2006 American Gold Buffalo
Every version of the 2006 Gold Buffalo with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2006
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 337,012
- Versions
- 2
- Metal
- .9999 fine (24 karat) gold
Original illustration of the coin's size and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because metal and coin prices change daily.
What is a 2006 Gold Buffalo worth?
The 2006 bullion Gold Buffalo is worth its gold content: weight times the day's spot price, plus a modest dealer premium when you buy and less when you sell. Its scarcer versions are different: the 2006-W 1 oz proof (246,267) rates small premium.
Metal value = troy ounces of gold × the day's spot price. For collector versions, check recent sold results for the same version and grade.
Every 2006 Gold Buffalo version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($50) | 337,012 | Metal value |
| Proof | "W" | 1 oz ($50) | 246,267 | Small premium |
There are two 2006 Gold Buffalos, both one ounce with a $50 face value. The bullion coin has no mint mark and a bright, even finish, with 337,012 sold. The proof has a W mint mark and the classic proof look of mirror fields with a frosted bison and portrait, with 246,267 struck. Proofs came in a capsule inside a presentation box with a certificate. Bullion coins were shipped in tubes and often turn up loose. If yours has no W, it's bullion. Under a lamp, the proof's mirror fields are obvious next to the bullion coin's softer shine.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 2006 Gold Buffalo?
- Each coin contains its stated weight of pure gold: one troy ounce in the $50 coin. The alloy is 99.99% gold.
- How many 2006 Gold Buffalos were made?
- 337,012 one ounce bullion coins plus 246,267 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 2006 Gold Buffalo worth more than its gold?
- The bullion coin trades close to its metal value plus a dealer premium. Collector versions in their original packaging bring a small premium.
- Is the Gold Buffalo legal tender?
- Yes. Each size carries a face value ($50), but nobody spends them: the gold is worth far more than the face value.
The Gold Buffalo in 2006
Gold Buffalos begin in 2006. Congress authorized a pure gold bullion coin in the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 and the Mint delivered the first .9999 fine, 24 karat gold coin in its history. The design was James Earle Fraser's 1913 Buffalo nickel, enlarged for a one ounce gold coin, with a Native American in profile on the front and a bison on a mound on the back. The new coin also added IN GOD WE TRUST, the face value and the weight and purity to the reverse.
Demand was huge from the start. The Mint sold 337,012 bullion coins through its authorized purchasers and struck 246,267 proofs at West Point. That proof figure is by far the largest in the series, roughly four times the next highest. Many collectors bought the first-year proof simply because it was new, which is why so many 2006 proofs still turn up in their original boxes today. Bullion buyers liked having an American alternative to other pure gold coins.
2006 Gold Buffalo by the numbers
The Mint sold 337,012 one ounce bullion Gold Buffalos dated 2006. That ranks 16th lowest of the 19 bullion dates from 2006 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2006 bullion sales were 2.5 times the 2007 figure.
Collector versions dated 2006 add up to 246,267 coins across 1 version. The scarcest is the 2006-W 1 oz proof at 246,267.
What to check on yours
- Weigh and measure it. A genuine one ounce Gold Buffalo weighs 31.108 g and measures 32.7 mm; the fractional sizes are 3.11 g (1/10 oz), 7.776 g (1/4 oz) and 15.552 g (1/2 oz). Fakes are usually the wrong weight or the wrong thickness.
- Try a magnet. Gold is not magnetic, so a coin that sticks is not genuine. A coin that does not stick still needs the other checks.
- Look for the mint mark. Bullion strikes have none; proofs and burnished coins carry a small letter. A mirror field with frosted design means a proof, a soft satin look means burnished.
- Handle it by the edge and never clean it. Fingerprints, wiping and polishing leave marks that cost collector versions much of their premium.
- Keep the original capsule, box and certificate with collector versions. Coins that come with them are easier to sell and more likely to bring their full premium.
As the first year, 2006 has steady appeal. Bullion coins trade for a small premium over metal value, slightly more than later common dates in top condition. Because the proof mintage is so large, the 2006 proof is one of the most available proofs in the series and usually carries only a modest collector premium. Original packaging helps and graded first-year coins at the top of the scale are the ones that draw real interest. Expect a 2006 proof to be valued mostly for its gold plus a modest extra.
Launch and the 2008 specials (2006 to 2008)
The Gold Buffalo arrived in 2006 as the US Mint's first 24 karat gold coin. Congress authorized it in the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 and the Mint chose James Earle Fraser's Buffalo nickel design, already one of the most admired in American coinage. Investors got a pure gold coin to compete with the pure gold bullion coins of other countries and collectors got a proof with a W mint mark from West Point.
The first year was a hit. The Mint sold 337,012 bullion coins and struck 246,267 proofs, a proof figure no later year has come close to. Sales cooled in 2007 to 136,503 bullion coins and 58,998 proofs. Then 2008 brought the program's most complicated year. The Mint added 1/10, 1/4 and 1/2 ounce coins in proof and burnished finishes and offered burnished coins with a W for the only time. Proofs and burnished coins in the small sizes came in Mint packaging with certificates.
The 2008 extras sold poorly at the time, which is exactly why collectors chase them now. The one ounce burnished coin sold just 9,074, the lowest figure of any Gold Buffalo. The quarter ounce burnished coin finished at 9,949, the lowest of the fractional coins and the one ounce proof fell to 18,863. Meanwhile bullion demand rose to 189,500 coins. If you have a Gold Buffalo smaller than one ounce, it's a 2008 and it deserves a careful look at its finish and packaging.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Program | American Gold Buffalo |
|---|---|
| Issuer | United States Mint |
| Metal | .9999 fine (24 karat) gold |
| Alloy | 99.99% gold |
| Sizes | 1/10 oz ($5, 3.11 g, 16.5 mm); 1/4 oz ($10, 7.776 g, 22 mm); 1/2 oz ($25, 15.552 g, 27 mm); 1 oz ($50, 31.108 g, 32.7 mm) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| One ounce coin | 31.108 g, 32.7 mm |
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2006 Gold Buffalo the first year?
Yes. 2006 is the first year of the American Gold Buffalo and the first year the US Mint struck a .9999 fine, 24 karat gold coin. Both bullion and proof versions were made.
How many 2006 Gold Buffalo proofs were made?
The Mint struck 246,267 proofs with the W mint mark, the largest proof mintage of the whole program. That makes the 2006 proof one of the easiest to find. Most still come in their original Mint boxes.
Mintages: American Gold Buffalo (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.