Cw Article-New Buffalo Dollars Near Production

Trial strikes for the 2006 Buffalo 1-ounce .9999 fine gold $50 bullion coin have been produced at the West Point Mint as the facility prepares for full-scale production.

Acting U.S. Mint Director David Lebryk announced the test production while participating in an April 6 Coin Collectors Forum in Lincoln, Neb. The forum, attended by some two-dozen collectors, was held at the Bennett Martin Public Library in Lincoln on the eve of the launch of the 2006 Nebraska quarter dollar.

Lebryk said he has already seen samples of the trial strikes for the new coins. They "are beautiful," he said.
Mint officials refused to release images of the test pieces.

The Mint plans to begin selling the 24-karat gold coin sometime this summer.

Becky Bailey, director of the Mint's Office of Public Affairs, told Coin World April 12 that a ceremonial strike event for the coin is being planned for sometime in early May. Bailey said the Mint had scheduled production of additional trial strikes during the week beginning April 16.
Lebryk also discussed the three other coin programs mandated under the same act as the Buffalo gold coin: Presidential dollars, which will be introduced for circulation beginning in 2007; First Spouse gold coins, also beginning in 2007; and four commemorative 2009 Lincoln cents for the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth.

The Mint conducts collector forums in conjunction with State Quarter dollar launches to elicit collector comments on Mint programs and policies and sometimes to reveal new details about existing or future programs.

Mint officials released some comments received from collectors at the forum and the Mint staff's response.
One collector suggested that the Mint in the future strike a fractional version of the Buffalo gold bullion coins at the same size as the 5-cent coin in order to sell more of them. The legislation authorizing the production of the coin mandates the obverse and reverse designs replicate those of sculptor James Earle Fraser for the 1913 Indian Head, Bison on Mound 5-cent coin.