1/10 oz Silver Buffalo Gold Round

A Fractional Gold Take on America's Classic Bullion Design

The 1/10 oz CNT Silver Buffalo Gold Round adapts James Earle Fraser's iconic Buffalo Nickel design into a compact gold bullion format. CNT, a US-based private mint, produces this round in .9999 fine gold, matching the purity of sovereign mint coins like the Canadian Maple Leaf. The name "Silver Buffalo" refers to the design series (originally popularised as a silver round), not the metal content. This is a 24-karat gold product weighing 3.1104 grams.

Fractional gold rounds occupy a specific niche. The 1/10 oz weight makes gold accessible at a lower dollar outlay than full-ounce products, and the private mint origin keeps premiums below those of sovereign fractional coins like the 1/10 oz Gold Britannia or the American Gold Eagle. The trade-off is reduced liquidity on resale and no legal tender status, which means no CGT exemption in the UK and limited IRA eligibility in the US.

The Buffalo design itself has deep roots in American numismatic history. Fraser's original 1913 design for the US five-cent piece is considered one of the finest American coin designs ever produced. The obverse features a composite Native American portrait drawn from three separate sitters: Iron Tail of the Oglala Lakota, Two Moons of the Northern Cheyenne, and John Big Tree of the Seneca. The reverse depicts an American bison, reportedly modelled after "Black Diamond," a resident bison at the Central Park Zoo in New York City. Private mints have reproduced this design freely since the early 1980s (it entered the public domain decades ago), creating one of the most recognisable generic bullion formats in the market. The 1/4 oz Gold Buffalo Round from CNT uses the same design at a slightly larger size.

CNT 1/10 oz Silver Buffalo Gold Round Specifications

CNT produces this round using the same .9999 purity standard found in major sovereign coins such as the Canadian Maple Leaf and Austrian Philharmonic. The dimensions are compact, consistent with other 1/10 oz gold rounds on the market. The round ships in standard protective packaging from the mint. There are no proprietary security features embedded in the product itself; authentication relies on weight testing and sigma or XRF composition analysis, both of which are standard non-destructive verification methods used throughout the precious metals trade.

The "Silver Buffalo" series name should not be confused with the American Gold Buffalo produced by the US Mint, which is a completely different product: a legal tender coin carrying a $5 face value at the 1/10 oz size, struck in .9999 gold under Congressional authorization. The CNT round reproduces the same Fraser design but without any government backing, legal tender status, or the institutional guarantees that come with sovereign mint origin. Multiple private mints produce buffalo rounds of similar specification, making this a category of product rather than a single unique offering.

Tax Position for the CNT Gold Buffalo Round

As a .9999 fine gold product, this round qualifies for tax-exempt treatment in most major bullion markets. The key distinction from sovereign coins is the absence of legal tender status, which affects capital gains treatment in certain jurisdictions but does not impact purchase tax exemptions where the determining factor is purity alone.

• United Kingdom: VAT-exempt (gold above 995 fineness qualifies regardless of form or issuer). However, subject to Capital Gains Tax on disposal at the investor's marginal rate (currently 18% or 24%). No CGT exemption because it lacks legal tender status. The annual CGT allowance of £3,000 applies before any tax is owed. Compare this with the 1/10 oz Britannia, which is both VAT-free and CGT-exempt as UK legal tender.
• United States: Sales tax varies by state; approximately 35 states exempt precious metals bullion regardless of form. Capital gains taxed at the 28% collectibles rate for holdings over one year. IRA eligibility depends on the specific custodian; rounds from accredited manufacturers can qualify under IRS Section 408(m), though sovereign coins have broader automatic acceptance across custodians.
• Canada: GST/HST exempt (purity exceeds the 99.5% threshold). Capital gains at 50% inclusion rate on disposal.
• Australia: GST-free as investment-grade gold (99.5%+ purity). The round must be from an accredited or identifiable source to qualify under ATO guidelines.
• European Union: VAT-exempt under the Investment Gold Directive (995+ fineness in bar or round form).
• Singapore: Exempt from GST under the Investment Precious Metals scheme (gold at 99.5%+ purity from an identifiable refiner).
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax. One of the most tax-efficient jurisdictions for bullion of any type.