Gold Eagles vs. Buffalos - which one for the long haul?

Timothy Reed

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Gold Eagles vs. Buffalos - which one for the long haul?

timothy_reed💎Premium (500k-1m)

about 2 months ago

Key Takeaways

•Alright folks, I've been kicking around this question for a while now and I’m curious to hear some more opinions.
•I've always liked the fractional options and the design, plus the 22k durability just made sense for something I'm tucking away for decades.
•But lately, I've been seeing more talk about the Buffaloes and their 24k purity.

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Alright folks, I've been kicking around this question for a while now and I’m curious to hear some more opinions. I've got a decent chunk of my retirement savings (we're talking mid-six figures, around $750k currently) tied up in my Gold IRA, and a good portion of that is in American Gold Eagles. I've always liked the fractional options and the design, plus the 22k durability just made sense for something I'm tucking away for decades. But lately, I've been seeing more talk about the Buffaloes and their 24k purity.

My IRA custodian has both, and I've been debating whether to start directing new contributions towards the Gold Buffaloes. On one hand, 24k just feels more "pure gold" if that makes sense, which could be a psychological advantage for future buyers, or maybe even command a slightly higher premium down the line. I'm a pretty practical guy, spent my life in the dairy biz here in Wisconsin, so I tend to value substance over flash. The Eagles always felt like a good, solid workhorse coin, but are the Buffalos becoming the new go-to for maximum gold exposure in an IRA?

I started my Gold IRA about 8 years ago, mostly with Eagles, and it's done well for me. I'm not looking to move existing holdings around and incur fees, but for any new money I put in – which is usually a few thousand every quarter – I'm thinking about making the switch. Is the 24k purity of the Buffaloes really a significant advantage for long-term hold Gold IRA investors? Or is the small amount of copper in the Eagles just a non-issue?

Anyone here hold both in their IRA? What swung your decision one way or the other? Just trying to make the most sensible choice for the long term here.

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8 comments

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Best Answer▲ 16 upvotes

frank_rivera💎Premium (500k-1m)

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

Comments (8)

andrew_roberts👑Elite (1m-5m)Real Investor✓ Verified•about 2 months ago

Hey, I've been in a similar spot! When I first opened my Gold IRA, I loaded up on Eagles too just because they were what I knew. Then a buddy of mine, who's way more into the numismatic side of things, started talking about Buffalos and their 24k purity. Made me second-guess myself big time. I ended up diversifying a bit and grabbed some Buffalos later on. Honestly, for the long haul, I think having a mix isn't a bad play. Good luck with your decision!

janet_cook📊Growing (50-100k)•about 2 months ago

Hey, interesting question! I've been debating this myself. You mentioned a "decent chunk" of your retirement savings in a Gold IRA, and then specified mid-six figures, around $750k. Is that $750k *total* in your Gold IRA, or is that just the portion you're considering Eagles vs. Buffalos for?

janet_cook📊Growing (50-100k)•about 2 months ago

Honestly, for a Gold IRA, I'm not sure the "long haul" difference between Eagles and Buffalos is all that significant in terms of performance. Both are 24k (or effectively 22k for Eagles in terms of total gold content) and carry that US government backing. Most of the appreciation is going to come from the spot price of gold itself.

Where you might see a difference is in premiums if one becomes more sought after than the other for whatever reason down the line, or in liquidity if you decide to sell outside of a dealer and one is more recognizable to a private buyer. But for a regulated IRA, that's probably less of a concern. Just my two cents, but I think focusing too much on that specific coin choice might be overthinking it a bit for the long run.