2024 American Gold Buffalo
Every version of the 2024 Gold Buffalo with mintages, the gold it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2024
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 144,500
- 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 2024 Gold Buffalo worth?
The 2024 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 2024-W 1 oz proof (10,075) 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 2024 Gold Buffalo version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($50) | At least 144,500 | Metal value |
| Proof | "W" | 1 oz ($50) | 10,075 | Small premium |
Two 2024 Gold Buffalos exist, both one ounce with a $50 face value. The bullion coin has no mint mark and a bright, even finish, with at least 144,500 sold through authorized purchasers. The proof has a W mint mark and mirror fields with a frosted design, with 10,075 struck. Mint packaging for the proof meant a capsule, a box and a certificate. Bullion was sold in tubes. The W separates them at a glance. If the bullion total rises once final figures are in, the coin becomes even more common.
Quick answers
- How much gold is in a 2024 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 2024 Gold Buffalos were made?
- 144,500 one ounce bullion coins plus 10,075 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 2024 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 2024
Bullion demand eased in 2024 after three record-setting years. The Mint sold at least 144,500 bullion Gold Buffalos, a figure that was still being counted, so the final total may be higher. Even so, it's well below the 387,000 of 2023 and closer to the levels of the mid 2010s. That still makes 2024 a large bullion issue by the standards of the program's quieter years.
The proof fell to 10,075 coins, the lowest one ounce proof mintage in the program, slipping below the 11,887 of 2020. Proof sales had now declined every year since 2021. The design remained exactly as it had been since 2006. For collectors, the 2024 proof is the scarcest regular one ounce proof in the series and a natural target for anyone building a date run. For bullion buyers, the 2024 coin is still plentiful even at its lower figure and trades like any other date. Final bullion figures may change once the count is closed.
2024 Gold Buffalo by the numbers
The Mint sold 144,500 one ounce bullion Gold Buffalos dated 2024 (at least, by the latest count in our source). That ranks 6th lowest of the 19 bullion dates from 2006 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2024 bullion sales were 2.7 times fewer than 2023.
Collector versions dated 2024 add up to 10,075 coins across 1 version. The scarcest is the 2024-W 1 oz proof at 10,075.
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 2024 proof, at 10,075, has the lowest one ounce proof mintage of the program and carries a collector premium. Keep it in its capsule with the box and certificate, since collectors look for complete packaging on recent issues. Expect the bullion coin to sell for a small premium over metal value. Clean, unmarked bullion coins are easier to sell than ones with dings. Paired with the 2020 proof, it makes a strong pair of recent low mintage dates. Proofs with spots draw much less interest.
Record bullion demand (2021 to 2024)
The bullion surge that began in 2020 kept building. The Mint sold 350,500 Gold Buffalos in 2021, passing the 2006 launch year for the first time. In 2022 bullion sales reached 410,000 coins, the highest figure in the program and 2023 came close at 387,000. While the Gold Eagle changed its reverse design in 2021, the Gold Buffalo kept Fraser's design unchanged. Demand for gold coins of all kinds stayed strong through these years.
Proofs did not follow bullion upward. The 2021 proof reached 16,958 coins, then 15,943 in 2022, 14,007 in 2023 and just 10,075 in 2024. That 2024 figure is the lowest one ounce proof mintage of the program, edging below 2020. Collectors who track proof mintages often point to this widening gap between bullion and proof as the story of recent years. Recent proofs also tend to stay in their original boxes, since most were bought by collectors who knew to keep the packaging.
For 2024 the bullion figure was still being counted and it stood at least at 144,500 coins. That's well below the three previous years but in line with earlier periods. For coins from these years, bullion pieces are plentiful and trade close to metal value. The recent proofs, with their small mintages, are the ones with collector interest, especially in their original boxes. The 2024 bullion total may still rise once final figures are in.
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 2024 Gold Buffalos were made?
At least 144,500 bullion coins were sold, with the count still open and the Mint struck 10,075 proofs with the W mint mark, the lowest one ounce proof figure of the program. Check the W to confirm a proof.
Is the 2024 Gold Buffalo proof the lowest mintage?
Yes, among regular one ounce proofs. Its 10,075 coins edge below the 11,887 of 2020. Only two Gold Buffalos have lower mintages: the 2008 one ounce burnished coin at 9,074 and the 2008 quarter ounce burnished coin at 9,949.
Mintages: American Gold Buffalo (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.