WASHINGTON, D.C. - 24-karat gold coins from the new United States Mint Celebration Series will go on sale at noon on Tuesday, February 5, 2008, in time for the Lunar New Year beginning February 7. The American Buffalo 2008 Celebration Coin is a special numismatic product, featuring a 24-Karat American Buffalo Gold Coin, being introduced in the year 2008 because the number “8″ is traditionally associated with wealth and prosperity in Asian-American cultures.

“In many Asian cultures, there is a tradition of buying gold for loved ones to show how much you care for them,” said United States Mint Director Edmund C. Moy. The United States Mint Celebration Series is an outreach initiative to Americans who are not already collecting coins. The first special numismatic product in the series, the American Buffalo 2008 Celebration Coin, will be available to all interested purchasers.

“The introduction of the American Buffalo 2008 Celebration Coin will be an exceptional opportunity for both first-time Asian-American buyers, as well as our long-term gold coin collectors,” Director Moy continued.
The product will be offered with bullion coins only and will be available directly from the United States Mint. The one-ounce 24-karat gold coin is legal tender with a $50.00 face value and contains .9999 gold. The price for this product is $1,018.88; however, as with all precious metal numismatic products, a future pricing change may be required.

To protect their pristine finish, the coins are packaged in the required protective covering and placed in a bright red plush United States Mint gift box with a specially-decorated red sleeve. A custom-designed certificate of authenticity is enclosed, featuring the signature and chop mark (stamp in Chinese characters) of Director Moy.

The American Buffalo 2008 Celebration Coin is a 2008 American Buffalo Gold Bullion coin, and bears the original designs of the revered Buffalo Nickel of 1913, Type 1. The iconic James Earle Fraser image of an American bison graces the reverse (tails side), and Fraser’s classic design of an American Indian is featured on the obverse (heads side), along with the inscription “2008.”

The coin has inscriptions of the coin’s weight, denomination and fineness incused on the reverse (buffalo side) in the design area commonly known as the “grassy mound.” The inscriptions read “$50,” “1 OZ” and “.9999 FINE GOLD.”

As part of the new United States Mint Celebration Series, the United States Mint will explore introducing various numismatic coin products that are packaged and positioned to celebrate special gift-giving occasions and events. The American Buffalo 2008 Celebration Coin is part of a pilot program to test the viability of this initiative.

There is no set product limit for the American Buffalo 2008 Celebration Coin. Customers may order these coins directly from the United States Mint beginning at noon (ET) on February 5, 2008.

To order the American Buffalo 2008 Celebration Coin online, visit the United States Mint’s secure Web site at www.usmint.gov beginning at noon (ET), February 5. To order by telephone, call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). Hearing- and speech-impaired customers with TTY equipment may order by calling 1-888-321-MINT (6468).

For digital photos of the 2008 American Buffalo 2008 Celebration Coin product, go to: http://www.usmint.gov/pressroom/index.cfm?action=2008buffalo