First-Year-of-Issue Proof Gold at Low Premiums…

The United States Mint has a long tradition of striking “Proof” coins. Since the early 19th century, Proofs have been made for collectors, to commemorate special events, or even as gifts to important dignitaries. They have become extremely popular for their added rarity and impressive appearance.

Not only are most Proofs significantly scarcer than their “standard issue” counterparts, but they also have a distinct look. Proofs are struck on specially-prepared and polished blanks, struck multiple times for a razor-sharp strike, and delivered in protective packaging.

True to tradition, when the Mint introduced the gold American Eagle in 1986, they released the coin in both Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) and Proof formats. As one could expect, the Proof version had a much smaller mintage; over three times as many BU coins were made.

There’s one other significant difference between regular bullion issue 1986 gold Eagles versus Proofs. The BU coins have been circulating in the bullion marketplace for 30+ years. Most have picked up marks and scratches. By contrast, the 1986 Proofs were placed into hard plastic capsules at the mint and housed in velvet presentation boxes. The result: 1986 Proof gold Eagles remain in pristine condition to this day.

The gold American Eagle proved to be a tremendous success—so much so that a sister coin was released in 2006. To compete with the 24K gold Canadian Maple and gold Australian Kangaroo, the U.S. Mint unveiled the 24K (.9999 fine) gold Buffalo.

The coin was struck in regular BU for bullion purposes and in Proof for collectors. Much like the 1986 gold Eagle, the 2006 Buffalo had a much higher mintage in BU compared to Proof. Also, once again, the Proof version was delivered from the Mint in hard plastic capsules inside highly attractive velvet cases.

As you can imagine, striking and delivering a Proof coin requires a tremendous amount of effort. The blanks must be flawless, the surfaces must be perfectly smooth. The raised design features are sandblasted to create a cameo effect, each coin is placed into individual capsules, and the presentation cases are of excellent quality.

Unlike bullion Eagles and Buffalos, which are delivered in plastic tubes, every Proof specimen is handled and packaged individually. Consequently, the U.S. Mint must charge a hefty premium to cover its costs. They typically charge $300 to $400 over spot for Proof gold Eagles and Buffalos.

We’ve recently acquired an unusual supply of Proof gold Buffalos priced well below U.S. Mint cost. You may have noticed some offers earlier this year for Proof gold Buffalos at just Spot + 7%.

Whenever we’ve made some available for sale, we’ve received a lot of interest each time. Luckily, we ended up with more Buffalos—and some Proof gold Eagles, too! We couldn’t say no to these at such historically low premiums (and a major discount compared to Mint cost).

When the most recent batch arrived, we came across a pleasant surprise—the Proof gold Eagles were dated 1986, and the Proof gold Buffalos were dated 2006. All of the coins were from the first year of issue! As such, they are especially desirable to collectors.

Numismatists have always been drawn to first-year-of-issue coins; they enjoy an added level of demand and cache. It’s no surprise that some of the most popular coins are also from the first years of issue. Despite their added appeal, we can offer you these Proof first-year 1986 Eagles and 2006 Buffalos at extraordinarily low premiums.

How low are these premiums exactly? As previously mentioned, the U.S. Mint charges $300 to $400 per ounce over spot for these. In 2009, the Mint briefly suspended making Proof gold Eagles in 2009, which caused the premiums to jump even higher! Bullion demand was so intense in 2009 that the U.S. Mint didn’t have the production capacity to make Proofs. Today, your cost is just Spot + 9% per ounce* for 1986 Proof Gold Eagles and Spot + 8% per ounce* for 2006 Proof Gold Buffalos.

For just a touch more than the price of a standard bullion version, you will receive a beautiful Proof coin in its original presentation case with a U.S. Mint certificate of authenticity. These are an outstanding value as hybrid bullion and numismatic items. You can own a coin with superb collector appeal that is priced for a modest premium over melt. Both a rise in spot prices and increased collector demand mean these coins are poised to appreciate in the future providing you with multiple ways of profiting.

Opportunities for low premium Proof gold American Eagles and Buffalos are extremely difficult to find, because the U.S. Mint only sells a limited quantity through their website, and most people can only acquire these once they hit the secondary market. To take advantage of this unique opportunity to invest in pristine gold American Eagles and first year of issue Buffalos, call us at 800-831-0007 or email us.

*Prices are subject to change based on market fluctuation and availability. Prices reflected are for wire transfer, check, or cash only. Offer expires July 28, 2017.