You can buy certified American Eagle Coins from a reliable dealer either online or in person, but even if you choose to invest in coins through such channels, this is still good news, as the ultra high reliefs are only planned for a one year mint as of now, so the more coins they wind up minting the better. Hopefully, the US Mint will renew the program, but we’ll have to wait and see on that front.

As you most likely know already, the American Eagle Coins were suspended due to unprecedented demand, which should just go to show how serious investor demand has been for the metal this year. The basic truth of supply and demand is that, when supply is low while demand is high, the value of a commodity almost always tends to go up. Obviously, gold is no exception to the basic rule of economics because... gold is where we got the basic rule of economics in the first place, and the value of an ounce seems to hold true even five decades after the end of the gold standard’s use in the United States.

If you have yet to get your hands on one of the beautiful ultra high relief pieces, make sure to grab one once the American Eagle Coins start going on sale again, because, at this rate, there’s no telling how long this run will last, either.

Actually, another shortage is almost a certainty, as, in light of the current recession, the demand for these coins isn’t likely to start going down any time soon. So make certain you snag some right away.

The upside to these shortages is, of course, that the best time to own a rare commodity is when everybody wants it and there’s not enough of it to go around. With the price of gold still climbing, it doesn’t look like the American Eagle Coins will be peaking in value or demand any time soon, either.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, but this recession is neither the first we’ve ever experienced, nor the last we ever will experience, and it won’t be over within the next week, the next month, or perhaps even within a few years, and the record demand for gold will remain high for as long as the recession continues.

Of course, gold has proven, time and again, to be the most effective and reliable way of protecting oneself during times like these. What we can hope is that today’s new gold investors will have learned something from this recession, and that they will continue to invest in gold in the future, and not merely as an emergency “plan B” as it were.

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Joseph Morton

Aug 24, 2009

Well, the premium you pay on gold prices is thanks to a few reasons. Of course, there is the minting process. They don’t simply divide the gold into one ounce pieces and call it a day, but rather, there is the entire striking process, there is the running of the Mint itself, then of course, the filler metals, used to strengthen the 24 karat metal to produce the 22 karat blanks, and of course, the mixing process involved with that, and so on and so on. What it really comes down to, though, from an investor’s perspective, is that you’re paying for the convenience of trading in gold coins.

The convenience is key, and exactly why gold coins are becoming the primary way that many American investors choose to get involved in the metal. By having not only the one ounce coin, but the half ounce, the tenth ounce, and so on, you have a few advantages.

First, the metal is made more accessible to those who want to invest in gold but don’t always have a few thousand dollars whenever they want to buy some more for their investment. Where gold is often seen as an investment option open only to the incredibly wealthy, the tenth and half ounce coins make the metal accessible to middle class investors and even those just making ends meet.

Secondly, these gold coin prices of the smaller coins make it easier to move your investment money around no matter how much you can afford to invest. An ounce of the metal is in the area of nine hundred dollars as of the time of this writing. If you need to dip into your metals to cover some expense or other, and you only need a few hundred dollars, then it hardly seems wise to cash in a thousand dollars at a time when gold is still rising. Furthermore, any investor can enjoy the option of putting more into their savings whenever is convenient, and that doesn’t always mean buying thousands of dollars in coins at a time.

Of course, convenience and accessibility are the main reason people are becoming more interested in the coins themselves, but the reason people are becoming more interested in the metal in the first place is because, well, it’s gold, and this is a recession.

As the value of the dollar goes down, gold coin prices almost invariably tend to go up. It is unfortunate that so many investors waited until the dollar was already down to start investing in the metal, but at least they did start investing. With any luck, many of the young investors trying gold for the first time over the last couple of years will continue to use gold as the backbone of their investments in the future, as well. People entering the workforce today may say otherwise, but as we know, this isn’t the first recession, and it certainly won’t be the last.

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Joseph Morton

August 9, 2009

In light of this fact, it may be the right time to start looking into the South African and Canadian investment grade gold coins… or you could simply by your gold coins from sources besides the mint, just so long as those coins are certified, that is.

Whether they’re made in South Africa, the US, Canada, England or Timbuktu, all gold coins are gold coins. They are worth their weight in gold, give or take some filler metals to strengthen the coins, and it really doesn’t matter where you buy them from or what they strike on the obverse and reverse sides, gold is gold.

The truth is… it really doesn’t matter what you do. As long as you’re holding some gold coins, you’ll be safe throughout this recession.

The beauty of investing in gold coins really is that it’s fairly simple. You don’t need to check the spot price several times a day. Many gold investors may check it with their morning coffee, while others may only check it once a week. Some may only check it every now and then, when they’re just curious or need to sell a few gold coins and are wondering what to expect for them.

Gold coins are a relatively laid-back investment option when compared with most other markets. You will see ups and downs, but it’s incredibly rare to see a sudden crash in gold.

That said, many are wondering what will happen to gold coins if and when this recession does end.

It’s easy to guess that we will, probably, see a number of these new gold investors jumping ship once the dollar starts to look a bit stronger. However, it is also quite likely that many of these new gold coins investors will have learned something over the course of this recession: Gold will protect you in rain or shine.

Hopefully, we’ll see investors becoming smarter over the coming years, holding onto their golden “insurance policies”, and staying safe through this recession and the next one.

Regardless, our advice on this matter is simple: Sell whatever you need to sell, but hold onto some gold coins no matter what happens. In fact, buying gold coins at a time when the dollar is going strong is perhaps the best time to do so. The value of the metal tends to be higher during the storm of a recession, but even during the calm periods, the metal still holds value, and will continue to hold value no matter what happens.

Of course, the bottom line is that we’re not quite out of the woods yet. Some economists are predicting a comeback in the next year or so, but honestly, you can’t pin all your hopes onto that, as it’s really nothing but, well, a prediction. Stay safe.

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Joseph Morton

Jul 12, 2009

What this means is that, if you chose to buy some coins for your gold coin investments at any point in the last few years, you've likely made a significant profit at this point.

No matter where you look, there's a lot of good news in gold coin investments recently. Along with the other precious metals, the spot price is steadily climbing and it most likely has yet to peak.

Many may be tempted to simply cash out with American Eagle coins being as valuable as they currently are. Now, if you're holding onto coins you've had since the early nineties, you've likely made anywhere from a 200% to a 400% growth on your gold coin investments at this point (not accounting for inflation, that is), and you may well be wise to take some of that money out and put it into other ventures. Of course, if you are one of the many who purchase gold coins for your retirement account, the good news is that gold is very likely to continue rising into the coming months.

It hinges upon the economy and the value of the dollar, as well as investor demand for the metal, of course. To look at the price of the metal during the 1970’s recession, we saw an incredible rise between 1971 and 1980. However, the 1980’s brought an end to the recession, and the metal saw a short lived crash in the beginning of the decade, before going back up and then continuing to decline between 1981 and 1990. The decline immediately started climbing again by the beginning of the new millennium, though. With an average price in the mid two hundreds in 2001, the price now sits at close to a thousand dollars an ounce, having even broken that mark at one point in 2008, reaching $1033 per ounce.

When you buy gold coin investments, the investment is something of an insurance policy against recession. The metal's value tends to decline when you don't need it, and it tends to skyrocket when you do need it. This is exactly why it has remained so popular over the years, even during its declines, as a way for investors to give themselves a solid foundation to stand on.

While you may suspect that we're about to peak, the fact remains that the economy is not standing on solid ground just yet. The recession won't be over by the end of the year. It may not even be over by the end of 2010 or 2011. While many have put faith in President Barack Obama to correct the problem, even the Commander in Chief himself has said that these are problems which cannot be solved in one year or even one full term. Hold onto your gold, because there's no telling what the next few years have in store.

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Joseph Morton

July 1, 2009

You can take this as bad news if you like but you should look at the big picture before you start to worry. The reason these coins are being suspended? Unprecedented demand. This may come as a surprise to many but not to those who have been investing in gold for some time and who have been reading the headlines. During an economic crisis such as the one we're currently facing down, it can be expected that people will turn to gold coins as a solid investment option.

As you know, unprecedented demand for the metal is exactly what drove the gold coin prices up last year, meaning that the coins you do have in your savings should likely increase in value. Luckily you can buy gold coins not only from the US Mint, but from a gold coin dealer online, so in the end this is good news.

More good news; a press release from the US Mint has it that all 22 karat gold blanks will be administered directly to the American Eagle Coins and Uncirculated Coin programs, ensuring that this suspension will be temporary. Business as usual will resume as soon as the United States Mint has enough blanks to produce coins to meet investor demand, so if you're hoping to purchase gold coins from the 2009 minting for your savings and haven't yet had the opportunity there's still hope.

Overall this is very good news for anyone looking to purchase gold coins or already holding some. Gold prices are primarily influenced by a few key factors: Consumer and investor demand, supply of gold and the value of the dollar. Currently, consumer demand is high while the supply is running so short that demand can barely even be met. In essence this shortage of coins is directly linked to the recent ups we've seen in the spot price.

The truth is that it doesn't really matter what year your gold coins were minted. When you purchase gold coins like the American Eagle you're buying the coin's weight in 22 karat gold, which will protect you from economic strife and keep your finances healthy almost no matter what happens or what year is marked on the coins.

Of course, that said, we should certainly hope that this suspension of gold coin production won't have any effect on the coming ultra high relief American Eagles which will use new minting technology to create the most accurate, precise and beautiful American Eagles yet produced by the United States Mint. After all the entire reason the St. Gaudens American Eagle coins were selected for the program was because of their exquisite beauty and the fact that many coin collectors and dealers consider them to be "the most beautiful coins ever minted in the United States".

So again, even while you cannot at this moment in time purchase American Eagle gold coins directly from the US Mint, you can still obtain certified American Eagles through an online gold coin firm. Meanwhile, the high demand and low availability of the coins should be expected to make them all the more valuable for investors.

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Joseph Morton

May 16, 2009

Though Austria is hardly a major producer of gold (with only 100kg found in 2000), it has been a major player in the production of gold coins since the 12th century. In fact, the Austrian mint of today is a throughly modern facility located on the same spot in Vienna for well over 8 centuries. The current building was erected in the mid-1830s and still serves as the only official mint in Austria, to this day.

In addition to the Philharmonic bullion gold coins, the Austrian mint produces an array of specialty and commemorative gold coins (often in small strikes) that are more suited to the numismatic market or for collectors with a particular interest in such varied topics as painting, historical European crown jewels or famous composers. Many of these coins are available on the secondary market, as opposed to the Philharmonic bullion coins.

The Austrian Philharmonic coin is somewhat larger and thinner than the gold coins such as the US American Eagle or South African Krugerrand, both designed for long-term gold coin investing. The edge is reeded in a somewhat unusual non-uniform design. On the obverse is the giant pipe organ found in the Musikverein Concert Hall that is home to the famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. On the reverse are several of the instruments found in that orchestra presented with stringed instruments in front, brass and woodwinds in the back.

Just as with other gold coin investments, the Austrian Philharmonic coin is available at very little over the spot price of gold and is struck at 99.99% purity. They are very commonly found at local coin shops or at dealers who specialize in helping customers buy gold bullion. Coins in the true sense of the word, the Philharmonic was actually the first gold coin in Europe to be valued in Euros after several years with a face value denoted in former Austrian currency, Schillings. Also like other gold bullion coins, the face values are far less than the spot price of gold is likely to ever be, unless practical alchemy is perfected.

The Philharmonic coin is sold in several denominations. The one-ounce coin has a face value of €100 (formerly 2,000 schillings). Half ounce €50 (1,000 schillings) coins, €25 (200 schillings) quarter-ounce coins and 1/10th ounce coins stamped at €10 (100 schillings) are also available to those who buy gold coins anywhere in the world. In fact, the Philharmonic series have been the most popular in the world (in terms of absolute sales) for several years. Though the transition to Euros was made in the mid-1990s, many dealers in the US continue to refer to them by their old denominations.

For investors who have had a hard time finding physical gold when the demand to buy gold bullion coins was very strong in late 2008 and early 2009, Austrian Philharmonic coins can present a very strong alternative – one that has become a habit for many people in the US and abroad.

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Stewart Lawson

April 18, 2009

Perhaps the most famous of these coins is the 1903 gold coins commemorating the Louisiana Purchase. Issued for the centennial occasion, just a few thousand of these coins were minted with either the very recently assassinated President McKinley on the obverse or the long-deceased President Jefferson. About 15,000 of each coin in this series was released, though it is estimated that fewer than a few thousand certified gold coins from this issuance exist.

The very next year, the Lewis and Clark World's Fair and Expo that was held in Portland, Oregon, in 1905 was commemorated, also in $1 gold coins. These coins were unique for featuring a portrait of both Merriweather Lewis and Lewis Clark on either side and are still considered quite rare, with a great many of these (like other commemorative coins) being melted in the 1930s. In all, about 10,000 of each coin was released in both 1904 and 1905, commemorating the explorers long trek, making them very collectible for those who buy gold bullion coins for historical purposes, especially in Oregon.

It was nearly a decade before another $1 commemorative gold coin was released. This time, several gold coins were released in a series of innovative designs for the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition. With all these coins minted in San Francisco, the Panama-Pacific dollar coins were also meant to commemorate the rebuilding of San Francisco after the Great Earthquake of 1906. While nearly all the 15,000 people bought these bullion gold coins, they also remain rare.

The very next year, a memorial coin to honor deceased President McKinley was issued. Originally conceived in silver, members of Congress thought it odd to issue a silver coin for a man who spent a great deal of time and energy fighting against silver interests to keep the US on a gold only (as opposed to the popular bi-metal scheme) standard. However, the real impetus behind issuing these coins was to fund the building of a memorial library and museum in the former President's birthplace in rural Ohio, depicted on the reverse of the coin. They were not very successful, with a rather large percentage of the coins melted back down again.

Lastly, the US Mint tried once again to capitalize upon the newly popular hobby of collecting coins (numismatics) in 1922 by issuing a commemorative coin to fund the construction of a library, museum and road (to get to the first two) through the issuance of $1 U.S. Grant gold coins. These also failed to be big sellers, with about 5,000 of the coins minted with and without a star on the obverse side.

All these coins are very collectible due to their initial and resultant rarity. Though there are few out there, most are in quite good shape. Those found in mint condition (MS-65) and almost uncirculated (AU-58) condition fetch between several hundred and a few thousand dollars each. There are no significant error coins in these series, though they remain high on the wish list of many history buffs who buy gold bullion coins from the early 20th century.

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Sam Brown

April 12, 2009

Gold coin investing is simply a great, safe way to secure your money. In other words, it’s exactly what the public has been hungry for with the recent economic turmoils.

So of course, seeking shelter from the storm, investors tired of the turbulent stock market and unpredictable real estate turned to certified gold coins and other gold coin investments.

Things are starting to look up this year. Earlier this month we saw the first actually climb in the stock market in quite some time. However, we all know that we’re not quite out of this recession yet, and we probably won’t be for awhile.

Luckily, if you look at the price of gold, it seems that those many American investors have learned their lesson. The price of bullion gold coins has kept on rising steadily over the last few months.

This is certainly the hardest hitting recession we’ve seen in decades, and many of those who chose to invest in gold coins last year have apparently decided to keep at it, not content to simply sell out all of their gold in reaction to a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

This is good. When you purchase gold coins, it shouldn’t be a panicked decision in hopes of fighting off the recession at the last possible minute. Rather, gold coin investing is a great way to protect yourself, period.

What remains to be seen is whether or not these new gold investors are going to hold onto their coins a year or two from now should the economy start looking a little brighter.

If you look at gold trends over the last few decades, there’s always been a tendency for investors to buy during gloomy times and sell out when things start turning up. Again, though, this is the hardest recession many of us have seen in our adult lives.

So here’s the question: Will today’s recession lead to a smarter, wiser generation of financial industry people than the ones who got us into this mess? Will the bankers of tomorrow only lend to people who can make the payments? Will our children and grandchildren put all their money into stocks, or will what happens today lead them to put their trust into something more solid like precious coins and metals?

The fact remains that the American public, our bankers, and our political leaders have to get a little smarter about investing than we’ve been for the last eight years. A big part of that has to do with only putting your trust in something that is, well, trustworthy.

Using a solid foundation of gold coins investing allows investors to pursue other options in stocks, in real estate, or in any other financial venture, but with a sum of money put away in an investment that is not subject to reduced value via inflation or recession.

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Victor Bradshaw

April 11, 2009

If what you’re investing in happens to be the Golden Eagle coin, that man was Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1848, Saint-Gaudens’ family moved to the US while he was still fairly young, and he was raised in New York. Said to be the artist who most embodies the ideals of the American Renaissance art movement, Saint-Gaudens brought an unprecedented level of craftsmanship, detail, and design to his work.

With no disrespect intended towards his forbearers, to look at the quality of the sculptures put out by American artists before, and after Augustus Saint-Gaudens, they are as different as night and day. Saint-Gaudens’ approach literally revolutionized American art, bringing to the forefront a kind of lifelike realism.

The reason Gaudens’ gold coins are so popular for gold coin investing has as much to do with their metallic content as with their artistic content, as it was entirely thanks to their popularity amongst numismatists as “the most beautiful coins ever minted in the US” that the Mint chose to reproduce and circulate investor grade copies for those who wanted to invest in gold coins.

Soon, we will see a mint of laser etched, ultra high relief coins based on the original 1933 Golden Eagles designed by Saint-Gaudens. This should be something of a revelation, and that may well be an understatement. The certified gold coins we’ve been collecting for years now have been based on the results of fairly antiquated striking methods. The coming coins will be much, much closer to what Augustus Saint-Gaudens originally sculpted, and we should a whole new level of detail and beauty that we’ve been missing out on all these years.

When you purchase gold coins, it’s a good idea to keep the majority of them locked up in a safe place such as a wall safe or a safety deposit box. However, don’t forget that the Augustus Saint-Gaudens Golden Eagles are works of art, and art is meant to be seen.

It might seem a tad silly to put a gold coin up in a big picture frame on your wall, but when you get a chance, take one of your Golden Eagles, grab a magnifying glass, and take a moment to admire the exquisite detail, even if you’ve already done this a few times.

It’s said that you cannot be a coin investor without also being a coin buff. Even if you only set out to keep your money safe with certified rare and gold coins, you wind up being lured into the whole culture of coin trading. The legends surrounding the coins, the history. It would probably be equally true to say that you can’t be a coin investor without also becoming something of an art buff.

When you begin reading about the Saint-Gaudens coins, that will lead you to reading about Saint-Gaudens himself and the American renaissance, the ideas that influenced Saint-Gaudens and his colleagues, the influence he’s had since. This is, perhaps, the most rewarding aspect of being a coin investor.

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Leslie McAdams

April 5, 2009

The historical significance of such a coin cannot be denied. The gold Dinar was first minted by the Persian Empire in the 5th century BCE. However, one has to fast-forward to the time of the caliphate, around 700AD to find coins that depict a sitting ruler and a date that can be identified.

The modern resurrection of the gold Dinar has several purposes. For starters, it is meant to be an alternative to the dollar to be used in the Islamic world of Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Furthermore the money that is traded in these gold coins is not subject to the usual interest rates and fee profits that are built into the law. For those who buy gold bullion coins as an investment in the Americas or Europe, the best way to find these still scarce coins that have only been in major production since late 2006.

There are many reasons why a pan-Islamic coin is of historical interest, but as a mater of practicality, the gold Dinar is made from 0.15-ounce (4.25g) of 22-karat gold that is highly collectible by on both the numismatic markets as well as hundreds of millions of followers of Islam found worldwide.

They are taken as currency to be hoarded for troubled times, but gold Dinars also may be used as a dowry payment, a payment in an ordered Sharia judgment or when tithing to the poor. For those who buy gold coins for such an occasion to use gold Dinars ensures that they are circulated within the Islamic World. However, for those who invest in gold coins of interest from a vantage point in the West, the Dinar remains very collectible due to its scarcity.

First made on a very limited scale in 1992, even these first few coins took nearly a decade to go from an idea by Professor Omar Ibrahim Fadillo. As the founder of the Morabeteen International Organization that advocates for a united Muslim world based upon a common currency (not unlike the unification of Europe under the Euro). The use of gold goes back thousands of years as a stable type of currency that is sanctioned by many passages in the Qur'an.

In fact, for those who buy gold bullion coins from emerging gold producing countries, Malaysia is one country to keep an eye on. They have not only drastically increased the amount of gold that is produced, but it is one of the major expanding gold markets to watch, especially as the interest in the gold Dinar has spurred investment in gold mining technology in Malaysia.

In terms of strictly market oriented gold coin investments, the gold Dinar remains more of a collector's coin in the West. For the billions of dollars of oil wealth that are preferentially invested in Islamic organizations and development, there are even electronic gold Dinar funds (similar to a Western gold ETF, but without the same sort of fee structure) that the devout use in the very same manner as physical gold coins.

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Sam Brown

April 4, 2009

Like Madoff, this Ponzi scheme relied upon investors not asking for all the money up front. However, in this case, it was gold coin investments that were being pedaled through telemarketing phone calls, late night infomercials and right-wing political talk radio shows to people of modest means. The particular scheme which brought him down involved paper investments – ironically, the very sort that gold should be a hedge against.

Investors who purchase gold coins on a regular basis are well aware of this type of operation and had wisely stayed away, but smaller investors were snared by the tens of thousands. But, the size of this operation and the apparent impunity with which Allen Stanford operated was shocking, even to scandal-weary North Americans. His activities included political donations to prominent Texas Republicans, including former Speaker of the House, Tom Delay, and former Secretary of Defense, Colin Powell.

What is even more amazing about this gold coin investing scheme is that it went on for so very long before anyone noticed – as long as 13 years according to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) documents.. Stanford was very good at keeping just enough gold coins, bars and other bullion products around to portray the illusion of wealth. Even weeks after the investigation, the advertisements and Internet sites are still up and taking credit card numbers.

Not only did he have enough wealth to spend money without worrying about the price to buy, gold bullion coins to toss about on very long trips to Antigua and the Bahamas, but he even became the first US citizen knighted by any Carri bean nation for his gifts of major infrastructure projects to the island of Antigua. He was also famous for sponsoring cricket clubs, even founding and funding a pan-Caribbean cricket competition that involved the British national team and a $20 million prize.

Stanford himself is gone, having fled the country and going into hiding with untold millions. The IRS has several hundreds of millions of dollars in liens on properties that are no longer worth anything like their original value and no luxury buyers from just two years of fraudulent returns. It is also likely that in addition to all these problems, he was even helping Mexican drug lords launder money through as many as three US cities and banks as far away as Montserrat.

An interesting twist in this story is that there were 100 gold bricks that were already en route to be displayed the Gagosian modern art museum as part of a conceptual piece. When the SEC raided he Stanford offices, and seized all the property, the transit company was alerted and turned in the promotional gold bars.

The Dallas company had actually sold the bricks to the curator of the museum for a cool $3 million dollars just days before the raid, but shipment of all Standford assets were suspended by a court order. The museum has since brought suit to have the bricks released to the museum in Los Angeles, California, or not. The bricks could be used to pay something to the 50,000 investors that thought they could safely buy gold bullion coins through Stanford's company.

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Danny Burns

March 26, 2009

Birds exist everywhere and interact with human beings in every culture, one way or another. In the US alone, we eat chickens at tremendous rates, await the arrival of robins in the spring, keep parrots in cages and venerate the Eagle in painting, verse and coinage. Their symbology as a flying creature is seen in the depiction of large birds, very often predators.

Rome was represented by heraldic Eagles that symbolized entire regiments of troops. That tradition was later carried on by France. Birds appear on the coinages of many countries, too, often in proud stances or dramatic poses. In fact, an eagle is found in many European coins. The Russian ruble portrays a two-headed eagle on the reverse and comes in many sizes, dating back hundreds of years.

That's not to say a farm animal cannot be the object of veneration, as is the case with the 20-Franc, gold Rooster, minted from 1901-1914. Look for symbolic privy marks instead of lettered mint marks. Many millions of these coins, with slightly more than 5g of pure gold, were minted until the outbreak of the First World War in France halted their production. These are very affordable bullion, gold coins in fractional values of about 1/10-ounce being analogous.

The 20-franc “lucky” Angel gold coins also feature a small rooster in addition to the feathered figure in the foreground. Also found as being just over 5g of gold, their smaller sizes make them a good choice for consumers to purchase gold coins. For 27 years between 1871 and 1898 these 90% gold coins were minted, with tens of millions having been struck. They were hoarded on all sides during the First and Second World Wars and can be difficult to find in good condition, though hordes to occasionally still turn up outside France, to the delight of those who collect gold coins.

The Mexican Libertad features a winged Victory on the reverse. The obverse side has long featured an Eagle locked in battle with a snake. A new obverse design chosen in 2000 shows a progression of eagle designs around a larger and new central eagle design. Made from 99.9% pure gold, these coins are plentiful and of great interest to consumers who buy gold bullion coins, ranging in size down to 1/10-ounce.

Many nations have minted coins featuring native birds, but do not confuse “Nordic gold” for the real thing. Many coins of interest to thematic collectors are made from this alloy that actually does not contain even a little bit of gold, though possesses several of its characteristics, being a complex alloy of copper, aluminum, zinc and tin. You'll know something is amiss when you find deals that are far too good when you're specifically looking to buy gold bullion coins. However, many fine collections include proof-types of many base metal coins.

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Ivan Torres

March 24, 2009

There is no time more tempting to sell off gold coins than during a surge in the spot price of gold, but anyone looking to sell or buy gold bullion coins might want to consider waiting out some of the turmoil before making a decision on their gold coin investments. This is especially true in the case of very rare gold coins or those that collectors tend to hold on to for a very long time as part of a larger type or mint collection.

That is not to say that the price of gold, rising as precipitously as it has since November of 2008, doesn't affect movement in the price for those who buy gold coins for their numismatic or historical value. Prices of gold coins that have been impacted by “melt events” can rise appreciably over the course of just a single month, especially in the case of already very rare mintages.

Those familiar with gold coin investing for the collector's market are well aware that melting is not the only way that rare coins become “unavailable.” In fact, the most common way for coins to go out of the market is for them to simply be horded. That is, of course, exactly what many people do when gold goes up as a result of economic instability. As certified gold coins become more scarce on the numismatic market, their price goes up. There is a correlation, but it's not direct.

For many who already have a history with purchasing pure bullion gold coins, the amount of gold that has been purchased when they do go in also increases in such times. In fact, some dealers have noticed that their sales per investor in 2009 has actually gone up several times over. Many say they've not seen per purchase spending on gold this high since the recession of the early 1980s. The same trend has also been observed by those who sell numismatic gold coin investments, though not to the same degree.

It would seem that the market for collectible gold coins is not directly related to the spot price of gold except when the crisis does become so great that the melting pot provides a better price. There is no model for how collectible coins fared during the Great Depression of the 1930s because so many coins were melted down at that time due to the Presidential Act that confiscated all privately held gold other than dental, jewelery and other decorative or industrial uses.

Indeed, much of the great value in gold coins issued by the US Mint between 1795 and 1933 that is enjoyed by collectible coin sellers today is as a result of this policy that saw over 500 tonnes of privately-held gold melted down and revalued. Millions of coins of all types were lost forever in that event, causing some coins to be rare as to fetch prices in the millions, themselves.

So, as to whether or not there will be a market for consumers to buy gold bullion coins of numismatic value, the answer would seem to be that it's not a problem, provided things don't get much, much worse.

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Stewart Lawson

March 19, 2009

Though the 1906 design for the Double Eagle gold coins (also called the Walking Liberty $20 coins) proved unsuitable for mass production and use, it has been reissued in its full glory, over a century later, just as Augustus St. Gaudens had imagined. For those who've waited for years to buy gold bullion coins with this innovative design, they are finally available at prices less than 25% over the spot price of gold.

In May of 2008, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5614, a bill creating a new palladium coin in the design of the 1907 Double Eagle coin, in an attempt to create a more affordable alternative to what was then a largely un-affordable 1-ounce platinum coin. It also allowed for a single run of gold ultra-high relief Double Eagle coins before production in palladium commences. A small number of proof palladium coins will be sold as sets along with the gold coins.

Mintages of palladium in 2010 and beyond are not specified except as to meet consumer demand. Given the very high price for those who buy gold coins, and the way that the price of gold is driving up costs for other metals, a restructuring of what passes as a $20 coin is suitable, especially since the 1-ounce American buffalo provides another route to buy gold bullion coins at 24-k and is valued at $50. It is expected that consumers who invest in gold coins will exhibit higher than expected demand since supplies of current-year, domestic gold become have become somewhat restricted in the US.

In order to accommodate all the extra relief that is required for the original 1907 design to really stand out, the diameter of the re-issue Double Eagle coin was reduced from the 34mm seen on the American Eagle gold bullion coins, to just 27mm. This allowed minters to use an extra thick (4mm) planchet to accommodate stronger, modern equipment. These planchets are unusual in that they have a collar, that is stamped out and then fitted around the coin for a raised edge design.

The resultant coins are exactly 1-ounce of pure, 24-karat gold. Coin investments in more than one of these coins will have to be done in the after-market – only one is allowed into consumer hands, per household. The limit on these coins is, by law, set at 25,000 pieces.

First exhibited at the 2008 World's Fair of Money in Baltimore, Maryland, the booth featured items used to create a henceforth impossible coin. From St. Gaudens' original plaster designs, a precision digital image was taken and digitized. After modifications for year, purity and the inclusion of the post 1908 motto, new dies were cast. In addition to these artifact, an entire set of coins that were progressively struck harder were on display, too.

The coins will now have their price adjusted on a weekly basis to keep up with the quickly rising price of gold. As such, the expected price of Double Eagle certified gold coins has already risen by several hundred dollars since autumn of 2008. Shipment was delayed a week until 29 January 2009.

Within days, the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) received its first coin to grade from a private investor. The coin received a perfect, MS-70 rating and was placed in a protective case (slabbed), as is most often done with very soft, pure gold bullion kept for numismatic value, which these coins have, in spades, ready to invest in. Gold coins from the US Mint's other programs such as the American Buffalo and the 22k American Eagle are rumored to be starting up again for significant sales later in 2009.

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Arthur McGuire

March 17, 2009

Like gold bars, both these coins sell for a small mark-up over the spot price of gold. In fact, given the rather abrupt movements in the price of gold in late 2008, the US Mint has moved to update their prices on a weekly basis for 2009, making the markup more responsive to market conditions.

The 1985 law that made it legal to own US gold bullion coins again, in conjunction with the introduction of the gold Eagle program, caused a large and sustained increase in the amount of gold mined in the US per year. However, this total has slowly fallen since. This causes some to worry that the supply of these coins could be jeopardy if demand continues to rise unabated.

However, bottlenecks in gold bullion eagles or Canadian Maple Leaf coins seem to be logistical rather than supply-based. Both countries are major producers, and have very large reserves on hand. Canada produces about half the amount of gold as the US, mining 4.2% of the world's total in 2008, while the US accounted for nearly 10%, on par with the production rates of South Africa, Australia and China.

While production of some US gold coins has been rationed by the US Mint to meet demand, the production of Maple leaf coins continues unabated. The most obvious difference between the coins is the purity. Alloyed with silver, the 90% gold Eagle coins are more resistant to wear. The almost entirely pure Maple leaf coins are soft and easily scratched with even minimal handling. People who enjoy handling their gold coins often prefer the durability of these coins.

The demand for gold in 2008 was unusual because it continued surging even as the price of gold continued to fall. Usually, only an increasing price (when not near the bottom of a cycle) can cajole buyers into increasing their stocks of gold. Both coins are widely available, though a larger number of small dealers in the US carry gold bullion Eagles exclusively.

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Danny Burns

March 12, 2009

All gold Krugerrand coins are made with a 91.67 pure alloy (the rest being copper) or, 22-karat, so the total weight is in excess of a single ounce on the one-ounce coins. Since 1980, they are available in several denominations, down to 1/10-ounce of pure gold. They are produced and owned by copyright by the Rand Refinery, Ltd. The obverse side of the coin features a profile of 4-time Boer president, Paul Kruger. On the reverse a springbok antelope, native to South Africa, is depicted along with a date and the weight in pure gold. Though legal tender as an ounce of gold in South Africa, they do not have a face value – being intended for use as gold bullion.

As the world's largest gold producing nation by far (at the time), South Africa's Apartheid government was unpopular worldwide, to say the least. Many nations had active sanctions against purchasing goods through the 1970s and 80s. However, when they were first introduced, Krugerrands were immensely popular and profitable. This produced a large influx of more stable international currency that, it can be argued, propped up the ruling minority. While true, these embargoes did significantly decrease sales for many years.

The introduction of the Krugerrand was innovative because its status as legal tender in South Africa made it possible for US investors to purchase these coins as a method to buy gold bullion. Coins made in the US were still outlawed, as they had been since 1933. It was not until the 1980s when ownership was made legal again to coincide with the launch of the first US gold bullion coins in 50 years, the US Gold Eagle.

Krugerrands are available in both bullion coin and limited-edition proof sets that have a somewhat higher numismatic value. Being alloyed with copper, they have the advantage of being far more resistant to scratches and wear than the far-softer 99.99% pure gold bullion coins such as the US Buffalo and the Canadian Maple Leaf.

Now that there are several different gold bullion options, it is interesting to note that Krugerrands still carry significant influence as a well known and respected way for citizens and institutions to buy gold bullion. Coins, both used and new, can be purchased from just about any dealer who specializes in gold coins. Be wary of anyone trying to sell a Krugerrand made of any other metal – this is one of the few bullion coins that is only offered in gold.

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Kevin Bowman

March 10, 2009

European coins did not suffer a recall as the US gold coins did in 1933, however, a great deal of precious metal went missing during World War Two. And, much to the embarrassment of several European governments, a portion of the gold found in several post-war gold coins contains the spoils of Nazi genocide. Coins minted prior to the war are, at least, free of that particularly macabre history.

The twenty-franc gold coin from Switzerland is a good example of classic European gold. Produced from 1897 until 1949 (non-inclusive), these coins feature the obverse profile of a woman known as Vreneli, with braids and a ring of flowers around her shoulders. The world “Helvetia,” which is a Latin term for the whole region, appears above her head. The reverse side is a Swiss shield design with ribbon-tied oak branches.

Nearly all of the “Vreneli Franc” coins are 90% (22k) gold, as was the standard in Europe and North America at the time. A few were minted as 99% gold bullion, but only a few of these test coins still exist. Each of the usual coins weighs 6.45g and, contains 0.187 (or one-fifth of an) ounce of pure gold. Even if you are more interested to buy gold bullion, coins of even 90% purity (as seen in the American Eagle bullion coins) is a perfectly acceptable substitute that can, at times, offer good deals for investors.

They were all struck at the Bern Mint, and there are several years where they were not minted at all, including much of the period between 1927 and throughout the rest of its run before being discontinued. This means that in addition to their value as an opportunity to buy gold bullion, coins with particularly good design retain their value in a way that tends to be independent of the strict spot price of gold on any given day.

The Swiss Franc was was of the last major currencies to be tied to an actual gold reserve, much of the rest of the world having issued as “fiat currency,” for part (if not much) of the 20th century. The Swiss system was such that it required that at least 40% of the currency be backed by physical gold held by the Swiss National Bank. However, in 2000, this rule was changed and by 2005, only 20% of the currency was backed by real physical gold after a massive sell-off in the early ’aughts.

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Arthur McGuire

March 5, 2009

When the first gold coins were issued by the US mint in 1795, they included a $5 coin to supplement the $10 coin that would come to be known as the Eagle, named for the newly chosen national bird featured prominently on the reverse. As such, the first fractional gold coin was named a Half Eagle, and allowed people in the US to buy gold bullion coins of domestic manufacture for the first time.

With the coinage act of 1792, the facilities to produce precious metal coinage were constructed, with smaller coins having precedent. Five dollars was a lot of money to most Americans in the late eighteenth century. From 1795-1807, the first $5 gold coin was minted in Philadelphia.

The “Draped Bust” Half Eagle obverse is a profile of a plump Lady Liberty with a turban-like cap. The eagle on the reverse may be either large or small, holding a laurel crown. The small, heraldic eagle design was minted from 1795-1798, and was called the “chicken eagle” coin by citizens at the time. The large eagle design continued until 1807. All coins in this series are especially rare, with just a handful of some dates surviving.

This Half Eagle coin was replaced by the Capped Bust Half Eagle between 1808 and 1834. This coin features a plump Lady Liberty in profile with a floppy cap. The eagle on the back side, wearing a shield and holding both olive branches and arrows, has been described by many as being “scrawny.”

All Half Eagles up until that time were cast as 91.67%, alloyed with silver and copper. In 1834, the commissioned mints for gold and silver production in Charlotte and Dahlonega, after nearby discoveries of gold, and began minting coins of 89.92% pure bullion gold coins, only to be increased back to 90% in 1837. Gold discovered in the newly “opened” West became more productive, by far, in the 1850s, onward. Mints in Denver, New Orleans, San Francisco and Carson City all minted later issues of gold Half Eagle coins.

The Classic Head Half Eagle coin was the first made in these mints, in production for just four years. The Lady Liberty appears classically Grecian with the Liberty motto on a head band, profiled only to the bottom of her neck. The eagle on the reverse remains almost entirely the same. The Classic Head Half Eagle design was replaced due to legislative pressure to manipulate the value of US-issued gold coins on the international market. It is very rare and represents a large investment for those who deal and buy gold bullion coins for long-term numismatic value.

In 1839, the Liberty Head Half Eagle began production, and would continue for nearly 50 years, until 1908. Also called the Coronet Half Eagle, this coin was produced at no less than seven mints, creating a massive investment for someone hoping to buy gold bullion coins for the entire series. However, because of the good availability of these coins, they are attractive gold coin investments for the beginning numismatic collector, with years after 1878 being the most affordable of the series.

The last Half Eagle coin minted by the US until gold ownership was made illegal was the Indian Half Eagle. Minted until the market crash of 1929, this coin differs significantly in its design from previous Half Eagles. The Indian in profile on the obverse and the resting eagle seen from an angle appear somewhat rough-hewn as compared with the style seen previously. When certified, gold coins with the Indian head design are very reasonably priced, as compared with the spot price of gold.

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Arthur McGuire

March 1, 2009

In September, just as the markets were beginning to realize what a pickle they were in, the US Treasury already had $5.5 trillion in debt. Some of the largest estimates suggest that the cost of services, support, incentives and other types of spending that are part of the Obama Stimulus Package could eventually help that total (in addition to the Troubled Assets Relief Program [TARP] already passed in late 2008) double by 2012.

Even Standard and Poor’s issued a statement in late January 2009 that foretasted a weakening in the US financial portfolio. It is no wonder, given all the debt that has already been assumed by the Federal government under TARP. The spending in the Obama package may well top $1 trillion in 2009. All this new money flooding into the economy from the Feds is thought to be likely to trigger inflation as the value of the dollar shrinks.

Though just how much it will shrink in comparison to other currencies remains to be seen. Other countries, such as those in the European Union (EU) have or are set to unveil spending packages of their own to stimulate commerce in their own zones.

Some big investors have held off on buying gold bullion in large quantities because it didn’t perform as well as expected in 2008, only registering gains of a little over 5% during all the tumult. However, as markets and banks continue to look shaky, and interest rates remain historically low, gold is again looking promising as an investment vehicle for large funds.

The movement of these large players have a big impact on the price, therefore impacting the returns for smaller investors. While individuals are, and should be, cautious about buying gold bullion as it is making its ascent, it may be the last opportunity to get on board before things really heat up in the market and subsequent spot price of gold.

It’s not just the destabilizing effect of government stimulus packages on the currency markets that is fuelling the rush in gold investment in early 2009. Many fund managers are betting that additional actions by the US and other governments will be to try and “inflate their way out” of the financial crisis. Classically, this has always contributed to a rise in gold, as happened in the 1980s.

It is anticipated that the demand for gold bullion from individual consumers will continue up to at least $1,000/ounce, as stock portfolios continue to do poorly. Electronically traded gold funds (ETF) are poised to become one of the few safe havens for savings in 2009, though the collection of physical gold bullion coins and bars should also remain strong.

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Arthur McGuire

February 9, 2009

The Chinese Mint, as it exists today, has only been producing coins since 1987. Since that time they’ve issued nearly 2 million ounces of gold coins for domestic and international customers looking to buy gold bullion coins. Much of this has been in the form of gold Pandas and other types of bullion that is of greater interest to the average gold investor.

Perhaps the most notable of the 2008 Olympic coins issued is the massive 10kg gold coin, with a price of $1 million dollars when issued in 2008. At that price, it is actually worth only $250,000 at the time of minting. Of course, if gold should go over $2,700 dollars per ounce, the investment would pay off on melt value alone, but the odds of that happening any time soon are not terribly good.

Of course, there can certainly be an increased numismatic value for these coins over time. Like many other contemporary mints, a great deal of technical skill is shown in these proof sets. They are also presented in fine and decorative boxes, to be kept for a long time.

Six of the coins in the entire commemorative series are gold, with twelve other silver coins to round out the set. All the coins in the 2008 Olympic Commemorative set feature a common obverse side with a double dragon motif, the date and location. The larger full set is also broken down into smaller series sets that are more widely disseminated.

Among these are three different 5oz gold coins with stylized Olympic rings on the obverse and a series of athletes on the reverse, in addition to the 1kg silver coin – one for each of the three series and purportedly limited to only 100 for North America. Each series also has two gold coins, each of 1/3oz, for a total of six smaller coins. These coins have larger releases and can easily be found in the US and Canada.

Additionally, the Perth Mint has issued 2008 commemorative Olympic gold coins. Unlike the 100,000 yuan (10kg) gold coin and the Perth Mint’s own $1 bronze commemorative coin, the 10g gold coin has no face value but, is considered legal tender in Australia. The US Olympic committee also released a set of 1/5 ounce commemorative gold coins of no legal value.

These coins are intended for collectors and numismatists, so their viability as a hard investment option when looking to buy buy gold bullion coins is limited. The rarity of such coins usually determines their value over the long-term in the collector’s marketplace.

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One of the most unusual and rare types of coins ever produced in the United States is the Three-dollar Indian Head coin. Made of a 90% gold alloy, these tiny coins were rare, even during the second half of the nineteenth century when they were minted.

One of the more unusual and collectible coins ever minted in the United States was a $3 gold coin, colloquially known among numismatists as the Indian Head Gold Coin. Minted between 1854 and 1889 in relatively small numbers, this small gold coin was never minted in large quantities and, never really caught on with the public as a common currency. In fact, during the entire 35-year run, only about half a million of the coins were struck.

The Three-dollar Indian Head gold coin is just slightly larger than the currently produced Roosevelt Dime, at 20.6mm in diameter. The edges are reeded, as is almost universally the case with gold coins of that era, to discourage coin shaving. It is an alloy of 90% gold and 10% copper, resulting in 0.14512 ounce of pure, 24-karat gold per coin, before wear losses.

Perhaps most unusually, the Three-dollar Indian Head coin was minted with the specific purpose of making it easier to buy stamps. When the national post-office system was instituted in 1845, the universal rate for sending a letter was set at five-cents. In 1851, the rate was lowered to three-cents and coincided with the minting of a tiny, silver three-cent coins (sometimes called ”fish scales” or ”trimes”). Made to replace the large, copper one- and two-cent pieces that people had come to resent carrying. These trimes were, in fact, the smallest coins ever produced in the US.

Then, as now, sheets of postage stamps were sold in hundreds. As such, the Three-dollar gold coin was meant to enable people to buy an entire sheet of stamps (or a roll of trimes) with a single gold coin. While it seemed like a good idea at the time, the practice of using these coins was never popular. Perhaps because they were so small, or perhaps because three was a cumbersome number to exchange anywhere but the post office.

Designed by noted 19th century engraver, James Longacre, the obverse shows a Romanesque form that he called an ”Indian Princess,” wearing a 16th century feathered headdress of the Timucua tribe. The obverse shows a wreath of seeds, tobacco, wheat, cotton and maize - representing the major botanical commodity groups of the time. The majority of the coins were minted in Philadelphia, with a few produced at the New Orleans, San Francisco and Dahlonega mints.

While there are several years that produced very few coins, and just a few proofs in some, the entire run of the Three-dollar Indian Head gold coins is considered rare. Because they didn't enjoy heavy circulation, many of the remaining specimens are in fine, very fine or excellent condition.

Certified Three-dollar gold coins are guaranteed to be free from the wear that cleaning invariably leaves in these soft, gold coins. There are also quite a few known counterfeits that are also avoided by dealing with only certified specimens.