10 oz SilverTowne Buffalo Silver Bar

The Buffalo Design from America's Oldest Private Mint

The 10 oz SilverTowne Buffalo silver bar reproduces James Earle Fraser's iconic 1913 Buffalo Nickel design on a .999 fine silver bar from one of the longest-running private mints in the United States. SilverTowne has been operating in Winchester, Indiana since 1949, when founder Leon Hendrickson started selling collectible coins from a cigar box under his restaurant counter. The company began minting its own products in 1973, and the Buffalo design has become their most recognisable silver product line.

The obverse features Fraser's composite portrait of a Native American man, reportedly based on three sitters: Iron Tail (Oglala Lakota), Two Moons (Northern Cheyenne), and John Big Tree (Seneca), with "LIBERTY" inscribed above. The reverse depicts an American bison standing on a raised mound, modelled after Black Diamond, a bison at the Central Park Zoo in New York City. SilverTowne's version adds the mint's name and weight/purity markings around the rim.

At 10 oz, this bar sits at the weight most commonly recommended for retail silver buyers seeking a balance between premium savings and practical divisibility. The Buffalo design entered the public domain decades ago, making it the most widely reproduced design in private minting. Buying a specifically branded SilverTowne Buffalo guarantees the manufacturer, unlike generic "random mint" buffalo rounds where the producer is unspecified. SilverTowne's longevity and IRA eligibility provide reassurance that is reflected in slightly tighter resale spreads compared to unbranded alternatives.

10 oz SilverTowne Buffalo Bar Details

The bar carries the "SilverTowne" mint mark stamped into the surface, along with weight and purity designations reading "999 FINE SILVER." Authentication relies on weight, dimensions, and the mint's reputation rather than advanced anti-counterfeiting technology. There are no holograms, decoder lenses, or micro-engraving features. For verification, Sigma Metalytics or XRF testing can confirm the silver composition.

SilverTowne also produces 1 oz Buffalo rounds in dated, undated, and stackable rim variants, as well as a 5 oz version. The dated rounds carry a production year and attract slight collector interest, while undated rounds are treated as interchangeable generic bullion. The stackable rim variant features a thicker, flat rim designed to stack neatly without sliding. The company holds memberships in the Professional Numismatists Guild and the American Numismatic Association, and is certified through PCGS, NGC, and PMG grading services.

Tax Treatment for the SilverTowne Buffalo Bar

The SilverTowne Buffalo is a private mint product with no legal tender status, no face value, and no government backing. Tax treatment follows the standard rules for .999 fine silver bars in each jurisdiction.

Purchase Tax

• United States: No federal sales tax. State-level treatment varies: most states exempt investment bullion, though some apply tax below threshold amounts. The bar qualifies for IRA inclusion at .999 purity from a recognised US manufacturer.
• United Kingdom: Subject to 20% VAT. Silver bars and rounds carry full VAT in the UK with no exemption. SilverTowne products have limited UK distribution and are not competitive with local silver bars that avoid import complexity.
• Canada: GST/HST exempt for silver at 99.9%+ purity.
• Australia: GST-free for investment-grade silver at 99.9%+ purity. The .999 purity qualifies.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt for fine silver at 99.9%+ purity.
• Singapore: GST-exempt under the IPM scheme for qualifying silver bars.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax or import duty of any kind.
• EU: Subject to local VAT rates (17-27%). No investment silver exemption in most EU countries.
• South Africa: Subject to 15% VAT. Silver receives no exemption.

Capital Gains

US capital gains on silver are taxed at the collectibles rate of up to 28% for long-term holdings. The bar is IRA-eligible, allowing tax-deferred or tax-free growth when held through a qualified custodian in a Traditional or Roth IRA respectively. In the UK, silver bars are subject to CGT at 18-24% with no legal tender exemption. Canada applies a 50% inclusion rate to gains from bullion sales.

SilverTowne Buffalo vs Other 10 oz Silver Bars

The SilverTowne Buffalo competes in the branded-but-affordable segment of the 10 oz silver bar market. Its premiums are lower than government mint and Swiss refinery bars, and roughly comparable to other US private mint products.

Against the 10 oz Scottsdale Stacker, the Buffalo is a conventional flat bar without the Stacker's interlocking edges. The Stacker carries a modest premium for its storage-engineering feature, while the Buffalo trades on the strength of the Fraser design and SilverTowne's long manufacturing history (minting since 1973 vs Scottsdale Mint's founding in 2008). For buyers who value physical stacking utility, the Scottsdale wins; for those who simply want recognised silver at a competitive price, the SilverTowne Buffalo delivers.

Compared to 10 oz Asahi Refining bars, the SilverTowne Buffalo lacks the LBMA Good Delivery pedigree that Asahi inherited from Johnson Matthey. Asahi's institutional credibility may command slightly tighter resale spreads from dealers who value LBMA accreditation. Premiums are typically similar between the two.

The key distinction from the 10 oz Royal Canadian Mint bar is government backing and purity. RCM bars are .9999 fine silver from a sovereign mint, carrying higher premiums but stronger international recognition and resale confidence. The SilverTowne Buffalo offers more silver per dollar spent at the cost of lower resale premiums.

SilverTowne also produces a Prospector design bar and Pony cast bars. The Buffalo and Prospector carry identical premiums and differ only in aesthetics, while the Pony is a cast bar with a slightly higher premium reflecting its hand-finished character.