American Eagles vs Buffalos - what are you seeing out there?

Brian Edwards

Back to forum

🪙 Gold Coins

American Eagles vs Buffalos - what are you seeing out there?

brian_edwards🌟Ultra (5m+)

about 2 months ago

Key Takeaways

•Alright, so I’m sitting here in Aspen, watching the early snow dust the peaks, and I’m reviewing my portfolio.
•Mostly real estate right now, as you can imagine, but I’ve got a healthy chunk in physical gold.
•I’ve been stacking for a while, always been a firm believer in tangible assets, especially with the way the market’s been these last few years.

The 3-step rollover process explained

Alright, so I’m sitting here in Aspen, watching the early snow dust the peaks, and I’m reviewing my portfolio. Mostly real estate right now, as you can imagine, but I’ve got a healthy chunk in physical gold. I’ve been stacking for a while, always been a firm believer in tangible assets, especially with the way the market’s been these last few years. My current allocation is probably 60/40 in favor of Eagles, but I’m wondering if I should be tipping that scale more towards Buffalos.

I started heavy with Eagles back in the early 2010s when I first really got serious about diversifying away from just land. They felt like the obvious choice – government-backed, widely recognized, and good liquidity. Plus, that 22-karat durability made them feel more bomb-proof for the long haul. My initial million-dollar gold purchase was almost entirely Eagles. But lately, I’ve been picking up more Buffalos. That .9999 purity is appealing, and frankly, they just look better in the safe. I’m thinking about making my next $500k allocation into Buffalos, maybe even more.

What are you guys seeing in terms of premiums on these? I've got my established dealers, but I’m always open to new insights. Are you finding a significant difference in buyback prices or how quickly they move if you need to offload? I’m not planning on selling any time soon, but you always have to consider the exit strategy, right? Also, any thoughts on the long-term collectibility of one over the other? I treat these primarily as investments in metal, but a little numismatic upside never hurt anyone. Just curious what the general consensus is among those of you holding substantial physical. Cheers.

158

18 comments

The retirement loophole most advisors won't mention

You can move your 401(k) into physical gold — tax-free. Here's the step-by-step guide.

Under $100k? Compare options →

499 people viewed this today66 members requested a free kit this week99 investors bookmarked this

Best Answer▲ 19 upvotes

jennifer_martinez💰Established (100-250k)

Interesting take. I've heard the opposite from a few people though — would love to see some actual numbers on this.

Comments (18)

elizabeth_johnson💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 2 months ago

Been wrestling with this myself, honestly. My stack is mostly Eagles, but I've been eyeing Buffalos for a while now, especially with the premiums I'm seeing on the Eagles lately. It's tough to justify the extra cost for essentially the same gold content, even if the design is gorgeous. Feels like I'm paying for the "brand" sometimes, ya know? Might grab a few Buffalos next time just to diversify the look, if nothing else.

michael_anderson🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

Hey, cool to hear you're diversifying and thinking about physical. I'm curious, when you say "healthy chunk in physical gold," are we talking mostly bars/rounds, or do you have a significant portion in Eagles/Buffalos already? Just trying to get a feel for your current allocation before recommending more of one or the other!

michelle_collins🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor•about 2 months ago

Interesting post. While Eagles and Buffalos are both solid choices, I'm a bit surprised you're not mentioning Krugerrands, especially if you're looking for that tangible asset feel and a good premium. They're often overlooked but can be a great way to diversify even within the 1oz gold coin space, and sometimes you can snag them for a slightly better price than an Eagle or Buffalo.

sandra_green📊Growing (50-100k)✓ Verified•about 2 months ago

Hey, great question! Both Eagles and Buffalos are solid choices for a Gold IRA. One thing to consider beyond just the premium is the future liquidity. While both are highly recognizable, sometimes Eagles can be a tad easier to offload quickly if you ever need to, due to their wider international recognition as a standard bullion coin. Buffalos are awesome for their purity, but sometimes that slight edge in recognizability for Eagles can matter.

Here's a good comparison that breaks down some of the nuances: American Gold Eagle vs. American Gold Buffalo

gary_stewart📊Growing (50-100k)•3 days ago

I was pretty skeptical about another gold IRA forum but the tools here on GIRAB actually surprised me — the calculator alone saved me hours of spreadsheet work.

carol_carter💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor•3 days ago

I keep going back and forth between gold and silver allocations. The gold-to-silver ratio right now is making silver look attractive.

jennifer_martinez💰Established (100-250k)Real Investor✓ Verified•3 days ago

Interesting take. I've heard the opposite from a few people though — would love to see some actual numbers on this.

karen_robinson💼Starter (0-50k)•3 days ago

I rolled over about $80k last year. Honestly the hardest part was just picking which metals to hold. Still second-guessing myself.

steven_mitchell🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor✓ Verified•3 days ago

My advisor told me 10-15% in gold is the sweet spot but I went heavier. We'll see how it plays out.

daniel_wright💎Premium (500k-1m)Real Investor✓ Verified•3 days ago

Genuinely curious — has anyone here actually tried to liquidate from their gold IRA? How smooth was that process?

thomas_walker🏆Advanced (250-500k)Real Investor✓ Verified•3 days ago

My advisor told me 10-15% in gold is the sweet spot but I went heavier. We'll see how it plays out.

joseph_harris📊Growing (50-100k)•3 days ago

Just started my rollover process last month. The paperwork alone almost made me quit lol.

ronald_morris👑Elite (1m-5m)Real Investor•3 days ago

Been looking into this myself — the fees on some of these custodians are wild. Anyone found one that doesn't gouge you?

kenneth_parker💎Premium (500k-1m)Real Investor✓ Verified•3 days ago

I was pretty skeptical about another gold IRA forum but the tools here on GIRAB actually surprised me — the calculator alone saved me hours of spreadsheet work.

mark_adams👑Elite (1m-5m)Real Investor•3 days ago

Ngl I came here expecting the usual affiliate spam but the discussions are actually decent. Way better info than what I was getting from my old advisor.