The United States Mint earlier today rolled out an online product page for its upcoming 2013-W $50 American Buffalo One Ounce Gold Reverse Proof Coin.
Revealed on the page and also in a just published U.S. Mint news announcement are details about the release, including its limited sales window.
Unlike most U.S. Mint products that are available for many months before they go off sale, the reverse proof Gold Buffalo will have a four-week ordering deadline. This has become somewhat of a standard practice for special edition Mint products that are expected to be very popular with collectors.
Four-Week Sales Window Begins on August 8, 2013
The 24-karat gold reverse proof will be offered beginning on August 8th at 12 noon (ET) and sales will end on September 5th at 5 p.m. (ET).
During that time, collectors can order as many as they like. The Gold Buffalo has no mintage limit and there will be no household ordering limits. Collector demand will determine how many are minted. To build inventory in preparation for the August 8 launch, the U.S. Mint started producing them on June 4, 2013.
The reverse proof is a special edition release, which is unlike the regular proof Gold Buffalo that has been issued annually since 2006. It was created to mark the 100th anniversary of James Earle Fraser’s designs that appeared on the 1913 Type I Buffalo nickel and was used for 25 years.
"The coin is produced in the same manner as a traditional proof coin," the Mint describes in a news statement. "However, unlike the traditional proof coin, which has a mirror-like background and frosted design elements, the reverse proof coin has a frosted background and mirror-like design elements."
Pricing for the .9999 pure gold coins will be determined using the standard U.S. Mint pricing matrix for numismatic gold products. The earliest collectors will know that price is on August 7th. As a reference point, this year’s regular 2013-W Proof Gold Buffalo is available now for $1,640.00. This price is based on a weekly London Fix gold average that is within a range of $1,250.00 to $1,299.99 an ounce. This year’s standard proof was released on May 23, 2013 and has sales of 11,291 as of Sunday.
The new informational online product page for the West Point Mint struck 2013-W Reverse Proof Gold Buffalo is located here.
Let me see, the price might be, between $1640-$1740. The way oil is rising, maybe 5 gallons of gas will pay for the Reverse Buffalo. You think? I’m ordering one.
At least sales of this coin has a set end date. I wish all the other coins the mint sells had last day of sale published as well.
Best situation to build a 2ndary market and thereby have a continued interest in US Mint products going forward: ALWAYS KEEP THE RELEASE DATE A MYSTERY AND NEVER STATE A MINTAGE (only a maximum, but the right to limit it to any number).
This will make products actually GAIN value and sustain interest in US Mint products forever (as opposed to the hundreds of thousands of lost orders they have sustained in the last 6 years due to poor decisions like this one with the RPGB).
Oh Goodie. The spot price of Gold is up $32.50. Just in time for the release…
Better to buy it straight from the mint or get a slabbed pf70?
(not planning on flipping it, gonna hold it longterm)
thanks
I agree, Its better to buy this straight from the mint. Very nice coin.
Ridiculous to get this beauty graded. PROOF IS PROOF!!!
I prefer this baby straight from the U.S. Mint. Who cares if it’s a 69 or 70!!!!
The U.S. Mint could announce later in this year that it will be selling a 2013-W Gold Buffalo Two Coin Set consisting of a 2013 Reverse Proof Gold Buffalo Coin and a 2013-W enhanced Uncirculated Gold Buffalo Coin.
James, never happen!
Sure, Like i figured, The rp gold buffalo will be out 8/8, And gold will be back to over $1,900.00. I had a feeling.
The mint is now so efficient that since they started minting these on June 4th they should start shipping as early as New Year’s. %&#$@!
I just got my order in for one. It took 4 1/2 minutes. Hopefully I’ll get it before I die. I just asked the customer service rep, when I would receive the WP 2 coin Silver Eagles sets, I ordered back on May 10. She said, “it’s being processed and the supplier of the presentation boxes have been slow.
I forgot to add, no shipping cost and the coin costs, $1640. Not too bad.
I just got into collecting silver eagles last year and we just received our 5 sets of the 2013 2 coin silver eagle set from the mint ordered on the 1st day of availabilty .I left them sealed in the box I have debated long and hard about the new gold coin and after seeing just how much work is done to mining Gold on Gold Rush TV show I decided to order 1 2013 American Buffalo One Ounce Gold Reverse Proof coin Now my big question will be do I leave it sealed in the box when we get… Read more »
Bill –
You’re spending all this money on the coins and you don’t even want to look at them? Seems like a waste of money to me. Who’s ever going to look at them, your heirs? Somebody who is evaluating your estate?
“See this box here and those boxes there? They contain some great coins. I’ve never looked at them but I’m sure they’re real pretty. And you can’t look at them either. They’re worth a lot of money. You’ll just have to trust me.”
Bill, In the case of the two coin sets from West Point, maybe wait until October to look at them. The reason I say this is, in 2006 the mint put out a three coin silver eagle set. I opened them and was very pleased, except when I found out, only the reverse proof eagle could get the designation 2006 three coin set. You see, the mint also made an uncirculated eagle and a proof eagle, to be sold separately. So, for now, until we know for sure the mint won’t include either one of the two coins in another… Read more »