American Buffalo gold coins will be available in fractional sizes in 2008.

Proof and uncirculated 2008 Buffaloes will come in half-ounce, quarter-ounce and tenth-ounce sizes, the U.S. Mint announced Jan. 30.

Four-coin sets including one-ounce coins are to be sold as well.

The 2008 one-ounce uncirculated Buffalo will continue to be available singly.

Proof Buffaloes in fractional sizes are expected to go on sale this summer.

Since a 2006 debut, the American Buffalo gold coins have been the Mint's .9999 fine gold coin option, intended to compete in the marketplace with other 24-karat gold coin offerings from other world mints.

American Eagle gold coins, which come in the same fractional sizes and have been available since 1986, are made of .9167 fine gold. Gold Eagles were assigned face value denominations of $50, $25, $10 and $5. Other than size-specific information, all four sizes share the same Saint-Gaudens double eagle obverse design and "Family of Eagles" reverse design.

Intended designs and denominations for the 2008 fractional Buffaloes were not specified by press time. The one-ounce gold Buffalo is denominated $50.