Eagles vs. Buffalos - What are your long-term plays?

• •Okay, so I've been a Gold IRA investor for about 5 years now, started really diving in around 2019 when things felt...
• •uncertain, to put it mildly.
• •Initially, I went almost exclusively with American Gold Eagles.

Okay, so I've been a Gold IRA investor for about 5 years now, started really diving in around 2019 when things felt... uncertain, to put it mildly. Managed to get a nice chunk of my retirement savings into PMs, roughly an 8% allocation now putting me in the mid-six figures for that portion of my portfolio. I'm a university professor here in Richmond, so research is kind of my thing, and I really dug into the pros and cons of different coins when setting up my account.

Initially, I went almost exclusively with American Gold Eagles. The 22k durability, the recognizability, the slightly lower premium (at the time) – it just seemed like the most straightforward choice for building up a solid, verifiable physical gold holding within my IRA. Plus, knowing it's backed by the U.S. government adds a layer of comfort for a long-term retirement asset. I've been pretty consistent with my contributions, DCAing in monthly, and watching my portfolio grow (especially using that Gold IRA Calculator to project potential returns, which has been surprisingly motivational!).

Lately though, I've been seriously contemplating diversifying some of my new purchases into American Gold Buffalos. The pure 24k gold content is appealing, and while the premiums are generally a bit higher, that purity just feels right for a long-term store of value. My concern is the softer nature of 24k gold. While it's safely tucked away in a depository for my IRA, if I ever decide to take physical distribution down the line, I worry about potential damage or dinging. Then again, the purer gold might fetch a slightly better price or be more universally recognized in an extreme scenario, even over the Eagles. I've read countless forum posts and articles, but it always seems to boil down to personal preference.

So, for those of you with significant gold holdings in your IRAs – especially those of you who've been in the game longer than I have – what's your take? Do you split your holdings? Is there a tipping point where one becomes clearly superior? I'm genuinely curious about the reasoning behind your choices, especially concerning long-term value, liquidity (if that ever becomes a factor from a depository), and that premium difference. Any anecdotal experiences or further research you can point me to would be incredibly helpful as I plan out my next allocations. Thanks in advance!