either of the previous two years.

American Buffalo Bullion Coin Sales History: 2006 – 2009

2006 Gold Buffalo 2007 Gold Buffalo 2008 Gold Buffalo 2009 Gold Buffalo
January 0 14,000 21,500 0
February 0 37,500 6,000 0
March 0 28,000 15,000 0
April 0 6,500 13,000 0
May 0 4,500 5,500 0
June 99,500 5,500 5,500 0
July 117,500 5,500 9,500 0
August 22,000 13,000 34,500 0
September 33,500 8,500 36,000 0
October 21,500 5,000 0 116,500
November 10,000 15,500 25,500 67,500
December 19,000 24,000 0 16,000
Total 323,000 167,500 172,000 200,000

Obverse Design

James Earle Fraser's profile of a Native American Indian is seen on the obverse of the Gold Buffalo Bullion coin. The inscription "Liberty" is seen in front of the Indian's forehead, with the year below his neck.

Reverse Design

An image of an American buffalo (also called a bison) is portrayed on the reverse . Also seen are the inscriptions "United States of America," "E Pluribus Unum," "In God We Trust," "$50" and "1 Oz. .9999 Fine Gold."

American Buffalo Coin Specifications


Mint: United States Mint
Mintmark: W
Finish/Condition: Circulated
Metal Content: .9999 fine gold
Weight: 1.0001 troy ounce (31.108 grams)
Diameter: 32.70 mm
Edge: Reeded
Issue Price: based on price of gold
Mintage Limit: based on demand/subject to gold blank availability
Face Value: $50
Obverse Engraver:James Earle Fraser
Reverse Engraver: James Earle Fraser

Featured American Buffalo Auctions

LOT OF 5 2010 $50 GOLD BUFFALO PROOF GEM COPY COINS
LOT OF 5 2010 $50 GOLD BUFFALO PROOF GEM COPY COINS
Paypal   US $34.95
10 1oz 2010 AMERICAN GOLD BUFFALO COINS HALF SHEET
10 1oz 2010 AMERICAN GOLD BUFFALO COINS HALF SHEET
Paypal   US $13,375.00
5 1oz 2010 AMERICAN GOLD BUFFALO COINS SEALED
5 1oz 2010 AMERICAN GOLD BUFFALO COINS SEALED
Paypal   US $6,730.00
3 Coin Lot 2010 PCGS MS70 1st Strike $50 Gold Buffalo
3 Coin Lot 2010 PCGS MS70 1st Strike $50 Gold Buffalo
Paypal   US $4,425.00
2 Gold 2010 American Buffalo 1 oz Coins
2 Gold 2010 American Buffalo 1 oz Coins
Paypal   US $2,726.00
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 $50 GOLD BUFFALO GEM COPY SET
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 $50 GOLD BUFFALO GEM COPY SET
Paypal   US $29.95
2010 Topps Football Buffalo Bills Gold Card 607 2010
2010 Topps Football Buffalo Bills Gold Card 607 2010
Paypal   US $.75
2010 American Buffalo One Oz Gold Proof Coin
2010 American Buffalo One Oz Gold Proof Coin
Paypal   US $1,492.99
10 2010 1 oz OUNCE AMERICAN GOLD BUFFALO COINS
10 2010 1 oz OUNCE AMERICAN GOLD BUFFALO COINS
Paypal   US $13,810.63
8 2010 1 oz OUNCE AMERICAN GOLD BUFFALO COINS
8 2010 1 oz OUNCE AMERICAN GOLD BUFFALO COINS
Paypal   US $11,102.53
2 2010 1 oz OUNCE AMERICAN GOLD BUFFALO COINS
2 2010 1 oz OUNCE AMERICAN GOLD BUFFALO COINS
Paypal   US $2,816.00
9 2010 1 oz OUNCE AMERICAN GOLD BUFFALO COINS
9 2010 1 oz OUNCE AMERICAN GOLD BUFFALO COINS
Paypal   US $12,483.62

American Buffalo Coin Resources