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The American Gold Buffalo is the purest gold bullion coin produced by the United States. It is the second gold bullion coin from the US Mint and offers a troy ounce of .9999 fine gold.

1 oz American Gold Buffalo Price

The price for an American Gold Buffalo is partially due to its gold content. The spot price for gold is the running market price for a troy ounce of the shiny yellow metal.

On top of the spot price, the price for a Gold Buffalo is also subject to the dealer’s premium. The premium is the amount that the dealer charges as its payment for connecting you with physical gold.

For the most part, the premium for a Gold Buffalo is roughly 8% or less. However, proof versions of the Gold Buffalo may command much higher premiums that can range as high as 30% over spot.

The overall premium for a Gold Buffalo is higher than other 1 oz gold coins. You can pay less for other bullion coins like the Austrian Philharmonic, the Australian Lunar, or the British Britannia and get the same metal content and purity.

The Gold Buffalo can draw higher prices due to its pedigree and, frankly, the underlying patriotism therein. In other words, the fact that the Gold Buffalo is a product of the US of A counts for many American investors. For that matter, many foreign investors desire to purchase American coins over the pieces from other countries.

Perhaps surprisingly, the Gold Buffalo does not match the premiums of the American Gold Eagle even though the Gold Eagle is minted in 22-karat (91.67%), rather than 24-karat (99.99%) pure gold. The Gold Eagle is the original bullion coin of the US and has a measurable cachet with investors of all stripes.

One of the main tradeoffs for the extra expense of the Gold Buffalo, however, is its increased liquidity. You are likely to have an easier time both buying and selling your Gold Buffalos than you will with some of the less expensive coins.

Find the Lowest Price on the 1 oz Gold Buffalo

Now, you don’t have to take the increased premiums of Gold Buffalos lying down. There are a few strategies you can use to get the lowest prices on them. 

The first thing to do is select the Gold Buffalos that are the least expensive of the lot. Those are the random year Gold Buffalos, which may be from any mintage year. 

When you don’t insist on buying a particular year’s Gold Buffalos - especially the current year - you don’t have to pay as much. The reality is that you’re buying from the dealer’s overstock, and moving the items at a slight discount is more important to the dealer than getting full price.

Bulk pricing also applies to gold coins, and buying bulk is a great way to cut the per-coin cost of Gold Buffalos. Although you’ll end up spending more money on an absolute basis, your unit price for each Buffalo is going to be lower than it would to buy single Gold Buffalos. In terms of bulk versions, you can buy multiple Gold Buffalos in plastic tubes of 20.

Finally, as a corollary to the first tip, you should avoid certified, uncirculated, or proof versions of Gold Buffalos if you want to save money. Bullion Gold Buffalos (denoted with “BU) do not require the same level of care for their condition as the other types, as these designations mean the coin was never intended to circulate or be purchased by anyone other than investors. 

If you’re looking for random year Gold Buffalos, you can find them at many dealers. Some of the best dealers on the market include JM Bullion, Silver.com, Provident Metals, and BGASC.

Description

The American Gold Buffalo is the first and only bullion coin produced by the US Mint to be minted in 24-karat gold. The coin, which was introduced to the public in 2006, aims to serve as an answer to the other high-purity bullion coins on the market. The Mint produces the Gold Buffalo to compete with the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf, which offers a troy ounce of .9999 fine gold.

The coin itself features an iconic design familiar both to coin collectors and Americans of yesteryear. The Gold Buffalo reproduces the obverse and reverse from the Indian Head/Buffalo nickel. 

The famous nickel was the five-cent piece between 1913 and 1938. The design, by noted sculptor James Earle Fraser, featured a Native American man facing to the right on its obverse. The man’s hair is braided in a traditional style and features two feathers woven into his hair.

On the reverse, Fraser depicts the American buffalo, the primary prey, foodstuff, and resource of many of the Native American tribes in the United States. Fraser himself indicated that the design aimed to commemorate a truly American symbol, and that the buffalo, rather than the Native American man, was the first image that came to mind.

The Gold Buffalos, of course, are much shinier and more brilliant than their nickel predecessors. Their extreme purity leads, unsurprisingly, to their distinct yellow hue.

Because Gold Buffalos are minted in 24-karat gold, they are eligible for placement into an IRA account. So, if you want to make Gold Buffalos a family heirloom, there’s no issue with doing so.

Coin Highlights

If you want some quick facts about the 1 oz American Gold Buffalo, consult the coin’s highlights below:

• Each coin contains a full troy ounce of gold.
• Minted with .9999 fine gold.
• The purest gold coin ever produced by the United States.
• First released in 2006 to compete with other high-purity bullion coins.
• Native American man facing right on the obverse.
• A full-size depiction of a buffalo on the reverse.
• Coin’s design is faithful reproduction of iconic Buffalo nickel.
• Eligible for IRAs.

Specifications