United States Mint Unveils Images of 2026-W $5 Reverse Proof American Gold Buffalo Scheduled for Dec. 10 Release

The United States Mint has unveiled images of its upcoming 2026-W $5 Reverse Proof American Gold Buffalo, revealing a special 20th anniversary privy mark. The one-tenth-ounce gold coin is scheduled for release Dec. 10 at noon ET. The December release features a reverse proof finish and marks the return of fractional Gold Buffalo coins after 18 years.

A return of fractional Gold Buffalo coins

It will be the first fractional Gold Buffalo issued since 2008 and only the second reverse proof in the series. It follows a one-ounce edition released in 2013 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of James Earle Fraser's original Buffalo nickel designs. That earlier reverse proof finished with a mintage of 47,836.

Specifications and designs

The new collectible will be struck at the West Point Mint in one-tenth ounce of .9999 fine, 24-karat gold. It features Fraser's familiar designs, originally created for the 1913 Buffalo nickel. Newly released imagery shows a "20th" privy mark on the obverse, positioned below the Native American portrait's feathers and above the date 2026. The W mint mark appears farther up along the left side, near the feathers. The reverse proof finish reverses that appearance, giving the raised designs a mirror-like look against frosted backgrounds. Fraser's obverse depicts a right-facing portrait of a Native American, accompanied by the inscriptions LIBERTY and 2026, the W mint mark, the designer's initial F and the anniversary privy mark. On the reverse, an American bison stands on a mound, surrounded by the inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, IN GOD WE TRUST, $5, 1/10 OZ. and .9999 FINE GOLD.

History of the Gold Buffalo program

Introduced in 2006, the American Gold Buffalo program became the Mint's first 24-karat gold coin series. The 2008-W $5 Proof Gold Buffalo (1/10 oz.) had a mintage of 18,884, and the 2008-W $5 Burnished Gold Buffalo (1/10 oz.) had a mintage of 17,429. For the 2026-W $5 Reverse Proof Gold Buffalo (1/10 oz.), the mintage is to be determined.

Differences from the $50 Proof coin

The anniversary release also differs from the 2026-W $50 Proof American Gold Buffalo launched May 7. That one-ounce coin celebrates America's 250th anniversary with the dual date 1776 ~ 2026 and a Liberty Bell privy mark containing the numeral 250. It debuted at $5,540, with a product limit of 15,000 coins. The coin has been unavailable for weeks, with its last reported sales increase occurring in the week ending Sept. 7, when sales rose by 12 to 14,737. Both coins retain Fraser's historic artwork, but differ in gold content, denomination, finish and commemorative markings.

Order limit and pricing not yet set

The coin carries an initial household order limit of one. The 20th Anniversary 2026-W $5 Reverse Proof American Gold Buffalo has yet to receive an official selling price, mintage limit or product limit. The previously released and now-unavailable 1776 ~ 2026-W $5 Proof American Gold Eagle, which also contains one-tenth ounce of gold, would be priced at $580 under the Mint's last-used pricing tier. That tier is based on a weekly average gold price of $4,150.00 to $4,199.99.