I have been in the gold coin industry for decades. I started off helping people with old coins figure out what they had, then I learned about authentication and grading and I even worked in the wholesale and retail sides of the gold coin market for awhile. In all my years working with gold coins, one thing has always struck me as odd. More people seem to buy gold coins, and the volume of their purchases increases, when gold coin prices are going up.

Let me begin by stating that I understand why this happens. Gold coin values rise, the media writes positive articles about precious metals, investors read the news and decide to buy gold. However, savvy investors use a strategy called “dollar cost averaging” to save money on investments that they have already decided are wise.

For example, let’s say that you are an investor who is fed up with the incessant printing of money by the Federal Reserve, and you feel like gold could be confiscated to keep our economy from crashing, just like in 1933. You want something safe, and you’d like to turn a profit in 10-15 years down the road. Most likely, you are going to invest in a common-date certified gold coin like a PCGS-certified Saint Gaudens Double Eagle. You want to put $100,000 into the gold market. With a dollar cost averaging strategy, you might put $10,000-$20,000 into the market at a time, and then increase your position each time gold drops. This way, the average cost of the entire position is less, and you have avoided getting emotional about an investment you already decided was best for you.

Dollar cost averaging works with any investment, and with the high level of fluctuation common in the gold coin market today, it could pay handsomely to use this strategy in your cold coin investing.

Gold is dominating investing markets and Americans are frantically looking to learn everything they can about the precious metal in order to make the most effective investment decisions. One of the best ways to learn about gold is by reading a few of the most popular gold blogs that showcase a wide array of information on everything from current gold prices to gold price projections and investment strategies. Below I have listed and briefly explained the top 10 best gold blogs in 2011-2012:

1. GoldPrice.net Blog – The GoldPrice.net blog features vast information on current gold prices, historical gold prices, gold projections and effective investing methods/strategies. Many of the world’s best gold investment secrets are displayed on this blog. Managed by the experienced GoldPrice.net staff writers, this is my personal favorite.

2. GoldSilver.org Blog – The GoldSilver.org blog is one of the Internet’s best gold and silver blogs featuring everything from basic to advanced information on precious metal investing as well as prices, projections and recommended investments. This is a great blog for new and experienced investors alike. A must read.

3. Daily Reckoning Blog – One of my favorite gold blogs, the Daily Reckoning is a database of some of the most interesting doom and gloom blogs available online. If you want to know more about the crumbling economy and why everyone should own gold, this is a great blog to read.

4. Dollar Collapse Blog – The Dollar Collapse blog is managed by John Rubino, co-author of The Collapse of the Dollar and How to Profit From It. It features many doom and gloom posts about the crumbling economy and how you can protect yourself from the failing dollar by investing in gold. Very interesting.

5. Gold and Silver Daily Blog – Ed Steer’s Gold And Silver Daily is a great gold blog that focuses on analyzing the technical aspects of gold investing and the market. It features many charts, graphs and impressive blogs that can really teach you a thing or two about technical gold investing.

6. Gold and Silver Blog – The Gold And Silver Blog is a well-known database for many doom and gloom articles on the economy and failing investment markets, as well as many interesting posts on the future of gold investing in the midst of an economic crisis.

7. Wihiskey and Gunpowder – Another one of my favorite gold blogs, Whiskey And Gunpowder is a hardcore blog not for the faint of heart. Freedom of speech is seen at its finest as the Whiskey And Gunpowder writers showcase everything that’s wrong with the government and why gold is one of the best investments to own at the moment.

8. Bob Chapman’s Gold and Silver Forecast Blog – Bob Chapman’s blog, also known as the Gold & Silver Forecast is a great place to learn about the gold and silver market and how it is affected by external variables such as the US Dollar, stocks and the economy.

9. Economy Collapse Blog – The Economy Collapse blog is an excellent resource for interesting doom and gloom posts as well as many controversial posts covering everything from government conspiracies to dollar and gold price manipulation.

10. California Numismatic Investments – Bill’s Blog from California Numismatic Investments is a very popular gold blog that displays many interesting posts on topics ranging from gold and gold confiscation to economic crisis and hyperinflation. A great read.

Until next time.

Arthur McGuire
Senior Staff Writer – Gold-Coin.com

Which is the better choice for you, gold coins or bars? Your choice will largely be guided by these considerations:

If your intent is profit, gold bars may be a wise choice for you. If your plan is for an investment you intend to keep for a long time, even longer, pass it on to your children, gold coins are the suitable choice for you.

A gold coin’s value improves through the years as the elements of age, market demand and, possibly, rarity come into play. On the other hand, age is a non-factor with gold bars. A 24-karat gold bar manufactured 100 years ago costs no more than another 24-karat gold bar manufactured only yesterday. This is so because gold bars are rated for their gold content, nothing more. Its value, therefore, depends on the price of gold prevailing at the time is bought or sold.

Of course, these are not the only factors that are likely to influence your choice.

Gold coins are produced and guaranteed by the governments that produce them. They are legal tenders. Gold bars, on the other hand, are commercially manufactured by private companies. Their equivalent of a guarantee is the assay certificate certified by a third part attesting to the quality of the gold bars.

You can take personal physical possession of your gold coins, keep them safe and secure anywhere you like, including your home. Gold bar owners find it a better option to have their gold bars stored in a depository. He gets hold of a receipt in exchange. Taking personal possession of the gold bars is inconvenient and invites some risk of getting detected because of their size and weight. Should you decide to sell the gold bars in your possession, they have to undergo another assay to test that their purity has not been tampered with.

Know more about gold coins and gold bars from experts. Contact 1-800-300-0715. CertifiedmGold Echange (CGE) carries an A+ rating, the highest possible that the Better Busibess Bureau gives. CGE also has a Zero Complaint record since its founding in 1992. Click here for your free copy of 2010 Insider’s Guide to Gold Investing.

Carl Davidson

April 2, Saturday last week marked the 218th anniversary of the passage by the US Congress on April 2, 1792 of the Mint Act providing for, among other things, the creation of the US Mint.

The first US Mint facility was put up in Philadelphia which struck the first coin of the United States, the half dime (originally spelt disme), in 1792. Only 1,500 pieces were struck as pattern coins, but not for circulation. It was the half cent and the one cent copper coins struck in 1993 that were the first to go into general circulation.

Before the founding of the US Mint, coins in circulation in the United States were coins minted by other countries.

The Mint Act specified the production of 10 coins among them America’s two most popular coins – American Gold Eagle and the American Silver Eagle minted in 1795 and 1794, respectively: Silver Half Dime $0.05, Silver Dime $0.05, Silver Dime $0.10, Silver Quarter $0.025, Silver Half Dollar $0.50, Silver Dollar $1.00, Gold Quarter Eagle $2.50, Gold Half Eagle $5.00 and Gold Eagle $10.00.

The American Gold Eagle contained 0.484 troy ounces of gold, the Gold Half Eagle, 0.242 troy ounces and the Gold Quarter Eagle 0.121 troy ounces. They were of 22 karats or 91.67% purity. The Gold Eagle coins remained in circulation until 1933, the year President Roosevelt imposed a ban on US citizens to sell, buy or own gold. The modern day gold coins appeared in 1986, two years after they were issued in commemorative form. Their gold content has been reduced to 90% purity.

The original Silver Eagle stayed in circulation until 1935. Several dollar mints were introduced prior to the introduction of the modern day Silver Eagle in 1986. The dollar coin is one troy ounce of 0,999% pure silver with a nominal value of $1. It is about 1.6 inches in diameter.

Currently there are three more federal mints in the US in addition to the original US Mint in Philadelphia.

Carl Davidson

First time gold coin buyers should know up front that not all PCGS gold coins are non-confiscatable, and to always be mindful of this fact when strategizing his or her bullion/rare coin diversification. There are countless numbers of deceptive gold dealers who promote their bullion coins as rarities by having them certified through either the PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service), but numismatic certification doesn’t exempt modern-day bullion coins from confiscation. If our failing economy requires a second bullion confiscation (like in 1933), precedent and practicality say that only rare and unusual coins with special interest to collectors would be immune to such a government retrieval. This distinction is particularly pivotal to investors with large bullion holdings, who may want to consider converting their bullion to rare coins until this recession subsides, especially if long-term financial safety is a concern for you.

The IRS states that in order for PCGS gold coins to be considered collectable coins, the value of the coin itself must be at least fifteen percent more than the value of the gold content of that coin. This means that if the price of gold were one thousand dollars an ounce, a one-ounce gold coin must have a retail value of at least eleven hundred and fifty dollars to be considered rare, and therefore non-confiscatable.

PCGS gold coins that are modern, American Eagle $50 face value bullion coins, are one of the most commonly miss-appropriated coins, so novice buyers are warned to be leery of dealers who are pushing PCGS certification of modern-day bullion.

Investors can avoid paying outlandish retail prices for their American Eagle bullion, and certified rare gold coins by contacting one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on these, and many other gold coins to household investors like you.

Carl Davidson

Those who are new to precious metals investing often beg questions like, “Are gold coin investments better than gold bar investments?” This is certainly a valid question, but the truth is that both types of physical ownership have their respective advantages, and that investors should examine their own personal financial needs to determine which gold type is optimal.

Novice investors will immediately discover that bullion bar prices are closest to the current gold spot price, and many first time buyers subsequently gravitate to bullion bar affordability. Along with being used as a short-term profit vehicle, or rare coin diversification, bullion bars are government-approved, gold-backed IRA contributions, for individuals who prefer to use bullion for long-term financial safety. (Rare coins aren’t allowed in precious metal IRAs)

Gold coin investments are more diverse investments, as gold coins exist in both modern bullion, and rare coin form. Bullion gold coin investments are only slightly more costly than bullion bars, but long-term bullion buyers are advised to be sure if their bullion coins are U.S. government-approved for IRA storage. Modern bullion coinage is minted in 22-karat, and 24-karat purity, as well as in fractional denominations, for greater affordability.

Rare gold coin investments are substantially more costly than bullion coins, but they stand to appreciate more dramatically over time, because they possess the numismatic value that bullion doesn’t have. For this reason, investors officially certify this inherit value, and pay far higher premiums for greater long-term financial safety, and potential profit.

Investors can avoid paying eye-popping retail prices for their bullion, and rare gold coin by contacting one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on these items to household investors like you.

Carl Davidson

Certified gold coin prices have slumbered for most of 2010, but they have been stirred to life by the recent addition of billions of new dollars into our already inflated monetary supply. One blogger reported recently that inflation rose 1.6% in the past week alone, which is ridiculous considering that White House economists only called for 2.7% inflation for the whole year. Surely, government workers wouldn’t skew the facts and shave the numbers to make them more palatable for the American public, would they?

To determine what is really going on with our economy and with certified gold coin prices, let’s look at the facts. Gold rose 2.3% today, only on the mere mentioning of further dollar devaluation. With interest rates having been so low for so long, it seems inevitable that our dollar’s value will be eaten away completely down the road. While our economy showed some signs of life recently, the general consensus is that economic health boosts were the direct result of government stimuli and not genuine healing of our nation’s financial system.

It is also obvious that gains in certified gold coin prices are not anomalies, because while collectors have been forced to exit the market to maintain a comfortable way of life, investors have plunged into the certified gold coin market headfirst throughout the current recession. The recent jumps in certified coin prices at the PCGS price guide is evidence that investor demand for completely private and high profit potential coins remains high. To learn how you could profit and gain protection from certified coins, or to get live certified gold coin prices, contact the friendly specialists at Gold-Coin.com directly or visit one of the many dealers that we supply across the nation.

Many investors have purchased Saint Gaudens gold coins over the years, and these coins were produced by the US Mint from 1907 until 1933. However, 1907 versions are rare because the coin was brand new ansd the US Mint also produced the $20 Liberty head coin, the Saint Gaudens’ predecessor. Most of the coins dated 1908-1932 are common, with exceptions being error coins, coins with a special mint mark, and some rare in between years. However, no Saint Gaudens gold coins can match the value or the story that belong to 1933 Saint Gaudens gold coins.

In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt declared through Executive Order 6102 that hoarding gold bullion coins, bars, and certificates was illegal for anyo0ner within US borders. The United States removed gold bullion from circulation because it was direct competition for the US dollar, which was tumbling in value. Some 1933 Saint Gaudens gold coins had already been produced, but none had yet been distributed.

Before Roosevelt’s henchmen came to the Mint to seize the coins and deliver them to the melting factory, some of the 1933 Double Eagle coins (as $20 US gold coins are known) were removed without authorization. A couple of years ago, one of the coins surfaced and it eventually sold at auction for a cool $7 million, the highest price ever paid for a US gold coin. Recently, 10 more coins were revealed by a family in the United States, and the US Mint seized the coins even though it would have been impossible for this family to have stolen them. The coins are now an object of controversy, with the US government saying they never rightfully left the Mint and the family saying that the government stole the coins from them.

It remains to be seen what will become of the 10 1933 Saints, and any developments will be announced through Gold-Coin.com. Investors are encouraged to stay within the common dates when purchasing gold coins, so liquidity and fair market value will never become an issue. Be wary of anyone offering 1933 Saint Gaudens gold coins, not only because they might be fake but also because you could land in hot water with our government, which already has more on its plate than it can handle with the current recession.

Carl Davidson

PCGS, or NGC-certified, Saint Gaudens gold coins are highly effective long-term, safe haven assets, because their impressive gold content (.9675 troy-ounces of pure gold) combines with their inherent numismatic value, for proven long-term financial protection. The PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service), and the NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation), are the pioneers of modern, rare coin assaying, and are the worlds’ foremost numismatic certification companies. Long-term investors should only rely on these two companies for their official numismatic certification, as lesser-known certification companies may fetch a disappointing liquidation price down the line.

Rare, 22-karat, Saint Gaudens gold coins, carry a $20 face value, and their now legendary design replaced the $20 Lady Liberty design, which was issued from 1850, to 1907. The obverse side features a full-length image of Lady Liberty striding foreword. Her hair is loose and flowing, and she is carrying a torch in her right hand, and an olive branch in her left. The Capitol Building stands in the lower left background, which is bannered with radiating beams of sunlight. The reverse side features the profiled image of an American eagle, majestically soaring from right to left, above the image of a beaming sun.

These numismatic rarities are completely private, liquid assets that have flourished throughout long-term economic droughts in the past, and today’s trend savvy investors are acquiring these coins, to help assure a safe, sound financial future.

Investors can avoid paying eye-gouging retail prices for their rare Double Eagle coins by contacting one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on these, and many other gold coins to household investors like you.

Jonathan Monroe

Even though their prices don’t fluctuate with the same frequency as the current gold spot price, rare gold coin prices do tend to move it the same direction. The numismatic value that rare coins possess can appreciate exponentially, but this is a long-term process, which is why rare gold coins like Double Eagles are widely used as safe haven asset to protect wealth during long-term recessions. The status of our nation’s economy remains as uncertain as it is currently unstable, which is why growing numbers of individuals are protecting their wealth in certified rare gold coin, with official “mint state grades” issued exclusively by either the PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service), or the NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation).

PCGS, and NGC numismatic certification is the highest regarded in the industry, which is why coins that are certified by either of these two globally recognized companies generally receive the best liquidation prices when the time comes. Double Eagle coins are among the most recommended for official numismatic certification, because their .9675 troy-ounces of pure gold represents but a fraction of their numismatic value, which is notorious for substantial long-term appreciation.

Other smaller denominated rare gold coin includes $10 Liberty, and Indian Head, “Eagle” coins, as well as $5 “Half-Eagle”, and $2.5 “Quarter-Eagle” coins, which are minted in the same two classic designs.

Long-term investors can avoid paying ridiculously high retail prices for their PCGS, and/or NGC-certified rare gold coins by contacting one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on these, and many other gold coins to household investors like you.

Jonathan Monroe