First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

I was at ye olde coin shop at lunch today, having been inspired by the Shrub's speech last night to add a little more to the pile. While I was there, I asked if I could see the new Buffalos. I was buying maple leafs, but I wanted to see what the new coins were all about. So he handed me a strip of three coins still in the original packaging.

The coin itself is quite pretty. The detail seems a bit overdone, a bit baroque for my taste. I like the old maple leafs with the milled edges, the large flat field, and the tasteful portrait of Queen E. Not to take away from the Buffalo, just sayin' that I would have been a bit more spare in the design, a petty fault I find with the newer maple leafs as well.

But the packaging! Every awful review you've read of the packaging is true! It does contain PVC. It's flimsy and brittle at the same time. It can't be easily stacked or rolled. The broker says that it's harder than it should be to pack them for shipping. He apparently doesn't even keep very many in stock because a) they're tough to store in quantity, and b) no one seems to want them; everyone's still buying maples and bars. As an investment he (the broker, one of a few official distributors of Silver Eagles for the US Mint) said that they were "a dog. No competition to the Maple Leaf at all."

Just thought I'd pass that along. Another glowing success for the committees of empty suits down in D.C.: can't even make their ounce of pure gold seem desirable next to the other guy's.

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

I've got a couple of the standard issue buffaloes and, quite frankly they are OK, just OK. Given the choice, there are a number of other coins that I prefer. But it is one ounce of pure gold. There's a place for that, I have some Krugerrands, which aren't pretty, but surely fulfill their function as a store of wealth. You wish, though, that they had done better.

From what I can tell, the proof version is much nicer.

I'll attach a picture below, but I didn't care enough to try too hard to make it pretty. I'll compare it to a Maple, which I did consider to be nice enough to try hard. Admittedly, it helps that this maple has a much earlier version of the queen, apparently she used to be, shall we say, quite presentable.

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

TomD, are those before-and-after images of the queen?

J/k! :D

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

now that's funny :haha:

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

gorgeous photography. How come my Mape doesn't look that good :(

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

It does, you just have to look at it the right way.

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

they could not have done any worse with a 24k coin in the US. Look at the maple, the philharmonic, and the kangaroo. Idiots!

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

I have the proof buffalo and it looks very nice.

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

While we could argue which gold coin looks best - and its all personal preference - here's what I did - I have one of each!

Gives me a plethora of different pieces to look at....and they are all gold, each has positives and negatives.

Its like listening to guys talk about which is best - redheads, blondes or brunettes..........

I take all I can get!!!!


((I believe thats a cue for the pics of great looking women to begin! :ARMS1: ))

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

I don't like them as far as loos go, but if they are 24lk gold they are still ok in my book. I bought 4 of the bullion, but not planning on getting anymore when something more pleasing to the eye has less premium.

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

Yer kiddin' ...right?...

:eek:

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

Start a thread about packaging, and it turns into one about looks. :character

Yes, both coins are very pretty. :beer:

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

You can take the Buffalos out of that nasty mint packaging and put them into air-tites.

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

Therein lies the rub. We're talking about the US government here. Anyone cut a Buffalo in half yet, or had it melted and assayed?

I still trust the RCM more than the US Mint.

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

Yes. Yes you can.

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

I'm diggin the Maple!!!

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

Redheads.

And I'd post a pic of my favorite, but my girl doesn't want her pics on the net. Though she does have great...packaging. :cool1:

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

COME ON! PROVE IT! PROVE IT!!! :rofl:

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

Boy, seeing the pics posted together from TomD.... as far as looks go, the Buffalo is just awful! I'd take a Maple over it any day. :beer:

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

Yeh, they're gaudy and loud, those gold buffalos....I like'm! You know, the old silver trade dollars weren't popular either- worth a fortune now if you can find one. Yep, I smell numismatic potential in the Buffalos: I figure the mint will kill off the ugly buggers very soon = low mintage = low sales. My grandkids should do fine with their oh-so-rare-cause-they-were-melted-down gold buffalos. Don't laugh - it could happen!:beer:

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

I like the Maple better.

My favorite 24K is the Kangaroo.

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

LMAO!

Not too familiar with the redheads of our species, are you? "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Dude had to have been thinking of a redhead.:D

:coolbeer:

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

Tell you what. The dealers sure look to ream you if you want to turn Maple Leafs into Silver or cash. Quite a beating they've taken the last six months on resale.

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

I was a bachelor for the first 45 years of my life - worked in showbiz - a good percentage of my gfrilfriends were redheads...........you speak the truth!

But does she come on this site? If not, you are safe!

If she does - make sure you have a will! :wink:

Re: First Experiences with the new US Buffalo bullion coins.
 

I have gold maples and krugerrands. I won't buy buffalos due to the premium they command.