2010 American Gold Buffalo
Every version of the 2010 Gold Buffalo with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2010
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 209,000
- 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 2010 Gold Buffalo worth?
The 2010 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 2010-W 1 oz proof (49,263) 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 2010 Gold Buffalo version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($50) | 209,000 | Metal value |
| Proof | "W" | 1 oz ($50) | 49,263 | Small premium |
Two 2010 Gold Buffalos exist, both one ounce, $50 face. Bullion coins have no mint mark and a bright, uniform finish, with 209,000 sold to authorized purchasers. Proofs carry a W mint mark and show deep mirror fields behind a frosted portrait and bison, with 49,263 struck. The proof came in a capsule, presentation box and certificate, while bullion was shipped in tubes. If you aren't sure, look for the W and the mirror finish. A proof that has been taken out of its capsule still keeps its W and mirror fields, so it can be identified even without the box.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 2010 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 2010 Gold Buffalos were made?
- 209,000 one ounce bullion coins plus 49,263 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 2010 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 2010
Demand stayed strong in 2010 and the Gold Buffalo showed it. Bullion sales rose to 209,000 coins, a little above 2009. The design and specifications didn't change: one ounce of .9999 fine gold, a $50 face value and Fraser's Native American and bison. The Gold Buffalo remained the US Mint's only 24 karat gold bullion coin.
The proof held almost exactly level with the year before, at 49,263 coins compared with 49,306 in 2009. Those two years form a plateau before proof sales began a long decline. After 2010 the proof would never again come close to 50,000 coins. For a collector building a date set, 2010 is one of the easier proofs to find. For a bullion buyer, the 2010 is simply another one ounce pure gold coin, interchangeable with most other dates at the dealer's counter. The pairing of a 209,000 bullion mintage and a 49,263 proof mintage makes 2010 one of the most balanced years of the program, with neither version hard to find.
2010 Gold Buffalo by the numbers
The Mint sold 209,000 one ounce bullion Gold Buffalos dated 2010. That ranks 11th lowest of the 19 bullion dates from 2006 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2010 bullion sales were about the same as 2009 and 1.2 times fewer than 2011.
Collector versions dated 2010 add up to 49,263 coins across 1 version. The scarcest is the 2010-W 1 oz proof at 49,263.
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.
The 2010 bullion coin trades for a small premium over metal value, the same as other common dates. The proof carries a modest collector premium, with original packaging and spot-free fields making the biggest difference. Graded proofs at the top of the scale draw the most interest. Since 24 karat gold is soft, any handling marks will lower a coin's appeal noticeably. Keep proofs out of soft plastic flips, which can leave residue on the surface over time. Store them somewhere dry and cool.
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
How many 2010 Gold Buffalos were sold?
The Mint sold 209,000 bullion coins with no mint mark and struck 49,263 proofs with the W mint mark. Both are one ounce, .9999 fine gold coins with a $50 face value. Nothing else in the lineup changed.
What's the difference between a 2010 bullion and proof Gold Buffalo?
The proof has a W mint mark, mirror fields and frosted design and came boxed with a certificate. The bullion coin has no mint mark and an even finish. That packaging is the other big clue.
Mintages: American Gold Buffalo (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.