greatgoldcoins.net » Investment Coins

Silver Bullion

keith — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 10:37:00 +0000

Siver bullion has developed in the past 50 years as a viable investment tool for investors who do not wish to invest heavily in the metals market.
It is possible however to make larger purchases theough the Lonon Metal Exchange.

There are of course minimum limits on the amount you can invest professionally.

So what do the rest of us do ?
The answer is in Silver Bullion.
This medium is available to ordinary investors in either coins or silver bars.
A third possibility is Silver Rounds (a non-negotiable silver round rather like a coin)

Apart from investment purposes,silver is mainly used industrially for both electrical and health purposes (the so-called silver bullet - which kills many bacteria on contact)
Many industrial processes depend on silver for heat and electrical conductance.
Silver has been valued as a useful metal ever since Roman times (Romans used silver coins as an intermediate value coin between copper and gold coins.)

One of the largest investors in the world tried to corner the worldwide market in silver just a few years ago.
You see the problem is that industry is using up huge amounts of silver annually and there really is not that much silver left underground (this isrelative to the amount of worldwide silver that has already been mined.)

This is not a short term thought but in 20 or 30 years it may be a massive problem.

I would advise anyone looking at silver as an investment to be careful and research the subject thoroughly.
Silver Collectible Coins include the American Silver Eagle, The Chinese Silver Panda,the Canadian
Maple Leaf and the Austrian Philharmonia series but 1 ounce silver coins are minted by many countries.One Ounce is the standard size/weight for collectible coins but there are larger and smaller coins available.

COMPLETE 1999 THRU 2009 PF 70 69 SILVER QUARTER SET
US $2,112.00

1995 Olympic Proof Silver Coins Blind Runner Gymnast
US $89.95

1970 Apollo XIII 13 Sterling SILVER Medal Space Token
US $20.50

1987 SAMOA AMERICAS CUP PERTH 5 OZ 999 SILVER PROOF
US $131.38

1982 George Washington 90 Silver Half Dollar 2 CoinSet
US $17.99

2 1 ozAg999 Silver Mexican Commemorative Rounds
US $39.01

Silver collectible coins cost more than the silver value of the coin.
The difference is the profit margin for the mint that produced them and this is variable.
A number of private mints have also minted collectible coins and some of these are not legal tender (those produced by an official mint usually are legal tender)
Nevertheless an investor should check the silver value before making a substantial investment in Silver Bullion coins.

How to Buy Gold Bullion Coins

keith — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 09:50:00 +0000

How to Buy Gold Bullion Coins
Bullion Coins – what are those?
A Bullion Coin is simply a coin that is made of a precious metal - Gold, Silver, Palladium and Platinum are the standard precious metals used to mint bullion coins.
There are two kinds of bullion coins – modern coins made for investors and
Precious metal coins used in previous times as a means of easily transporting Gold or silver from a colony to the owners home city (these you will instantly recognise as pirate treasure !.)

Spain was the main country which explored Central and South America for the mineral resources of Gold and Silver. These were collected and melted down into coins for transport back to Spain. The only problem was the pirates and privateers who robbed them on the way back.

(One of my own ancestors was a privateer who razed the City of Panama and liberated their gold and silver resources)

Bullion coins from the 16th and 17th century carry a hefty premium when they are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
Modern day treasure hunters look for pirate treasure either on land or at sea and sell what they find. These are mostly from shipwrecks found by much research in Admiralty records worldwide. Sailing was not the pleasant business of nowadays though and shipwrecks were common (there are over 30 in the river below my own garden ..) Warfare also contributed its fair share of bullion and many armies throughout history have buried and lost the money they were going to pay their men with.
The most commonly offered bullion coins are those from the Atocha shipwreck and these are sold by the people who discovered the Spanish ship complete with its cargo of coins and other treasures. Some of these are sold as jewellery or other collectables. This was a huge find and has reaped vast rewards for its finders.

Other sources of silver coins and ingots are the California silver mines where miners are believed to have hidden their own caches of treasure. Ingots claiming to be from this region sometime turn up on auction sites.
Going back further in time, the past wars in the former Yugoslavia have also unearthed bullion hidden during Roman times and these are very collectable in good condition.
So we have several factor to take into consideration when looking at older bullion coins – condition of course is paramount but we should not underestimate the attraction of historical links – as collectors love to own coins from famous battles, pirates or ones with another romantic history.

Modern Day Bullion

Bullion Coins today are very popular as a hedge against inflation and because of the current distrust of the banking system.
Banks may have proved themselves untrustworthy as many people can testify.
Traditionally countries like France and Belgium have found themselves at the centre of a number of wars and gold bullion has been the solution for residents

Modern Bullion coins are minted by many countries and can be purchased easily on websites like eBay. This is the easiest way to buy from a wide range of gold and silver bullion coins and ingots.
The next easiest way to buy is from a coin dealer where you will be able to inspect the coins or ingots.
Surprisingly Amazon.com offers both ingots and bullion coins .
So what Bullion coins are actually available to the independent purchaser ?

Gold Coins
South African KRUGERRANDS are an international favourite offering 1 troy ounce of gold ( most gold bullion coins are in multiples or fractions of a troy ounce.
The next Most Popular coin is the American Buffalo .This is a one Ounce Gold coin with a face value of $50 (but of course it is worth much more than that !)
The American Eagle Series of Gold coins are very worthwhile looking at as they are available in various denominations.
The St Gauden is a very lovely coin and is popular with collectors. However there are forgeries of this coin around.
Other popular Gold Bullion Coins include :
Australia – the 1 Ounce Gold Nugget
Austrian Philharmoniker Series of Gold Coins
The Canadian Maple Leaf Series
France – Rooster Series
Israel Gold Coins are popular too.
The Mexican Libertad
The British Sovereign
Swiss 20 Franc Helvetia
China Zodiac Gold Coins

GOLD MAPLE LEAF BAR gram coin oz bullion 1 TROY OUNCE
US $49.99

WALKING EAGLE BARS SILVER ART BAR 1 TROY OZ Bullion
US $20.51

1985 1 4 Ounce Gold Chinese Panda 999 Pure Bullion
US $329.99

32gms Natural Gold Nugget Bullion Dust Nuggets Mineral
US $1,108.13

ORIGINAL WW2 US ARMY AIR FORCES HQ PATCH TINSEL BULLION
US $4.99

2010 American Silver Eagle BU out of US MINT TUBE
US $20.05

You will ALWAYS pay more for Bullion Gold Coins than the official gold price.
The margin depends on the costs of manufacture, storage and distribution.

Silver Bullion Coins are very much worth considering.
There are also other options for the individual investor.
These include:
Swiss 10 ounce Gold Bars

There are rounds ,mixed lots of bullion, scrap gold bullion

Platinum Bullion coins including some unusual platinum bars and platinum coins recovered from the World Trade Center vaults of Johnson Matthew (the platinum Year of the Dragon coins)

Another option for collectors is Proof Coins (again a little more expensive)
These are superb quality coins double-struck with a heightened value .
You can find these from China (Gold Pandas) American Eagles etc.
Many countries have also produced commemorative coins in gold or silver but as some of these are limited editions these may be less attractive to bullion investors.

Hints on Buying Gold Bullion :

1: Never use an instant money transfer company to pay for gold coins – these are favourites for fraudsters.

2: check with the vendor on any internet site (like eBay) to avoid buying from a stolen account

3: Decide what value and type of coins/bars you are looking for.

4: Never buy from strangers in a café or pub/bar – this is a sure way to get robbed.

5: If you are buying in person then take a friend with you as a witness/security

6: Check if delivery costs are included (registered post please !)

7: check the bona fides of any company you buy from on the internet.

8: If possible check up on the background of any seller before you buy.
This includes ebay feedback - especially on delivery.

Bullion makes a superb gift for a loved one – especially when it can be used as jewellery (several of the swiss bullion pieces are suitable as pendants etc.

16mm Watch Band Genuine Lizard Burgundy
US $6.95

Mens 1964 Longines GRAND PRIZE Automatic Vintage Watch
US $505.05

23K Gold Zirconia watch Dual SIM Standby Cameras Phone
US $369.00

Ring 18K White Gold GP use Swarovski Crystals sz8 0484
US $8.22

Mens Geneve 14k Solid Gold Watch with Black Leather
US $1,150.00

GUCCI GOLD WATCHMINT
US $51.00

Or consider a Gold Watch – several are actually made from $20 pieces.
I hope this helps you if you want to know How to Buy Gold Bullion Coins

German Gold Coins

keith — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 09:29:58 +0000

German Gold Coins are a little confusing -especially early ones.
Early Gold Coins

Before unification, Germany was a number of individual states each of which minted its own German Gold coins.
Most of these were Silver coins and only about 40 states issued their own gold coins
These varied in size and some were fractional coins.
Indeed some states combined and used interchangeable gold coins whereas others used coins the same size as other countries to enable easier trade.
Because of this you may well see Ducats, Thalers,Gulden,Pistoles Franken etc.
This meant that a trader from Bavaria would be able to trade easily in the Neherlands , Switzerland or a dozen different countries.

19th Century Gold Coins
Prussia had its own 20 Mark Gold Coins for Wilhelm (1861 to 1888)
and for Wilhem IInd (1888 to 1918- although gold coins ceased production in 1915)

There were three Gold German Coins available
All were of .900 Fineness.
The 5 Mark Gold Coin was 16mm across and weighed .0576 of a Troy Ounce
The 10 Mark Gold Coin was 19.5 mm across and weighed .1152 of a Troy Ounce
The most popular investors coin however was the 20 Mark Gold Coin
The 20 Mark Gold Coin was 22.5mm across and weighed .2304 of a Troy ounce
Production of Gold Marks ended officially in 1915
The Mark was known as the Goldmark and was on a gold standard with 2790 Marks being equal to 1 Kilogram of pure Gold.
German Gold Coins were known to have been minted in
Baden,
Bavaria,
Hamburg,
Prusia,
Regensburg,
Saxony,
Wuerttemburg

RAUCH AUCTION CATALOG Ancient Foreign Jan 1985 34
US $1.95

24 CARAT GOLD 5 Reichsmark 1939 Nazi Swastika coin
US $9.98

1 REICHSPFENNIG 1937 A NAZI COIN 24 CT GOLD PLATED
US $15.36

2002 Catalog World Coins 3rd digital PDF 1701 1800
US $1.99

RARE German 3rd Reich 1942F 10 Reichspfennig WWII COIN
US $4.64

XRARE German 3rd Reich 1942F 10 Reichspfennig WWII COIN
US $3.25

Between 1915 and the outbreak of WWII paper money was used and the subsequent debasement of the paper currency lead to German people needing a wheelbarrow to carry enough money to buy a loaf of bread

More Recent Gold Coins

Nazi Gold Plated Coins are known from the Third Reich era
These usually show an Eagle over a swastika
Theses coins are not of high value.
Warning these are sometimes offered as *GOLD* but they are only plated (usually thinly)

In more modern times there are some Gold 1 mark coins which were issued in 2001
as a commemorative issue
These are very much valued by collectors in Germany as this was related to the retiremnt
of the mark as Currency.

After Germany adopted the Euro as currency, special 1/2 ounce (100 Euro) and 1 ounce (200 Euro) coins wew issued
These were issued in 2002.
A Gold Proof coin of Bamberg was issued with a face value of 100 Euro this was in 2004.

George IVth Gold Coins of Britain

keith — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 09:24:39 +0000

George IVth Gold Coins of Britain

George the Fourth ascended the Throne of Britain in 1820.
During his reign the following Gold Coins were struck :
Five Pounds and Two Pounds (only as proofs)
Gold Sovereigns with various head between 1821 and 1827
Years 1823 and 1825 are scarce but the 1828 is very scarce - you should beware of forgeries from that time which look authentic - these are mostly in EF condition but should be checked with an expert before purchase.
Half-Sovereigns were more plentiful and the rarest of these was the 1821 half sovereign.
Gold plated gaming tokens of this period do exist and are very similar to sovereigns and half-sovereigns and were sometimes passed as forgeries even then.

British Valuable Coins :
Articles include :

http://greatgoldcoins.net/william-ivth-gold-coins-britain/

http://greatgoldcoins.net/about/

http://greatgoldcoins.net/british-gold-coins/

http://greatgoldcoins.net/british-gold-coins/british-hammered-gold-coins/

http://greatgoldcoins.net/british-gold-coins/british-sovereigns/

http://greatgoldcoins.net/valuable-gold-coins/

If any real sovereigns are offered for sale they will appear below.

Genealogy History of HAMILTON County Tennessee
US $5.99

15 in 1 State of GEORGIA GA HISTORY GENEALOGY
US $18.00

THOUSAND NIGHTS ONE MP3 AUDIO CD SET FREE SHIPPING
US $6.50

1911 BRITISH SOVEREIGN 0235421 OUNCES GOLD
US $299.00

1875 Windsor Castle England Royalty vintage article
US $14.95

Sir Herbert Taylor Private Secretary Sovereign Signed
US $39.99

George IVth Gold Coins of Britain fairly scarce and a good investment.

Feedback on Coins

keith — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 09:09:14 +0000

Feedback on coins is very easy to confuse.
Feedback is the main thing that you as a buyer have to check the bona fides of the vendor.

The main problem is that it is relatively easy to get good feedback for a vendor.
All that he or she has to do is buy a number of low value items for 99 cent or so.
This way anyone can get reasonable feedback for just a couple of hundred dollars.

When you are thinking of buying gold coins however you want to be REALLY sure that the vendor is genuine.

1873 Seated Liberty Quarter ARROWS CHOICE UNC
US $294.00

1887 S Morgan Silver Dollar NEAR GEM BU BETTER DATE
US $87.00

1862 S $250 LIBERTY QUARTER EAGLE
US $1,395.00

1953 NGC Franklin Half Dollar PROOF PF 66 BEAUTIFUL
US $161.76

1897 O Morgan Silver Dollar CHOICE BU RARE Key Coin
US $2,385.00

1997 $25 GOLD EAGLE COIN PCGS MS69 1 2 OZ GREEN LABEL
US $769.00

It is fairly easy to check the vendors feed back - just click on the feedback line in their auction.
What you want to look for is that the vendor has previously sold coins and that the purchaser was happy with the purchase.

Scammers will ONLY have feedback for themselves as buyers not as sellers.
This may well be under 4 or 6 different ebay identities (its fairly easy to have a few ebay identities).
The other thing to look for is the feedback score - look for the RED entries and go through their whole feedback listings and check the each of the sales on those and look at the comments - if they regularly are mistaken about coin condition then they are either very inexperienced or scamming by over valuing the coin.
A Common trick is to say that a coin is a proof coin when it is just uncirculated.

Check the other listing of goods they have sold too - these may well be in various categories.

There is no reason of course not to buy from a private buyer with just a couple of coins to sell and these may well be the best buy of your life !
Private vendors should be emailed and asked about the condition of the coin and if it has been to a reputable grading service.
Many grading services are really just back room jobs and not worth the plastic they are slabbed in .

Gold coins are a favourite item for scammers so please look at the vendors website as this may reassure you.

Slabbing a coin does NOT make it into a Proof Coin.

Coin Resources

keith — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:11:25 +0000

Indispensible resources for serious collectors

Coin Resources

Coin Collecting Directory Coin Directory

http://www.coinwebsites.com/

Metal Detecting Forum Metal Detecting Forum

http://www.detecting.org.uk/index.html

Cointalk Forum http://www.cointalk.com/forum/t51378/

http://www.cointalk.com/

Coin Collectors Blog http://coinsblog.blogspot.com/

http://coinsblog.blogspot.com/

Coin Prices Magazine http://www.coinpricesmagazine.net/

http://www.coinpricesmagazine.net/

English Hammered Coins http://www.oldemoney.com/

http://www.oldemoney.com/

PCGS Price Guide http://www.pcgs.com/prices/

http://www.pcgs.com/prices/

Buying Bullion

keith — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:50:40 +0000

Buying Bullion

So you want to buy BULLION ?
Are you sure about that ??
Bullion has two ways it can go - up or down .

Before buying bullion have a look at gold and silver prices on google trends.
This will show you how the market is faring this week.

If it is going up then a buy may be in order and vice versa

Ask yourself what kind of bullion you wan to buy - Gold, Silver or Platinum.

There are several ways to buy bullion - one of the best is of course this site.
There you will have no bad surprises when you get the bill.

If you are buying for someone else then try to go with them to the bullion dealer.
Bullion dealers often do not like dealing with new customers.
They are not only shy but also worried about being robbed.

With strict money laundering laws in most countries this is another reason that they do not like large buys in cash.

Some bullion dealers offer a storage service in secure vaults and may or may not charge rent on your gold if you buy from them.

Never pay for bullion by any instant money transfer service. (Like Western Union )
Check out the seller on the internet and use words like scam,fraud and con + the sellers name.
Its a quick and confidential way to get an instant check on them.
Does your BANK sell Bullion ? Many do sell small quantities of gold.
If you want a largish quantity of gold or platinum then make a trip to Switzerland or Lichtenstein where the only reference they require is cash.

GOLD MAPLE LEAF BAR gram coin oz bullion 1 TROY OUNCE
US $49.99

WALKING EAGLE BARS SILVER ART BAR 1 TROY OZ Bullion
US $20.51

1985 1 4 Ounce Gold Chinese Panda 999 Pure Bullion
US $329.99

32gms Natural Gold Nugget Bullion Dust Nuggets Mineral
US $1,108.13

ORIGINAL WW2 US ARMY AIR FORCES HQ PATCH TINSEL BULLION
US $4.99

You can buy smallish quantities of gold across the counter of most banks there.
Once you have decided where to buy you have a large problem.
If you have bought in a country like Belgium Switzerland or Lichtenstein you may have to pay VAT
(Value Added Tax) on any gold imported into the UK - other countries have similar regulations.
This will add up to 20% to your costs.
There are huge fines for smuggling gold into the UK from the EC.
Do NOT buy gold with a credit or debit card - that raises alarm bells in places you would not believe.
You should expect a visit from the Authorities if you make large purchases of gold.

Alternatively you can rent a safe deposit box (make sure it is well insured)
or buy a good safe and cement it inside a cupboard at home.

2009 1 OZ KRUGERRAND 100 MILS GOLD SA GEM COPY COIN
US $9.95

1 one oz Silver Round Silver Krugerrand Commemorative
US $21.50

1 2 OZ GOLD KRUGERRAND WTC GROUND ZERO RECOVERY COIN
US $670.00

1 4oz GOLD KRUGERRAND WTC GROUND ZERO RECOVERY COIN
US $355.00

AFRICA LION 999 100 MILS 24k GOLD 1 TROY OZ PROOF BAR
US $12.95

FIVE 2008 1 OZ KRUGERRAND GOLD SA GEM MINT COPY COINS
US $29.95

No matter how careful you think you are being you will always be leaving a financial trail.
Trails like those interest government departments and thieves.
Even staff in bullion companies and banks have friends outside their work. And they talk.
They talk to their friends, relatives and socialy. You never know who those friends are!

Be careful out there. especially when Buying Gold Bullion

Tags: bullion, buying bullion, investing in bullion, money laundering, swiss banking

10 Tips for Coin Auctions

keith — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 09:07:16 +0000

Coin Auctions can be good places to buy or sell coins.
Here are some tips you may not have thought of.

1 * Live Auctions are likely to be the best places to buy.
This is because many such auctions are usually aimed at the US Market and the rest of the coin buying world will be asleep because of geographical location.
Best ones of all are local auctions which do not advertise on the internet. You will have far less competition bidding at these.

2 * Auctions are great places to buy rare coins. Sellers want the best prices they can get and t is usually at auction.

3 * Auctions by mail – possibly good since many people prefer to bid on eBay and get the excitement of a current auction.

Mail Coin Auctions mean you have to sign up for a catalogue and sometimes give the auction credit card details ot ensure that you are a genuine buyer. If you buy from a mail auction you will usually get a free subscription to new auctions or sales (often with illustrated catalogues)

4 * Phone Auctions – these can be auctions by coin companies or (better still) auctions by general antiques auctioneers
These are just like regular auctions where you go along in person and bid. You can usually leave a bid with the auctioneer (the maximimum you will pay for each lot)

5 * Internet Auctions .

Ebay is the best known of these but a number of other companies do hold similar auctions. With any internet auction you must have an internet identity under which you make bids. You can make individual bids or maximum bids for each item and the software at the auction company handles the bidding for you.

6 * With an Internet Auction you will usually be able to contact the vendor with questions and receive an answer the same day.

7 * Internet Auctions last between 1 day (same day) and 30 days depending on the internet auction company.

8 * Fraud is rife on the internet. It is easy for instance for a deceptive vendor to place a listing of a coin or coins that they do not hold or to use a picture of a higher grade coin than the actual one they are selling. Look for the following words in the listing : copy, repro, reproduction, facsimile as all of these mean copy !
Copies are not as valuable as real coins.

9 * To protect yourself as a buyer make sure you ONLY pay by a genuine company such as PAYPAL as you will usually then have an ability to claim against them and the vendor for misleading or false sales.Please avoid paying by company like Western Union as this company and other instant transfer companies are often used by fraudsters at coin auctions

10 * To check a coin out just ask the vendor for a photo of the other side of the coin. If there is no answer then avoid that vendor.The coin may not actually exist.

11* ALWAYS check out a vendors feedback (feedback is the result of previous sales by that vendor) Pay particular attention to NEGATIVE FEEDBACK.
To bid on eBay you need to be registered: