Showcasing the native beauty of the American West, the modern American Buffalo $50 coin was authorized by the Presidential Coin Act.  The intent of this law was to “revitalize the design of United States coins” and "return circulating coinage to its position as an object of aesthetic beauty."   Currently, the American Gold Buffalo coin is available in Proof or Mint State versions and is the first .9999 fine 24-karat gold coins ever struck by the US Mint.