- Fraser design: from the nickel
- US gold: from American mines
- US Mint: since 1792
- Fraser designNative American chief and buffalo by James Earle Fraser
- US goldStruck only from gold mined in the USA
- US MintFine gold 999.9/1000 with a face value of 50 dollars
- Fraser design: from the nickel
- US gold: from American mines
- US Mint: since 1792
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American Buffalo 2022
1 ounce of fine gold
An American bison and the portrait of a Native American, after the designs James Earle Fraser created for the US five-cent piece of 1913. Issued by the United States Mint.
Fraser’s choice
Two images for one country.
James Earle Fraser was born in 1876 in Winona, Minnesota, and grew up on the prairie near Mitchell, South Dakota. He studied in Paris and under Augustus Saint-Gaudens, then opened his own studio in New York.
In 1913 his five-cent piece went into circulation, the “Buffalo Nickel”. On one side he placed the portrait of a Native American, on the other an American bison. According to the Smithsonian, Fraser chose both as “indisputable representatives of the nation”.
According to the United States Mint, the nickel was thus one of the first to depart from the customary eagle or wreath. It was struck until 1938.
Several Native Americans sat for the portrait.
“My purpose was not to make a portrait but a type.”
Since 2006 a gold coin has borne both images as well: the American Buffalo.
The bison
From a few dozen animals, herds grew again.
Before the mid-19th century, perhaps 30 to 60 million bison roamed North America, most of them on the Great Plains. By the 1890s there were fewer than 1,000.
Yellowstone is the only place in the US where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. In 1902 the herd there still numbered about two dozen animals. In the same year, 21 bison from two private herds were added. From both groups grew the two large herds that live in the national park today.
Since 9 May 2016, the bison has been the national mammal of the USA by law.
In gold since 2006
Fraser’s images in 24 karat.
The American Buffalo coins are “the first .9999 fine 24-karat gold coins ever struck by the United States Mint”. Some of the first were struck at West Point in June 2006.
It rests on a law of 2005. The law requires one ounce in weight and 99.99 percent gold, and for the first year of issue it prescribed Fraser’s original design, the “1913 Type 1”. The coin is issued as legal tender with a face value of 50 dollars.
Value, weight and fineness are incused in the grassy mound beneath the bison: “$50” and “1 OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD”. On the portrait side are “LIBERTY”, the year and below it Fraser’s initial “F”.
BisonThe bison on its grassy mound
InscriptionValue and fineness in the grassy mound
Details from the photos in our gallery.
The editions
Fraser’s bison in three metals.
Gold, silver and copper to the scale of their diameters. Your edition is marked.
Editions we can deliver are linked.
Gold32.7 mm
Silver39 mm
Copper39 mm
At a glance
- Type
- Coin
- Metal
- Gold
- Design
- by James Earle Fraser, 1913
- Weight
- 1 ounce of fine gold
- Fineness
- 999.9/1,000
- Face value
- 50 dollars
- Diameter
- 32.7 mm
- Year
- 2022
- Issuer
- United States Mint
- Quality
- Brilliant uncirculated
When James Earle Fraser died in 1953, three of his important works remained unfinished.
1 oz Gold American Buffalo 2022: the bison of the United States Mint in fine gold
- Investment goal: An investment coin made of pure gold that preserves your wealth and serves as an inflation hedge.
- Motif: On one side the American bison, often called a buffalo in everyday speech, on the other the profile of a Native American.
- Material / fineness: A full ounce of fine gold at 999.9/1,000, in other words almost pure precious metal.
- Manufacturer: the United States Mint, the state mint of the United States
- Country of origin: USA
A powerful bison, calm and massive, on gleaming fine gold: hardly any coin design embodies America as directly as this one. The Gold Buffalo combines the famous motif with a full ounce of fine gold and is one of the well-known gold coins for investors who value purity and a clear origin. The 2022 issue carries a face value of 50 US dollars.
Bison and portrait: a design with history
The designs go back to the Buffalo Nickel, a five-cent coin that the sculptor James Earle Fraser designed in the early 20th century. The bison side bears the inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and E PLURIBUS UNUM, Latin for “Out of many, one”. These are joined by the face value and details of weight and fineness. The other side shows the profile of a Native American. The coin thus bears two symbols that are closely linked to the history of North America.
Purity and dimensions of the coin
With a fineness of 999.9/1,000, the Buffalo is one of the gold coins with the highest purity. The United States Mint launched it in 2006 as its first gold coin of this fineness. Each coin contains 31.1 g of fine gold with a diameter of 32.70 mm. The 2022 issue is in Brilliant Uncirculated condition, and its gleaming surface shows every detail of the bison.
The United States Mint: minting coins since 1792
Behind the Buffalo stands the state mint of the United States. The United States Mint was founded in 1792 and has minted the country's coins ever since. Its name on an investment coin stands for a reliability known to investors around the globe: nobody needs to spend long explaining the weight and purity of such a coin.
Preserving purchasing power with an ounce of gold
Paper money can be multiplied at will, gold cannot. This limited supply is a key reason why gold has served as a store of value for over 6,000 years and has never been worthless. Anyone who holds part of their wealth in gold creates crisis protection that does not depend on the promise of a third party. Central banks, too, are among the largest holders of gold in the world and keep the metal as a reserve.
Known worldwide and easy to pass on
The Buffalo is recognised far beyond the United States. This makes a later sale easier, as well as passing it on to children or grandchildren. As investment gold, the coin is free of VAT. For private investors in Germany, the gain from a sale after a holding period of more than one year is tax-free.
The key facts at a glance
- Manufacturer: US Mint (United States Mint)
- Series: Buffalo
- Year of minting: 2022
- Fine weight: 31.1 g (1 oz)
- Fineness: 999.9/1,000
- Diameter: 32.70 mm
- Face value: 50 USD
- Condition: Brilliant Uncirculated
- Packaging: coin capsule
A bison stands for strength and permanence. On an ounce of fine gold, this becomes a value that you can pass on to the next generation.
Secure your Gold Buffalo 2022 at Kettner Edelmetalle and give your wealth a solid foundation of fine gold.
Product depiction may differ from the final product.
