The 2013 Gold Buffalo reverse proof, certified perfect. One ounce of .9999 fine gold from West Point, graded PF70 or PR70, in a coin the Mint struck for a single year and has never repeated.
Why 2013 Was a One-Off
The US Mint issued this to mark one hundred years since James Earle Fraser’s Buffalo nickel entered circulation in 1913. To distinguish the centennial coin it used a reverse proof finish — and has not used it on the series since.
Mintage was 47,836. Against ordinary bullion Buffalos produced in the hundreds of thousands, that is a genuinely small number, and it is fixed. Nothing about this coin can be made again.
What Reverse Proof Means
On a standard proof, the background fields are mirrored and the raised design is frosted. A reverse proof inverts that: the design elements are mirror-polished and the fields behind them are frosted. The effect is that the bison and the portrait appear to float, lit against a matte ground.
It is a difficult finish to strike well, which is part of why it is used sparingly and why it commands attention when it appears.
PF70 and PR70
Seventy is the top of the grading scale. A coin at PF70 or PR70 carries full original mint lustre with no detracting flaw anywhere on the fields or the design — not a hairline, not a contact mark, under magnification.
Coins here arrive certified by either PCGS or NGC, assigned as available, with labels varying. Both are top-tier grading services and the grade means the same thing at either.
Specifications
- Weight – 1 troy oz of gold.
- Purity – .9999 fine.
- Year and mint – 2013, West Point, W mint mark.
- Face value – $50.
- Mintage – 47,836.
- Grade – PF70 or PR70, PCGS or NGC.
- Designer – James Earle Fraser, both faces.
What You Are Buying
Not an ounce of gold. An ounce of gold is available far more cheaply as a bar. What sets the price here is a one-year finish, a mintage under fifty thousand, and a perfect grade from a top-tier service — three things that cannot be reproduced.
That means it behaves like a numismatic holding rather than a bullion one. It can move independently of the gold price in either direction, and it should be bought on that understanding.
Shipped fast, discreet and fully insured in its sealed grading holder. Do not break the slab — the grade travels with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many 2013 reverse proof Gold Buffalos were made?
47,836, and the finish has not been used on the series since.
What is the difference between proof and reverse proof?
A proof has mirrored fields and a frosted design. A reverse proof flips it — mirrored design, frosted fields.
Is PF70 the same as PR70?
Yes. PCGS and NGC use slightly different notation for the same top grade.
Should I remove it from the holder?
Never. The certification is void once the slab is broken, and the grade is most of what you paid for.
