2009 American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin

Today October 29, 2009 at 12:00 Noon ET, the 2009 American Gold Buffalo Proof Coins will go on sale at the United States Mint.
Only one ounce proof coins will be offered, which is a sharp reduction from the number of collectible Gold Buffalo options offered last year. Even this single offering had been in doubt until the US Mint's announcement earlier this month.

Each coin is minted in .9999 fine, 24-karat gold, packaged in a hardwood box with a matte finish and faux leather insert. The coins are priced at $1,360 each. There is no ordering limit or maximum mintage set for the product. These details (except for the price) were revealed last week.

There are a few dueling factors that will play into the initial sales levels for the coins. The pent up demand for this popular coin suggest strong opening sales. This is supported by the continuing brisk pace of sales for the bullion version of the coin that just went on sale October 15, 2009. In the past two weeks, the US Mint has already sold 110,500 coins. Additionally, since there are no ordering limits in place for the 2009 Proof Gold Buffalo, collectors and dealers will have the opportunity to order in quantity.

On the other hand, there are a few factors which may serve to diminish early demand for the coins. The current price of the coins may serve as a deterrent. The US Mint sets prices for numismatic gold products based on the average of the preceding week's London Fix gold prices. For the relevant period, the average is $1,050.28. Even though the current price of gold is $1,035 per ounce, the coins are priced based on the US Mint's $1,050 to $1,099.99 pricing tier. If the average price of gold had been 29 cents lower, the coins would have been priced $50 cheaper. Some collectors may delay purchases to see if the average price of gold allows cheaper purchases in the coming weeks.

A second factor which may diminish the pace of early and overall sales for the coin is the lack of a maximum mintage. As discussed previously, the fact that the US Mint is not placing household limits or a maximum mintage, suggest that they are prepared to supply the coins in whatever quantity the market will bear. The resulting high mintage from this scenario diminishes the longer term prospects for the coins, especially compared to the stand out performance of last year's collectible Gold Buffalo offerings.

Today on Coin Update News:
US Mint Sales Report for 10/25/2009