10 Dollars 'American Buffalo' Gold Bullion Coinage

The American Buffalo series, launched in 2008 alongside fractional denominations including this quarter-ounce piece, was the first U.S. coinage struck in .9999 fine gold — a purity standard long demanded by investors who had been buying Canadian Maple Leafs and Austrian Philharmonics instead. Congress authorized the series under the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, partly as a direct competitive response to those foreign bullion programs draining American market share.

The 2008 fractionals had a single-year run. The Mint suspended them after 2008 and has not revived the quarter-ounce denomination since.