Friday, CMIGS began shipping the year’s first 2009-dated US Mint Buffalo Gold Coins. Before the release, there was speculation that the mintage would be low because the Mint did not produce them until late in the year.
However, as of this writing, the Mint’s web site shows that 86,000 Buffalo Gold Coins have already been sold. Further, wholesalers have placed second orders with the Mint and were given no indications that the coins are in short supply. This seems to indicate that the Mint produced a large quantity before releasing them, and I’m now guessing that mintage of 2009 Gold Buffs easily will exceed 100,000. In 2008, the US Mint sold 172,000; in 2007, 167,500 coins were sold. In 2006, the first year they were minted, the Mint sold 323,000.
As discussed on our web page about Gold Buffalo Coins, packaging remains a problem. Of greater concern is that promotions of First Strike coins have already surfaced.
We caution against paying high premiums for so-called First Strike coins. Actually, since our 2006 expose of First Strike coins, most promoters now call them Early Release coins. By either name, we warn investors not to buy them at high premiums because the premiums on such coins do not hold up in the secondary market.
CMIGS has 2009 Gold Buffaloes in original packaging for immediate shipment. Buffs carry premiums a few dollars higher than the US Mint’s Gold Eagles.
