The 2018-W American Buffalo Gold Proof sits just below the 2017-W as the second-lowest mintage standard proof in the series, with reported sales of 15,756 coins. The two consecutive years together represent the tightest production cluster in the Buffalo proof program’s history. Both the gold content and the proof quality remain unchanged: one full troy ounce of .9999 fine, 24-karat gold, struck at the West Point Mint on specially polished dies.
Key Features:
- Purity & Weight: 1 troy oz of .9999 fine (24-karat) gold, face value $50
- Metal: Gold
- Obverse: Right-facing portrait of a Native American chief, inscribed “LIBERTY,” dated “2018,” with “W” mint mark and “F” designer initial
- Reverse: Full-body American bison on rocky ground, inscribed “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “1 OZ. .9999 FINE GOLD $50”
- Limited Mintage of 15,756
The obverse presents James Earle Fraser’s composite portrait of a Native American chief in sharp left-facing profile. The face fills a large portion of the field, its features — brow, nose, jaw — modeled with substantial depth in the frosted relief. Hair falls in individually struck strands swept back from the crown, with two feathers on the left rendered in precise detail, their individual barbs visible against the jet-black proof field. A wrapped braid gathers at the neck, its cloth binding struck with fine articulation. The “W” West Point mint mark sits behind the neck, with “2018” and the “F” Fraser initial below. The contrast between the frosted portrait and the mirror-bright surrounding field is pronounced and clean. The reverse shows the bison in a forward, lowered stance — head inclined, its substantial mane falling in layered, individually defined strands over the left shoulder and chest. The four hooves plant on rough, broken rock, the mottled textured ground derived directly from Fraser’s original 1913 Buffalo Nickel and carried faithfully through every issue of this series.
The coin arrives in the same premium United States Mint packaging introduced with the 2017 issue: a rich reddish-brown hardwood presentation box with a leather-wrapped exterior and a Department of the Treasury seal embossed in gold on the interior lid panel. The Certificate of Authenticity carries the gold-script “G” design on a cream cover. The coin is seated in a protective capsule within the box. Diameter is the standard 32.70 mm for the one-ounce proof series.
At 15,756 coins, the 2018-W is separated from the 2017-W key date by fewer than 60 pieces — close enough that both dates effectively share the same scarcity tier. Collectors who missed the 2017 have a near-equivalent option here. Add the 2018-W Gold Buffalo Proof to your cart today.