How to Buy Gold Bullion Coins
December 19, 2008
One of the first things you need to know about buying gold is what do you specifically have in mind. Do you want a 1 Gram Troy Ounce 999.9/1000 24 Karats Pure Gold Bar or The St. Gaudens $20 Double Eagle gold coin? Each of these is different to particular types of investors and collectors. Get familiar with the details and specifications of gold.
Once you have done some research on the different types of gold to buy you will find that the most common form of gold bullion are the one troy ounce gold coins. The most frequently sought after coins are the American Eagle, the American Buffalo, the Canadian Maple Leaf, the South African Kruggerand, the Australian Philharmonic, the Mexican Pesos, and the Chinese Panda.
Gold coins are graded as with any item of value is graded. Whether it is diamonds, real estate, or automobiles. Gold coins have the Very Fine (VF), the Extra Fine (XF), and the Almost Uncirculated (AU). These coins have slight wear, but to the untrained eye they don't appear to have any wear at all. They usually are in beautiful condition. The real rare, high Mint State (MS) are for collectors only, not for people looking for wealth preservation. So be sure to know if you are a gold coin collector or investor. You could pay a hefty premium for these grades of coins.
US Mint Halted Sale of American Eagle Gold Coins
August 23, 2008
American Eagle bullion coins are short in supply, but investors jumping to own them due to a recent sharp retreat in gold prices.
"Due to the unprecedented demand for American Eagle gold one-ounce bullion coins, our inventories have been depleted. We are therefore temporarily suspending all sales of these coins," the U.S. Mint told authorized coin dealers in a memorandum dated on Friday.
"We are working diligently to build up our inventory and hope to resume sales shortly," the Mint said.
Coin dealers from the United States to Canada reported a surge in buying of bullion coins and other gold products since prices plummeted from highs last month. The buying spree contributed to supply fears and helped boost gold prices sharply on Thursday.
The move by the U.S. Mint to halt sales caught market participants by surprise as it came at a time when the metal was sharply falling, rather than rising.
Produced from gold mined in the United States, the American Eagles have been novel items among collectors and investors since their introduction in 1986. Each coin has a face value of $50 but it is sold by authorized dealers at a premium to the price of gold.
