Sales of American Eagle and Buffalo gold bullion coins from the U.S. Mint experienced an incredible rally in March, rocketing from the prior month, and far beyond last year’s sales figures from the same month. This resulted in a remarkable improvement in their first quarter totals, bringing them in line with last year’s performance.
However, while sales of the U.S. Mint’s silver bullion coins remained steady in March compared to the previous month, they were significantly lower than those for the same month and first quarter of last year.
In March, sales of American Eagle gold bullion coins surged significantly, with a total of 215,000 ounces sold — the highest monthly sales since January 2021. This marks a 277.2% increase from February’s sales of 57,000 ounces and a 38.3% increase from March 2022’s sales of 155,500 ounces. First-quarter sales for this year totaled 435,500 ounces, a 2.1% increase from the 426,500 ounces sold during the same period last year.
American Eagle silver bullion sales advanced by 900,000 ounces for a second consecutive month, although they declined by 16.7% from the 1,080,500 ounces sold in March 2022. In the first quarter, sales amounted to 5,749,000 ounces, a 24.2% decrease compared to the 7,581,500 ounces sold during the same period last year.
Sales of American Buffalo gold bullion in March soared to 73,000 ounces — the highest monthly sales since October 2009, representing a 274.4% increase from February’s 19,500 ounces and a 156.1% increase from March 2022’s 28,500 ounces. Year-to-date sales for the American Gold Buffalo totaled 151,500 ounces, a 2.3% decrease from the 154,500 ounces sold in the first three months of last year.
The U.S. Mint released the 2023 American Platinum Eagle bullion coin in March, which sold 7,500 ounces. By comparison, the 2022-dated platinum coin was released a month earlier last year and sold 25,800 ounces in February and 14,200 ounces in March, for a total of 40,000 ounces.
Here is a sales breakdown of U.S. Mint bullion products showing the number of coins sold during different periods.
| U.S. Mint Bullion Sales (# of coins) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Jan 2023 | Feb 2023 | Mach 2023 | 2023 Sales | |
| $50 American Eagle 1 Oz Gold Coin | 140,500 | 118,000 | 41,500 | 211,000 | 370,500 |
| $25 American Eagle 1/2 Oz Gold Coin | 5,000 | 37,000 | 8,000 | 1,000 | 46,000 |
| $10 American Eagle 1/4 Oz Gold Coin | 20,000 | 62,000 | 12,000 | 10,000 | 84,000 |
| $5 American Eagle 1/10 Oz Gold Coin | 75,000 | 115,000 | 85,000 | 10,000 | 210,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo 1 Oz Gold Coin | 64,500 | 59,000 | 19,500 | 73,000 | 151,500 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Silver Coin | 1,080,500 | 3,949,000 | 900,000 | 900,000 | 5,749,000 |
| $100 American Eagle 1 Oz Platinum Coin | 14,200 | 0 | 0 | 7,500 | 7,500 |
There’s no mystery what’s behind this development. The rich have gotten even richer.
This sensational headline is not so big if you consider the sales figures from the first quarter of 2022 vs first quarter sales in 2023 – up only 2.1% for AGE bullion version coins & down 2.3% for the Buffalo bullion version gold coins.
Silver bullion version sales were also down a lot quarter over quarter from last year down 24.2%!!
And platinum bullion version coin sales were way down from March last year.
I hope readers go past the sensational headline & read the whole article holistically for the real story!
NumisdudeTX
Seth, I guess that’s a bit of “missing something type of scanning” on my part since I had indeed read the entire column but still somehow neglected to catch those extremely salient points you’ve pointed out. Thanks for the illumination!
Wait until you retire to see the real ramifications. Kaiser you know.
We Social (In)Security recipients have both steady inflation and ever increasing taxes chewing into what there is of our nest eggs. The moral of the story is that local, state and the federal government never tire of coming after our money one way or another. Ironically what it amounts to is free socialism for the politicians and costly capitalism for us average schmucks.
When are we going to start beheading these rich motherfuckers????? Take the shot you stupid fucks!!! HUNT DOWN THE RICH LIKE THE PARASITES THEY ARE!!!
Maybe next time you’ll let us know what you really think.
Kaiser, As this sites self-appointed psychologist, maybe you could edify us as to why this Anonymous is so barking “mad?” He, she, or it doesn’t sound like someone with influence or money to me, so please elaborate on your prognosis. Personally, I’m getting vibes of a “Sam tweety” having a Bipolar disorder episode. Maybe he forgot to take his meds.
Craig, Can’t you make your point without the personal insults of valued members of our coin collecting community? Kaiser Wilhelm used humor to make his point. Perhaps you are rich, so you took Anonymous’s insult personally? I do not have a major problem if you want to return an insult to Anonymous (at a 1:1 ratio, hopefully the person that started it will get tired of getting nowhere sooner rather later. I am feeling some deja vu here.) because you took it personally, but how did Kaiser Wilhelm and Sam Tweety end up getting insulted for something Anomymous triggered in… Read more »
Jeff I’m not insulted by the stupidity of an “Anonymous” and really don’t think I’ve insulted anyone on this site. I do like to challenge someone’s point of view on topics. Let’s face it, is there really that much happening in the world of numismatics currently? You state you know where Anonymous is posting from. I’ll bank it is from a muslim environment, since he wants us “beheaded.” Lol For the record, I’m not calling for anyone to be beheaded!
Or they’ve just lost their heads.
My apologies then, Craig. I did not think you meant “self-appointed psychologist” directed at Kaiser Wilhelm as a compliment (though I will agree it could have been meant as humor with no malice), but I have to admit I still do not see how “getting vibes of a “Sam tweety” having a Bipolar disorder episode” could possibly be meant as one to Sam. Did I miss somewhere that he really is Bi-polar? You may enlighten me if you wish. I guess that is really up to Sam if he sees it that way or not. I was just trying to… Read more »
I second that sentiment, Major D, and most heartily so!
Thanks to you also, Kaiser Wilhelm. Everything I said about Major D below applies to you also, except I would say your comments are usually less informational in a hard data way than Major Ds are. Replace “informative” with “entertaining” (and “Major D” with “Kaiser Wilhelm”, of course) and my statement below is good to go. Your most informative comments to me are usually biographical or historical. They may or may not be coin related, but I always enjoy them.
I think what has been happening with and/or to my commentary trends and practices of late, Jeff Legan, is that as I am not so slowly and very surely beginning to shut down my heretofore much more active “coin acquisition operation” I’m concurrently getting somewhat less involved in the exchange of hard data points, as you put it, which is to say numismatic information gathering, or perhaps even better and more pointedly so what could be best be described as the involvement in the aggregating and subsequent dispensation of such material in general. My life seems to be trending in… Read more »
Interestingly Kaiser Wilhelm, I did the opposite. I lived for the moment in my early years. Now I am just living. I had always thought I would for sure be dead by 40 from cancer or something equally crappy due to the nasty, chemical laden job (Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Methylene Chloride) I held from ages 16-20 so afterwards I partied hard and was quite social. I look back quite fondly on my under 40 days, I had lots of fun. My closest friend passed in 2016, and I haven’t had a stable income for some years now so I am… Read more »
Thanks Major D, but I never left. I just do not enjoy commenting (or speaking in the real world) unless I believe I have something worthwhile to say. I have noticed not everyone is your fan here, but I will always think well of you for your invaluable help with SENZA, and your informative coin comments. I am glad you are still active here.
This guy surely must be a liberal weeny, or democrap. Hey anonymous, your Mom says for you to wash your hands, it’s dinner time!
Make sure you wash them for 20 seconds.
I could be wrong, but if mint ain’t selling gold in January and February, stands to reason when gold hits the site in March it skyrockets. Less than last year, probably. Aren’t we in a gold deficit. Didn’t they cut back numbers and ditch commemorative. Skipped Morgan and peace last year because of supply. I presume banks are stocking up on the older billion and coins. Since they’ll have 8 to 9 months to buy this year’s offerings. Wasn’t 99.9 proof either. But the Buffalo is. The fractals sold last month, biting off $3000 for a $2050 spot price seems… Read more »
For its commemoratives this year the Mint could have gone with a side-by-side “double issue” of coins, one to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Great Recession and the other for recognition of the Even Greater Taxpayer-Funded Bank Bailout.
Who do you think is supporting those millions of illegal aliens pouring into our country? You’re thinking small Kaiser complaining about a couple banks. Hell, we left over $96 billion worth of arms/ammunition in Afghanistan. Who do you think paid for that.
I guess the question is who is giving them employment? If they could not make money here they would not come. Since poor people have no money they are not doing the hiring. I do not believe our upper classes want to solve this issue, it is benefitting them monetarily and politically and dividing the rest of us. Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden are all responsible for the debacle that was Afghanistan.
That question is above my pay grade, Jeff. I’ve been wondering how they are going to support themselves and can come to only one conclusion..the government. Now if you asked how will we feed them, that solution is on it’s way…harvesting insects for human consumption. To be honest, I’ve eaten cicadas, crickets, and mealworms. Taste just like chicken.
Hi Craig, is there a difference between government and upper classes anymore? How many of our politicians are not millionaires or higher today? I guess I am locked out of the insect diet then, I do not like chicken. We had around 30 chickens on our farm when I was young. We picked out and slaughtered a chicken for every major holiday, and by my teen years I was done with chicken. They are foul! pun intended.
Jeff Legan,
If businesses had their way all U.S. citizens would be replaced in their jobs by the much cheaper labor costs of Mexican and Central and South American workers. I don’t imagine this should even be a surprise since it is in effect no different than the historical exporting of millions of jobs to China and all the other third world countries whose labor costs are still so very much lower than ours.
Hi Kaiser Wilhelm, With our advances in robotics, our businesses are starting to get excited about replacing humans entirely. That is why I hope someday (not in my lifetime, that is for sure. The majority of jobs will have to disappear before we take the idea seriously) people will be able to get on board with the idea of a universal income (in my opinion, a minimal income that will allow you to survive but not live in luxury. You will have to do something constructive with your money or yourself if you want more than just survival). The first… Read more »
I have to imagine that you are far more trusting regarding the good will of human beings than I will ever be, Jeff Legan, because I can’t believe that such a system would ever be able to function in our society. My feeling is that if it is already so difficult to get a good percentage of the population to want to contribute to the general welfare as it is then opening the nation up to universal financially compensated inactivity is a recipe for disaster.
Not really Kaiser Wilhelm, but I did learn a long time ago to never give up hope until you are taking your final breath. A real life example of that is the journey for rescue Shackleton made after his ship got frozen and then crushed in the ice when he went to explore one of the poles (south, I think). It is the most amazing true story of hope and perseverance I have ever read in my life. I know I wouldn’t have been able to make it at the age I am now, but even as a tough young… Read more »
While I have to admit I don’t feel myself being carried along with that tide, Jeff Legan, I still admire your hopefulness and positivity for its own sake; it’s truly impressive.
I suppose we each draw our own conclusions from the impressions we have acquired during our lives, and as the experiences we each had to get those impressions were likely so very different and totally unique there’s no reason to expect our conclusions would be in alignment. The “Each To His Own” train keeps chugging/rolling right along on its chosen track.
I’m not worried about the availability of gold for those of us that consider it “precious.” After all China and Russia are the two largest producers of Au and we’ve never been on friendlier terms with either of them. So there’s no need to be worried…but I also wouldn’t short commodities.
Hi Craig, if we want to undercut their domination of gold production and the money they earn from it, we need to get cracking on mining in space. I think it is possible in as little as 20 years, depending on how successful Bezos or Musk are with their rockets (I sure hope we can trust Musk, his deep China ties do concern me. I read 40% of overall Tesla production comes from his Shanghai plant alone). China and Russia are against everything America stands for (and both have been since the 1940s. Nothing has changed there, even if Trump… Read more »
Jeff, You are right about there being large asteroids in space composed of gold and platinum that would crash the price of those metals to pennies if we could mine them. But there would be a gigantic leap from finding such an asteroid and bringing the metals back to earth via spacecraft. Maybe with A.I. developing at breakneck speed, a solution for an advanced energy source to propel spacecraft could be discovered. Of course, since A.I. is silicon it could warp the structure of all internet sites and information. Does anyone on this site use online financial sites for banking… Read more »
Hi Craig, Thanks for your comments, by the way. They do foster discussion. Good point about the weight of the gold. I believe we can solve it though, if we put our minds to it. Perhaps get it into a decaying orbit and some kind of parachute, after it is deep enough into the atmosphere, instead of letting it burn up or crash into earth, which we would not want to do unless it was small. And how much gold would we want to evaporate to accomplish that? Perhaps freeze a large amount of water around the chunk before it… Read more »
I’ve seen the Space Cable theory on some of the science shows. It always looks so easy and practical when done as a cartoon, but when real life enters into the equation, things get difficult. How thick would the cable need to be to transport material, including humans, to space? I’m sure it would have to be thicker than 14 gauge. And how would one get such a thing 60 plus miles up to outer space and attach something to it that must rotate at 1000 mph (the same speed as the planets rotation.) One of the shows that elaborated… Read more »
If I understand it right, geosynchronous orbit is the way you get the top platform to stay at the same place relative to the planet. It would obviously need some kind of maneuvering thrusters to make sure nothing knocks it out of place. I would assume you do not raise the cable from the planet, you lower it from orbit. Also what are the odds that the cable would break at the top of the elevator rather than nearer to the bottom. I think the most stress would be in the lower portions. The bottom platform would have to be… Read more »
The only reason we would ever lunge into another national civil war is if those factions who can no longer tolerate the idea of Americans enjoying the freedoms that this great country has gotten us all accustomed to would start such a disaster for the sole purpose of taking away everyone’s currently guaranteed freedoms. It is not now nor has it ever been our elected government that wants to enslave American citizens, rather it is those who want to eliminate the right to vote who now choose to make a bogeyman of the government for the express purpose of being… Read more »
Agreed.
Me too.
Jeff and REB,
First the Red State legislators went after mail-in ballots, then they did everything possible to keep black voters from the polls; now these same modern day inquisitors are going after the right of out-of-state college students to vote. It appears this modern day crusade of regressive repression won’t stop until only the ill-defined inhabitants of that combination Sargasso Sea and Bermuda Triangle of Florida known as the Mar-a-Lago [Freudian] Complex are the only ones in America whose votes will be counted.
Or this dangerous, threatening anonymous person is a
poor Republican’t !
Sad!
NumisdudeTX