2014 American Gold Buffalo
Every version of the 2014 Gold Buffalo with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2014
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 180,500
- 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 2014 Gold Buffalo worth?
The 2014 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 2014-W 1 oz proof (20,557) 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 2014 Gold Buffalo version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($50) | 180,500 | Metal value |
| Proof | "W" | 1 oz ($50) | 20,557 | Small premium |
Two 2014 Gold Buffalos exist, both one ounce with a $50 face value. Bullion has no mint mark, a uniform bright finish and 180,500 sold through authorized purchasers. The proof has a W mint mark, mirror fields with a frosted portrait and bison and 20,557 struck. The proof came in a capsule with a presentation box and certificate. Bullion usually surfaces in tubes or loose. Look for the W to confirm a proof. A coin without a W is a bullion piece, however bright it looks. Bullion carries no W at all.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 2014 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 2014 Gold Buffalos were made?
- 180,500 one ounce bullion coins plus 20,557 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 2014 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 2014
After the anniversary year, 2014 returned to the standard two-coin lineup. Bullion sales reached 180,500 coins, a solid figure in line with most years of the period. The design and specifications were unchanged. Gold Buffalos had become a regular part of the bullion market, with buyers treating the date as a minor detail. Nothing about the coin itself was new.
The proof edged up slightly to 20,557 coins, just above the regular 2013 proof but well below the reverse proof of that year. Without a special finish to draw buyers, the 2014 proof sold mostly to collectors keeping up a date run. That's typical of the Gold Buffalo in these years. Each date looked the same as the last, so collectors who missed one could often find it later on the secondary market. For bullion buyers, 2014 coins are common and usually sold alongside other dates without distinction. Proof buyers had only one collector option this year and the mintage reflects a quiet, steady market.
2014 Gold Buffalo by the numbers
The Mint sold 180,500 one ounce bullion Gold Buffalos dated 2014. That ranks 7th lowest of the 19 bullion dates from 2006 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2014 bullion sales were 1.1 times fewer than 2013 and 1.2 times fewer than 2015.
Collector versions dated 2014 add up to 20,557 coins across 1 version. The scarcest is the 2014-W 1 oz proof at 20,557.
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 2014 bullion coin trades for a small premium over metal value. The proof carries a collector premium in line with other proofs of the period, with original packaging and top condition adding the most. A 2014 proof with milk spots or hairlines will draw much less interest than a clean one. Bullion buyers care mostly about surfaces free of scratches and dings. Proof sets assembled year by year in matching boxes are easier to sell than single loose coins.
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 2014 Gold Buffalos were struck?
The Mint sold 180,500 bullion coins with no mint mark and struck 20,557 proofs with the W mint mark. There was no reverse proof in 2014; that finish was made only in 2013. The regular proof was the only collector coin offered that year.
Is a 2014 Gold Buffalo bullion coin worth more than gold?
Usually only a little. Common bullion dates like 2014 trade for a small premium over metal value. Scratches or dings can bring that premium close to nothing. Check the surfaces before buying.
Mintages: American Gold Buffalo (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.