American Buffalo 1 oz
United States · gold · 2006-today
Overview
The American Buffalo is the first pure gold coin struck by the United States Mint: of 999.9 ‰ fineness (24 carat), it has been issued since 2006 as the American answer to the pure gold coins of the other major mints. Its design revives James Earle Fraser's nickel of the early twentieth century: a Native American profile on the obverse, a plains bison on the reverse, two familiar motifs of American coinage. It weighs 31.108 g for 31.103 g of fine gold, one troy ounce, and measures 32.7 mm across and 2.95 mm thick. As twenty-four carat gold is soft, it scratches more easily than the alloyed Gold Eagle and is preferably kept in its capsule. The one-ounce Buffalo is the usual format of the series. At Gold & Silver Company in Dottignies, every Buffalo is weighed and appraised in front of the person; the assay in the agency is what counts.
Characteristics
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Metal | gold |
| Gross weight | 31.108 g |
| Fineness | 999.9 ‰ |
| Fine metal | 31.103 g |
| Diameter | 32.7 mm |
| Thickness | 2.95 mm |
| Years of issue | 2006-today |
How to check it
Indicative check: weigh the coin to the centigram and measure its diameter with callipers; a deviation of more than 0.1 g or 0.2 mm from the reference values warrants an examination in the agency. The assay in the agency is what counts.
At Gold & Silver Company
Every coin is weighed and appraised in front of the person, at the agency in Dottignies (Mouscron); the price is set at the rate of the moment of the transaction and is never published in advance.
Welcome policy: for gold, Gold & Silver Company receives by appointment from one kilogram; below that, no appointment is needed during opening hours; for silver, no appointment is needed whatever the quantity.
Related terms
Further reading
Sources
Characteristics checked against the reference numismatic catalogues and the issuers' official specifications (September 2026). The appraisal in the agency is what counts.