2012 American Buffalo Gold Fifty Dollar
Base
About This Coin
The 2012 American Buffalo Gold Fifty Dollar is a United States dollar from the American Buffalo Gold 2006 to Date series — 7th of 21 years in the series. In 2012, coins were struck at the Philadelphia and West Point Mints with a combined mintage of 151,765. This ranks 4th of 18 years by total mintage, below the series median of 239,235. The obverse features a composite Native American portrait combining features of three real tribal chiefs — Iron Tail (Lakota), Two Moons (Cheyenne), and John Big Tree (Seneca) — James Earle Fraser's iconic 1913 design faithfully reproduced in gold and the reverse displays an American bison (often called Black Diamond after the famous bison at the Bronx Zoo) standing on a mound, also from Fraser's original design. A modern issue from an era of rotating coin designs, collector-focused programs, and renewed interest in numismatic artistry. Struck in 99.99% gold, weighing 31.11 grams, 32.7 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Across its variants, estimated values range from $5.1K to $5.8K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $2.9K in PR70DCAM grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by James Earle Fraser.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
