Sales in 2015 of the American Buffalo 1-ounce gold bullion coin are the third highest annual total since the series was introduced by the U.S. Mint the third week of June 2006.

Calendar-year 2015 sales of the .9999 fine gold coins reached 220,500 pieces.

The 2015 total lags behind the 239,000 coins sold in 2013 and the 323,000 1-ounce coins sold during 2006, the series’ inaugural year, when the sales spanned just over six calendar months of 2006.

The series’ highest monthly sales total reached 117,500 coins in July 2006, the first full month of sales for the series.

The coin is not offered every month. No American Buffalo gold bullion coins were sold during 19 separate months of the series’ 125 months of sales history.

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A big gap in sales occurred in 2009, when the first sales of American Buffalo gold bullion coins weren’t recorded until October, with the last previous sales registered in November 2008.

In 2009, sales and production were primarily focused on bullion versions of the American Eagle 1-ounce silver and gold bullion coins to meet investment demand.

Despite 2009 sales being recorded for only the final three months of the year, cumulative sales still reached 200,000 coins.

The American Buffalo gold bullion coins, like the bullion versions of the American Eagle, are not sold directly to the public.

Instead, they are sold to a network of authorized purchasers based on the London PM closing spot price on a given day plus a small premium per coin.

The authorized purchasers, who offer a two-way market for buying and selling the bullion coins, then resell the coins purchased from the Mint to other dealers and the public at a markup.

The 2016-dated coins are not expected to be offered by the Mint until mid-January.