1/10 oz Commander Gold Coin

Military History on Low-Mintage Gold

The 1/10 oz Commander gold coin is part of a prestige bullion series from Scottsdale Mint honouring legendary military commanders throughout history. Distributed exclusively through SD Bullion, the Commander series launched in 2024 with a planned twelve-coin run released three per year over four years. The 1/10 oz gold format provides a lower-cost entry point into the series alongside the 1 oz gold and the signature 5 oz silver coins.

At 3.11 grams of 9999 fine gold, the Commander matches the purity of the 1/10 oz Canadian Maple Leaf and 1/10 oz gold Britannia. The 2025 1/10 oz gold carries a mintage of 2,000 pieces. Legal tender status is provided through sovereign nation agreements: the 2024 releases were issued for Liberia, and the 2025 releases switched to Samoa.

Commanders honoured so far include Napoleon Bonaparte (2024), General George S. Patton Jr. (2024), Hernan Cortes (2024), Julius Caesar (2025), Ulysses S. Grant (2025), and Charlemagne (2025). George Washington is announced for 2026, timed for the 250th anniversary of American independence. The remaining five commanders from a proposed shortlist including Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Admiral Horatio Nelson are yet to be revealed.

The series is notable for its exclusive distribution through SD Bullion. Unlike most bullion products available across multiple dealers, Commander coins cannot be purchased from APMEX, JM Bullion, or other major retailers. This exclusivity, combined with low mintages and the planned twelve-coin finite run, positions the series as a collector-bullion hybrid rather than a mainstream stacking product.

Commander 1/10 oz Gold Details

Series Releases to Date

Gold coins come sealed in Scottsdale Mint's proprietary Certi-Lock assay packaging with unique authenticity credentials. The signature feature of the Commander series, the "unbound" or "ruptured" edge created by an open-die striking process, applies to the 5 oz silver format. The 1/10 oz gold coins use a standard reeded edge, as the open-die technique is not practical at this small diameter.

The switch from Liberia to Samoa as the issuing country between 2024 and 2025 is not publicly explained but follows a common pattern among private mints working with sovereign legal tender authorities. Samoa has become Scottsdale Mint's preferred partner for recent programmes.

Commander Gold Tax Treatment

The Commander's legal tender status (Liberia for 2024, Samoa for 2025) and 9999 gold purity qualify it for favourable tax treatment in most jurisdictions.

United States: IRA eligible. The 9999 purity exceeds the IRS minimum of 99.5% for gold in a precious metals IRA, and the legal tender status from a sovereign nation meets Section 408(m) requirements. The exclusive SD Bullion distribution means IRA purchases must be arranged through SD Bullion's custodian partners. State sales tax treatment varies by state. Capital gains are taxed at the 28% collectibles rate for long-term holdings.

United Kingdom: VAT-exempt as investment gold exceeding 995 fineness. Foreign legal tender coins at 22 karat or above qualify under the EU-derived investment gold rules retained in UK law. Not UK legal tender, so Capital Gains Tax applies at marginal rates after the £3,000 annual allowance. For CGT-exempt fractional gold, the 1/10 oz gold Britannia is the standard choice for UK buyers.

European Union: Qualifies for VAT exemption under the EU Investment Gold Directive. Both Liberia and Samoa are recognised sovereign states, and their legal tender coins meeting the Directive's criteria (post-1800, 900+ fine, priced within 80% of gold value) are exempt. Capital gains treatment varies by member state.

Canada: GST/HST exempt as gold exceeding 99.5% purity. Capital gains taxable at the 50% inclusion rate.

Australia: GST-free as investment-grade gold meeting the 99.5% purity threshold. CGT applies with a 50% discount for holdings over 12 months.

Singapore and Hong Kong: No sales tax or capital gains tax on investment gold in either jurisdiction.

Commander 1/10 oz Gold vs Other Fractional Options

The Commander series targets a different buyer than mainstream fractional gold coins. Its appeal is built on collector factors (military history theme, low mintage, annual design changes, exclusive distribution) rather than on cost efficiency or resale liquidity.

The 1/10 oz American Gold Eagle is the baseline comparison for US buyers. The Eagle offers unmatched liquidity, universal IRA eligibility without custodian negotiation, and production volumes in the millions. The Commander's 2,000 mintage and single-dealer distribution create a fundamentally different market dynamic: higher premiums at purchase and fewer options at resale.

The 1/10 oz Canadian Maple Leaf at 9999 purity matches the Commander technically while offering Bullion DNA security, global dealer networks, and production-scale pricing. For gold accumulation efficiency, the Maple Leaf is the more practical product.

Within Scottsdale Mint's own portfolio, the Commander competes with the 1/10 oz Cameroon Cheetah (1,000 mintage, African wildlife theme) and the 1/10 oz Barbados Trident (10,000 mintage, Caribbean theme). The Commander's 2,000 mintage falls between these two, and its military history theme appeals to a different collector base than wildlife or national symbol designs.

The planned twelve-coin finite run is the Commander's key collector proposition. Complete sets of finite bullion series (like the Royal Canadian Mint's Call of the Wild) command premiums on the secondary market once the series concludes. Buyers entering the Commander programme are betting on this dynamic, accepting higher per-coin costs in exchange for potential set-completion value. For pure 1/10 oz gold accumulation without collector considerations, sovereign mint coins remain the efficient choice.