The Silver Towne Buffalo Bar is without a doubt one of America’s most beautiful silver designs. The image was so successful that it has regularly appeared in silver rounds and bullion coins struck by the U.S. mint. Below is a review of the ten ounce bars and why you must have them in your collection.

Silver Bar Highlights

Each bar is comprised of ten troy ounces of pure .999 silver. On the obverse side one can see a Native American image which originally appeared on Buffalo Nickels, while the reverse side showcases a portrait of the Black Diamond, which was the American Bison. The bars are shipped in protective packaging made from plastic. Those that acquire these bars will be able to collect and invest in silver at a premium which is lower than the other bullion products on the market.

Background

James Earle Fraser, a sculptor and employee of the U.S. Mint first designed the Buffalo Nickel in 1913. He was raised in the Midwest and as such the design he chose was heavily inspired by the imagery he witnessed during childhood. He would accompany his father Thomas Fraser who worked for a railroad station and would regularly journey with him throughout the Dakotas and Minnesota.

During his childhood Fraser experienced a frontier lifestyle and various encounters with Native American tribes which would later be expressed in his works. Besides the Buffalo Nickel, he also produced a sculpture which was called “End of the Trail” which depicted weary American Indian men who had finally reached the Pacific Ocean after being driven from their homelands in the east. The work was designed to highlight the suffering endured because of this.

The Black Diamond American Bison which appears on the bar’s reverse side is a creature which actually lived and resided at the New York Central Park Zoo during the 20^th century. It was quite an attraction as many New Yorkers at the time had never seen such an animal and the success of the exhibit inspired Fraser to produce the image that would later appear on the nickel. The Native American portrait which appears on the bar’s obverse side is a right profile of a man which was created by combining the facial structures of multiple tribal leaders living at the time as opposed to one man’s likeness.

Engravings

The Silver Towne Bars include a number of engravings. The inscription “Liberty” can be seen in the round part on the obverse side. Also included on this side is information regarding the weight, purity and metal content of the bar. The reverse side has inscriptions which read “E Pluribus Unum” in the round portion along with “United States of America” and a design field which is cross hatched is also visible. SilverTowne is the mintage which is responsible for producing these bars and they are headquartered in Indiana at the town of Winchester.