Gold Buffalos
196+ LuckyCoin collectors track this series
Spanning 2006 to the present day, the Gold Buffalos catalog contains 50 year-and-mintmark variants. Across the series, the key date is the 2008-W Gold Buffalos at just 9,074 struck and the highest-value variant is the 2024-W Gold Buffalos Proof at up to $4,500 in top grade.
Gold Buffalos · All Strikes Mintage by Year
Peak 583KCombined mintage per year across every strike type (circulated, proof, and specimen) and all mintmarks.
About the Gold Buffalos
Gold Buffalo coins are some of the most recognizable pieces of American coinage. They were first released in 2006 from the United States Mint, marking the first time that 24-karat gold coins had been released in the United States in more than fifty years. Gold Buffalo coins are minted in both uncirculated and Proof versions and are officially recognized by the government as legal tender.
The obverse side of the coin features an image of an American Indian, modeled after the Buffalo Nickel design of Denver Mint chief engraver James Earle Fraser. The portrait first appeared on the 1913 Buffalo Nickel and is one of the most famous images in all of American coinage. The reverse of the coin features an image of a copper-colored American bison standing on a mound of earth. Fraser is believed to have modeled this after a Buffalo that stood in New York City’s Central Park Zoo.
The coins are struck in .9999 pure gold and each one weighs a full troy ounce. The obverse of the Gold Buffalo bears the inscriptions “United States of America,” “E Pluribus Unum” and “$50”. The reverse has the inscriptions “In God We Trust”, “1 oz.,” and “.9999 Fine Gold”.
Gold Bullions coins can be a good choice for investors, as their value is based primarily on the gold content and not on the rarity. In addition, because the coins are made by the government, they can be bought and sold more easily than other forms of gold.
For collectors, Gold Buffalo coins provide a comparatively affordable means to collect pure gold coins in the classic Buffalo Nickels style. Uncirculated Gold Buffalo coins are an excellent coin for preserving the classic Buffalo Nickel design in pure gold, while the Proof sets are much more rare and offer collectors a chance to own a spectacular example of numismatic art.
No matter the reason for collecting, whether for its gold value or for its historical relevance, the Gold Buffalo is an ideal coin for both investors and collectors alike. With more than a decade of production and a wide variety of uncirculated and proof coins available, gold Buffalo coins provide a way to enjoy the classic design and have a piece of American history in your collection.
Most-collected Gold Buffalos coins on LuckyCoin
Looking for coins from a specific year across every denomination? Browse US coin values by year →
Which Gold Buffalos coins do collectors actually own? See the 2026 rarity & ownership report →
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the Gold Buffalos minted?
- The Gold Buffalos was minted by United States from 2006 to the present day.
- How many Gold Buffalos coins were minted?
- Across every year and mintmark, approximately 4,330,397 Gold Buffalos coins were struck.
- What mintmarks exist for the Gold Buffalos?
- Gold Buffalos coins were struck with the following mintmarks: W. Some years were also produced without a mintmark.
- What is the Gold Buffalos made of?
- The Gold Buffalos is made of gold (.9999), weighs 31.1035 grams, and measures 32.7 mm in diameter.
- How much is a Gold Buffalos worth?
- Value depends on year, mintmark, and condition. Common dates in average circulated condition trade for near face value, while the rarest varieties in top grade can fetch up to $4,500. See individual year pages for grade-by-grade estimates.