American Buffalo 1-ounce gold $50 coin sales by the U.S. Mint in 2015 are running slightly ahead of 2014 levels for the first nine months of the year, but are below sales for the same period in 2013.

Through Sept. 23, 2015, the Mint reported sales for the year to its authorized purchasers at 169,000 of the 1-ounce gold coins.

During the first nine full months of  2014, the Mint recorded sales of 139,500 of the coins. 2013 sales for the same first nine months reached 200,000 coins.

The 2006 inaugural year for the American Buffalo coin remains its highest sales year, with 323,000 ounces sold from June 20 to Dec. 31 of that year. July 2006 remains the highest sales month, with 117,500 coins sold. October 2009, in second place, had sales of 116,500 coins.

Calendar year 2009 sales reached 200,000 coins, all sold in the final three months of the year. The U.S. Mint had focused its primary bullion coin production on the American Eagle 1-ounce gold and silver bullion coins for most of the year.

2010 sales increased by 9,000 coins, to 209,000 coins, sold during the six-month period from April 1 through Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year.

Since the June 20, 2006, introduction of the American Buffalo gold $50 bullion coin through Sept. 23, 2015, the U.S. Mint has recorded sales of 3,534,500 of the 1-ounce bullion coins.

The coins are not sold directly to the public. The coins are purchased by a network of authorized purchasers who buy the coins for the closing London PM spot price of the metal per ounce on a given day plus a 3 percent premium.

The coins may then be sold to other dealers and the public at a markup.