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Mac's Coins
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$7,134.28 | +70.29% | $713.44 | View Deal |
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About the 1/10 oz American Buffalo Gold Coin
The 1/10 oz Gold Buffalo: America's Purest Fractional Gold
The 1/10 oz American Buffalo is a genuinely scarce coin. The US Mint struck fractional Buffalos only in 2008, producing fewer than 100,000 coins across all three fractional sizes combined, then discontinued them permanently. Every 1/10 oz Gold Buffalo on the market today comes from that single year of production.
That scarcity sets this coin apart from every other fractional gold product. The 1/10 oz American Gold Eagle has been produced continuously since 1986, with annual mintages in the hundreds of thousands. The 1/10 oz Canadian Maple Leaf is similarly abundant. The 1/10 oz Buffalo exists in genuinely limited supply, and secondary market premiums reflect that.
At .9999 fine (24 karat), the 1/10 oz Buffalo matches the purity of the Maple Leaf and exceeds the .9167 fineness of the Gold Eagle. For buyers who want the highest-purity fractional gold coin with US Mint provenance, this is the only option. The Gold Eagle programme offers 1/10 oz coins in 22 karat gold, but no other US Mint product delivers .9999 purity at this weight.
The coin weighs 3.110 grams (1/10 troy ounce of pure gold) and measures 16.50 mm in diameter, making it smaller than a UK 5p coin. At this size, protective capsules are essential to prevent loss and handling damage. Pure gold is softer than the copper-silver alloy used in Gold Eagles, so the Buffalo is more susceptible to contact marks.
1/10 oz American Buffalo Technical Details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 3.110 g (1/10 troy oz) |
| Purity | .9999 fine gold (24 karat) |
| Diameter | 16.50 mm |
| Face value | $5 USD |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Mint | US Mint, West Point (W mint mark) |
| Year of issue | 2008 only |
| Legal tender | United States |
Design
Both sides of the 1/10 oz Buffalo reproduce James Earle Fraser's 1913 Indian Head nickel design, adapted for the larger gold format. The obverse depicts a composite portrait of a Native American man, based on sittings with three tribal leaders: Iron Tail (Oglala Lakota), Two Moons (Northern Cheyenne), and Big Tree (Kiowa). The reverse shows a standing American bison, believed to be modelled after Black Diamond, a resident of the Central Park Zoo in New York City.
The design carries inscriptions including "LIBERTY," "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "E PLURIBUS UNUM," "IN GOD WE TRUST," the $5 face value, and ".9999 FINE GOLD." The West Point mint mark (W) appears on all bullion strikes. Fraser's original nickel design is regarded as one of the most artistically accomplished American coins, and the gold adaptation preserves its fine detail, including the hair strands on the portrait and the fur texture on the bison.
Tax Treatment of the 1/10 oz Gold Buffalo
The 1/10 oz Gold Buffalo is US legal tender with a $5 face value, which grants it specific tax treatment in several jurisdictions.
United States
The Gold Buffalo is IRA-eligible. At .9999 fine, it exceeds the IRS minimum purity requirement of .995 for gold held in Individual Retirement Accounts under Section 408(m). Capital gains on physical gold are taxed at the collectibles rate of up to 28% (federal), higher than the 15-20% rate applied to equities. Short-term gains (held under one year) are taxed as ordinary income. Sales of 25 or more coins in a single transaction trigger IRS Form 1099-B reporting. Sales tax varies by state, with roughly 35 states fully exempting bullion purchases.
United Kingdom
The Gold Buffalo is VAT-exempt as investment gold under UK rules. It is not UK legal tender, so capital gains are subject to CGT at the individual's marginal rate (18% basic, 24% higher rate), with the annual CGT allowance (currently £3,000) applying. For CGT-exempt fractional gold, UK buyers should consider the 1/10 oz Gold Britannia, which is UK legal tender.
European Union
The Gold Buffalo appears on the EU's annual investment gold coin list, making it VAT-exempt across all EU member states. Capital gains treatment varies by country. In Germany, gains are tax-free if the coin is held for more than one year.
Canada
Exempt from GST/HST as gold bullion meeting the 99.5% purity threshold. Capital gains are taxable at a 50% inclusion rate.
Australia
GST-exempt at .9999 fine, meeting the 99.5% purity threshold for investment-grade precious metals. Capital gains tax applies, with a 50% discount for assets held over 12 months.
Singapore and Hong Kong
Singapore classifies qualifying gold coins at 99.5%+ purity as Investment Precious Metals (IPM), exempt from 9% GST. No capital gains tax applies. Hong Kong has no sales tax, import duty, or capital gains tax on gold.
1/10 oz Gold Buffalo vs Other Fractional Gold Coins
The 1/10 oz Gold Buffalo competes in a fractional gold market dominated by coins with continuous annual production. Its single-year mintage (2008) makes it fundamentally different from the alternatives.
vs 1/10 oz American Gold Eagle
The most direct comparison. Both are US Mint products with $5 face values and IRA eligibility. The Eagle is .9167 fine (22 karat), alloyed with copper and silver for scratch resistance. The Buffalo is .9999 fine (24 karat), softer but higher purity. The Eagle has been produced every year since 1986, giving it far deeper secondary market liquidity. The Buffalo's single-year production means limited supply and higher premiums. For pure investment purposes, the 1/10 oz Gold Eagle offers better liquidity and lower premiums. The Buffalo appeals to collectors and buyers prioritising purity with US Mint backing.
vs 1/10 oz Canadian Maple Leaf
The 1/10 oz Gold Maple Leaf matches the Buffalo at .9999 fine and has been in continuous production since the 1980s. The Maple Leaf includes modern security features (micro-engraved laser mark, MintShield anti-fingerprint coating) that the Buffalo lacks. Premiums on the Maple Leaf are typically lower due to regular supply. The Buffalo's advantage is its US provenance and the collectible premium attached to its limited production run.
vs 1/10 oz Gold Britannia
The 1/10 oz Gold Britannia is .9999 fine since 2013 and features the Royal Mint's advanced security package (latent image, micro-text, tincture lines). For UK buyers specifically, the Britannia offers CGT exemption as UK legal tender, a meaningful tax advantage the Buffalo cannot match. Premiums on the Britannia are generally lower than the Buffalo due to ongoing production.
1/10 oz American Buffalo Gold Coin: frequently asked questions
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The cheapest 1/10 oz American Buffalo available from 1 dealer we track is $713.44 at Mac's Coins, currently around 70.3% over spot. Fractional Buffalos carry a higher premium per ounce than the 1 oz version, reflecting the fixed production costs spread over less metal.
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Minting a coin involves fixed costs regardless of size: die production, handling, assay, and packaging are roughly the same whether the coin weighs 3 g or 31 g. Spread over a tenth of the metal, those costs push the premium per troy ounce higher. The 1/10 oz Buffalo was only struck in 2008, making secondary-market examples scarcer than their 1 oz counterparts, which adds further to the price.
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The 1/10 oz American Buffalo is 916.7 fine gold (24 karat) and contains 1/10 oz of pure gold. It was struck by the US Mint only in 2008. At .9999 fineness it exceeds the IRS minimum purity of .995, making it eligible for inclusion in a gold IRA.
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Authentic 1/10 oz Buffalos weigh 3.110 g and measure 16.50 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge and the West Point mint mark W. Pure gold is non-magnetic, so a magnet test is a quick first check. Because the fractional Buffalo was struck only in 2008 in very limited numbers, buying from an authorised dealer or verifying with a professional numismatist is the safest approach.
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In the US, gold bullion coins are taxed as collectibles regardless of their legal-tender status, so gains on American Buffalo coins are subject to federal CGT at up to 28%. In the UK, investment gold coins carry no VAT, and CGT applies at 18% or 24% depending on your income band, with an annual exempt amount of £3,000. In Canada, 50% of any capital gain is included in taxable income.