2009 American Gold Buffalo
Every version of the 2009 Gold Buffalo with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2009
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 200,000
- 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 2009 Gold Buffalo worth?
The 2009 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 2009-W 1 oz proof (49,306) 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 2009 Gold Buffalo version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($50) | 200,000 | Metal value |
| Proof | "W" | 1 oz ($50) | 49,306 | Small premium |
The 2009 Gold Buffalo comes in two versions, both one ounce with a $50 face value. The bullion coin has no mint mark, a bright even finish and a mintage of 200,000. The proof carries a W mint mark, shows mirror fields with frosted design and had 49,306 struck. Each proof was packed in a capsule, then a presentation box, with a certificate. Bullion was sold in tubes through authorized purchasers. No fractional or burnished 2009 coins exist. Bullion coins were never sold directly to the public by the Mint, so most passed through dealers before reaching their current owners.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 2009 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 2009 Gold Buffalos were made?
- 200,000 one ounce bullion coins plus 49,306 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 2009 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 2009
After the experiment of 2008, the Gold Buffalo went back to basics in 2009. The fractional sizes and burnished finish were gone for good, leaving one ounce bullion and one ounce proof coins. That simple two-coin pattern has held ever since. The Mint also dropped the burnished finish for the one ounce coin, so only two versions remain from this year on.
Demand for gold coins was strong in 2009 as investors looked for safety after the financial crisis of the year before. The Mint sold 200,000 bullion Gold Buffalos, a jump of more than 10,000 coins over 2008. Proof sales recovered sharply from the 2008 slump, reaching 49,306 coins, more than two and a half times the 2008 total. It's the third highest proof figure in the series after 2006 and 2007. For most collectors, 2009 is an easy date to fill in either version. Bullion coins from this year were shipped to authorized purchasers in tubes, just like every other date.
2009 Gold Buffalo by the numbers
The Mint sold 200,000 one ounce bullion Gold Buffalos dated 2009. That ranks 10th lowest of the 19 bullion dates from 2006 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2009 bullion sales were about the same as 2008 and about the same as 2010.
Collector versions dated 2009 add up to 49,306 coins across 1 version. The scarcest is the 2009-W 1 oz proof at 49,306.
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.
Bullion 2009 coins trade for a small premium over metal value. The proof carries a modest collector premium, since nearly 50,000 were struck. Top graded proofs draw extra interest, but ordinary examples are plentiful. For both versions, condition matters a lot because pure gold marks easily. Coins kept in their original capsules or tubes are usually in the best shape. A 2009 proof with cloudy spots or a scratched capsule is better left as it is than cleaned. Never try to clean one.
One ounce only and the reverse proof (2009 to 2015)
From 2009 the program settled into a simple pattern: a one ounce bullion coin and a one ounce proof each year, with no fractional sizes or burnished coins. Bullion demand was strong through these years, running from 180,500 to 250,000 coins in most of them, with 2012 the exception at 100,000. The coin itself didn't change at all, so the date and the finish are the only things that separate one year from the next.
Proof sales started high, at 49,306 in 2009 and 49,263 in 2010, then slid steadily. By 2012 they were under 20,000 and by 2015 they reached 16,591. The design never changed, so the proof's appeal rested on its finish and the W mint mark rather than any new artwork. Bullion buyers, meanwhile, treated every date as interchangeable, since each held the same ounce of pure gold. Collectors who wanted something different had to wait for the anniversary.
The one big event was 2013, the 100th anniversary of the Buffalo nickel. The Mint struck a reverse proof that year, with frosted fields and mirror-like raised details, the opposite of a normal proof. It sold 47,836 coins, far more than the 18,584 regular proofs that year. It's the only reverse proof Gold Buffalo in the program's first 19 years and the one collectors most often add to a basic date run. If you have a Gold Buffalo with frosted fields and shiny lettering, check the date: it should read 2013.
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
Were there fractional Gold Buffalos in 2009?
No. The fractional sizes were made only in 2008. In 2009 the Mint struck only one ounce coins: 200,000 bullion pieces and 49,306 proofs with the W mint mark. Those two versions became the pattern for later years.
Is the 2009 Gold Buffalo proof scarce?
Not especially. At 49,306 coins it's one of the larger proof mintages in the series. It carries a modest collector premium, mostly in top condition with original packaging. It's an easy date to add to a proof set.
Mintages: American Gold Buffalo (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.