American Buffalo Gold Coin
A Valuable Coin
The American Buffalo Gold Coin is a 24-karat gold bullion coin also referred to as the gold buffalo coin. Although this gold coin is based on the famous Indian Head nickel with the American Bison on the back side of the coin, this bold American Buffalo Gold Coin was first put up for sale in 2006, making it the first coin to ever be minted for public using pure 24-karat gold. When the coin first came out in 2006, the proof coin was valued at $800. Today the gold buffalo has a face value of $50. The Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 was responsible for the production of this coin by requiring a coin be made with a face value of $50 and content of one ounce of 24-karat gold. There were only 300,000 gold buffalo coins minted, making them a real collector\'s treasure.
Design of the American Buffalo Gold Coin
The American Buffalo Gold Coin got its design from the original Indian Head nickel, which was designed by James Earl Fraser in 1913. The only changes made to the original nickel were to reduce some of the mound of dirt that\'s below the buffalo\'s feet on the reverse side of the coin. The design of the Indian Head nickel is considered as one of the best designs to ever be used on any U.S. coins.
The front of the coin has a Native American facing right with a feather in his head. The word LIBERTY is on the upper right of the coin and the date is on the lower left almost resting on his shoulder. Fraser had three different men- Chief Big Tree, Chief Iron Tail and Chief Two Moons- pose for him while the coin was designed. Fraser took some of the features of all three for the design. The reverse side of the coin has an American Bison.
Legion has it that the Bison was from the Central Park Zoo in New York City and was named Black Diamond. Another story involving the Bison was that Fraser had to have someone distract the animal so he could draw the design in the position he was trying to achieve rather than having the bison staring at him. It was the extreme popularity and value of the original Indian Head nickel that made using it for the American Buffalo Gold Coin such a great idea.
Differences between the Nickel and the Fifty Dollar Piece
The similarities between the Indian Head nickel and the American Buffalo Gold Coin have helped to make this fifty dollar piece even more popular. However, there are some differences in the two designs. The nickel has the words FIVE CENTS on the bottom of the reverse side whereas the fifty dollar piece reads $50 1 OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD. The famous words that have been on gold coins since 1908, IN GOD WE TRUST, are on the reverse of the gold coin below and to the left of the buffalo\'s head.
Rachel Barr
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All About the Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin
The Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin
Made from gold mined completely from locations in Canada, the Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin is composed of twenty four karrat gold. Unlike American Eagles or South African Krugerrands which are 91.67% (or 22 karat) pure gold with the remainder coming from copper or silver to form a more durable alloy, Maple Leaves are 99.99% completely pure. They are known as the most pure bullion coin that exists.
Since they are made of twenty four carat gold, Maple Leaves certainly don't have the durability of Eagles or Krugerands. Gold of this level of purity has almost never been used as a regular currency in circulation for the simple fact that it will get damaged and worn out over time or even quickly. But even though they are officially minted legal tender coins in Canada, Maple Leaves are not circulated coins and are meant to be owned by collectors or investors. You can't stroll into a McDonalds in Canada and order a Big Mac with a Maple Leaf coin, regardless of its legal tender status. Since Maple Leaf gold coins are primarily collector`s items and investments, perhaps the lower degree of durability is a non-issue.
Maple Leaf coins are one of the most sought-after bullion coins in many markets because they are known to be "pure" bullion. Certain people become a bit less interested when they learn that a different coin is less pure than twenty four carats. I guess certain individuals just like the thought of possessing pure bullion. And perhaps some people want the option of melting down their gold to increase liquidity in times of emergency. In addition to that, some people probably misunderstand what "impure" means in relation to coins of lower caratage, and assume that they are composed of less gold than twenty four karat coins with the same denomincation (ie. 1 ounce). But the fact of the matter s that a 1-oz. Maple Leaf and a 1-oz. Krugerrand have exactly the same amount of gold inside them. The other metals in the alloy are not included in the listed weight, only the gold portion is calculated. These are all causes of the huge popularity of the Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin.
One more reason that the Maple Leaf is so popular is its gorgeous imagery. The simple but memorable appearance of the maple leaf (which also appears on the Canadian flag) immediately strikes the viewer and elicits images of Canada's majestic natural wonders and abundant natural resources. The reverse side of the coin shows a bust of Queen Elizabeth II, indicating the former status of Canada as a settlement of Britain and now a Commonwealth nation. The imagery is almost the same as the images on the Canadian 1 cent coin a coin which depicts the a maple's leaf on the obverse and the Queen on the reverse.
The Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin can be bought in these denominations: 1 Troy Ounce, 1/2 troy oz, a quarter troy ounce, one tenth of a troy ounce, 1/20 Troy Oz.. A collection of Silver Maple Leaves is also available, which are pure bullion just like their gold brethren.
The Canadian Maple Gold Coin makes either a gorgeous treasure to enjoy, or an intelligent investment for the future. For those people who plant totake good care of their collections and make an effort to keep their coins in good condition, the twenty four carat Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin makes a great item in your collection.
Bob Ethan is a gold invester owning all varieties of gold bullion coins. His personal favorite is the Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin.
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