One of the fascinating aspects of visiting the West Point Mint on June 4 was watching a press strike 2013-W Reverse Proof American Buffalo Gold Coins.
Full-scale production of the reverse proofs actually kicked off on the morning that I and other media members toured the facility as a part of the celebration for its 75th anniversary.
It’s a different anniversary that the special edition gold coins commemorate. They celebrate the 100th anniversary of designs by James Earle Fraser that debuted on Type I Buffalo nickels in 1913. Designs so popular, that they were reprised in 2006 for the annual series of American Buffalo gold coins in bullion and regular proof.
Unfortunately, we didn’t see the inaugural reverse proof striking. That was a barely missed opportunity. As Paul Gilkes of Coin World recently reported, it occurred at 8:45 a.m. ET on the day of our visit. But we did see and snap photos of the first few hundred that will eventually get delivered to collectors. And again, like the photos we took of the 2013-W Enhanced Uncirculated Silver Eagles and of the $2.3+ billion in gold bars stored in one of the West Point Mint vaults, they just don’t do them justice.
In comparing the many different coins we saw produced that day, the enhanced uncirculated Silver Eagles jumped out the most for me. They are absolutely gorgeous. Saying that, and to the regret of my wallet, the reverse proofs are also head-turning attractive. It’s gonna be hard to say no to this one, even though it’ll take a stack of Benjamin bills to get.
A reverse proof is a first for the series of American Buffalo Gold Coins, making it a key coin to own. Regular proofs have frosted designs against mirror-like backgrounds. This year’s coin was released on May 23. The upcoming reverse proof American Buffalo has mirror-like designs against frosted backgrounds.
$50 American Buffalo gold coins are struck in one-ounce of .9999 fine, or 24-karat, gold. Because of the gold content, the price for the special reverse proof will not be known until shortly before its release later this year. The standard or regular version that launched on the 23rd is $1,740.00 but can change weekly based on gold’s direction. This proof can be ordered from the U.S. Mint today, right here.
