The Way to Safe and Secure Investing - Gold Is the Answer!

The first thing most financial advisors will ask a client is why they are investing. They will also usually how much time the client has before they think they will need the money. These two pieces of information will figure heavily in the kinds of investments a particular client is suited for.

When markets are volatile, and the standard advice doesn't apply as consistently as it used to, financial advisors will inform many of their clients about profitable opportunities to invest in gold. How does gold help an investment portfolio?

How Hedges Work

A hedge is a way for investors to protect their gains in the market. One way to think of hedges is to think of insurance. If a stock position increases in value by $1000, the investor will naturally want to keep that gain. They certainly don't want that same position to decrease by $1000 and wipe out their profit. So that investor might employ what is known as a hedge.

In the everyday world, insurance is a hedge. The purpose is to offset losses with accompanying gains. Futures contracts are one of the most popular hedges. Options are also a common way for investors to secure gains and try to avoid unnecessary losses.

One of the most powerful hedges is gold.

Gold as Insurance

Gold has always been a tremendously strong repository of value. Whether it is held in coins, bars or in other forms, gold maintains its value fairly consistently over time and also paces the rate inflation fairly closely, meaning that value stored in gold is likely to be far less vulnerable to the inflationary loss of buying power an equivalent amount in cash would be. These are some of the most profound gold investing factors for success.

When gold is established as a companion investment to a stock or bond position, or as a foundation-level position in a larger portfolio, it often will rise in value when other investments generally drop in value. Gold is considered a safe store of value, and demand for it often rises when other investments and classes of investments turn bearish. Gold is also very popular among currency investors who continuously look for profitable opportunities to invest in gold, as it provides a dual-strategy option of arbitrage against foreign demand and a hedge against exchange rate fluctuations, especially the currency native to the gold position.

Gold as Investment

Because it is a strong repository of value and is far less vulnerable to inflation, gold meets one of the most important requirements of a good investment. The other requirement is that an investment's gains exceed taxes. Because gold is a value store, it is generally not subject to the same kinds of taxes as a more volatile stock or bond portfolio might be. Until it is sold, a gold position is likely to face few taxes at all, and if it is incorporated into a tax-advantaged account of some kind, any gains may avoid taxes altogether or at the very least mitigate them.

Avoiding loss of value through taxes and inflation is another of the many gold investing factors for success. Gold is not a growth investment per se, and it is not likely to produce dividends or regular payouts like a bond or a mutual fund might. What it does provide is consistent safety. Its very presence is an automatic hedge against riskier positions in other markets.

A Path to the Future

Gold has been a good investment for thousands of years. It is now used in a wide variety of high-technology manufacturing processes, and mining technology has never been more advanced. Anyone looking for a good way to build a safe store of value for their family and legacy would be well advised to consider putting at least a portion of their investments into gold. It is one part of an overall strategy for wise investing.

 

Gold, One of the Safest Ways to Invest

The precious metals market has always been one of the best ways to invest for virtually every investor. Gold stands at the head of the precious metals market as the most covered and easiest investment to get into. Here are just a few of the ways that gold can protect and build your wealth.

- There are more ways to invest in gold than many other kinds of securities.

The safe-haven investor is made even more safe because of the many ways that there are to invest in the metal. This ensures a high volume on the metal, and the high volume in turn secures a more stable price for the investments of everyone.

You can invest directly in gold bullion in most countries; however, you will need a professional partner in order to protect your investment from the government. If you do not feel like going through this hassle, then you can invest in many derivatives of gold such as exchange traded funds and mutual funds that include gold. These investments may be slightly off of the true value of gold; the derivative investments tend to be affected by the short term attitudes in the market more than gold bullion direct investments. All of these investments are still safer than other securities because they respond much less to short term movements in the market.

In order to decide between the ways to invest in gold, you should consult a professional financial advisor whom you trust. If you want to protect and build your wealth, then you must be sure that you deal with an investment that is within your budget as well as the one that is right for your portfolio.

- The safe-haven investor invests in gold for the long term.

If you are looking for investment that you can keep for a while without having to monitor it, then gold is definitely the investment for you. Most people do not have the time to look over their investments on a day-to-day basis. However, the only investments that truly make money outside of the precious metals market require a great deal of personal management in order to succeed. You get the best of both worlds when you invest in gold - the safety of a precious metal along with the ability to create wealth for yourself while saving time.

- Gold can maintain your portfolio even when the market is going down.

One of the main reasons that people invest in gold is the ability of the precious metal to maintain value and even go up in value during a bear market or recession. Gold is usually the investment that people look to when the dollar is falling. This means that you can actually reverse some of the negative effects of a recession including higher interest rates and a higher cost of living. Once the recession is over, precious metals tend to retain their value. This means that you do not have to sell your holdings once the recession is over - you can keep them as an addition to your net worth.

As one of the safest ways to invest, gold is quickly becoming a staple in the portfolios of many people. In order to get the most value out of the investment, you should start to invest in the product before people begin to truly understand what gold does. Once the general public is made aware of the true nature of the precious metals market, those people will likely flood the market and drive up the price. If you get in ahead of them, then you will reap the benefits of your good decision without having to pay a premium.

Try to invest in gold at a basic level if you can. The upfront cost of time that you will have to put in for bullion is well worth it. You will get the safest investment of all gold investments.

 

The World Is Addicted to Debt

Was the 2007 to 2008 financial crisis the equivalent of a foreshock - an earthquake that, at the time, seemed like the Big One until, that is, the real and substantially larger earthquake brings massively more destruction days or weeks later?

Based on what has transpired in recent years, it would certainly seem that the Global Financial Crisis was just a taste of what's to come.

The world is more deeply indebted today than it was back then. Too-big-to-fail banks are even bigger today. And central bankers for the world's key countries have little firepower left to confront a new financial crisis.

We are now officially on our own. Buy gold!

Earlier this year, global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. issued a report on the 20 most-indebted nations. The numbers are shocking.

Just below the top 20 nations we have Canada at No. 21 with debt-to-GDP at 221%... Australia at No. 23 with 213%... and Germany at #24 with 188%. The most prudent Western nation is tiny Slovakia at No. 27 with 151% debt to GDP.

Overall, global debt now sits right at $200 trillion - nearly three times larger than the world's entire economic output in a given year.

That is not a sustainable number.

A Future of Defaults?

Just about the entirety of the West is in a bad way with debt, given that most economic research concludes that debt ratios above 60% are debilitating and, ultimately, disastrous to an economy. Worse, there is no discernable effort anywhere in the developed world to reduce those debts.

Our biggest problem is that Western politicians have reached the point where they know the only way to maintain clout is to rely on the power of the printing press to pay for programs that keep the populace relatively happy and compliant. They're egregiously - and immorally - accumulating masses of debt in our names without regard to the true impacts.

But, as I always say, nothing in economics and finance ever happens in a vacuum. There are pipers to pay. And governments around the world face a painful comeuppance.

Because of them, we face a financial crisis that will show the Global Financial Crisis to have been just a foreshock.

I'm not saying such a crisis is imminent. I'm just saying that one is all but assured.

Debt goes away in only one of three ways: It's paid off, written off or the debtor defaults. Given the size of the world's debts, there's no plausible way to pay it off without usurping assets from private citizens (not out of the realm of possibility). The world - especially the West - simply has not the capacity to grow fast enough to generate the tax activity needed to pay down the debt to a sustainable level.

More likely, then, are write-offs and defaults.

And in a fiat-currency world, those solutions come packaged with a crisis-of-confidence among the citizenry who suddenly see that they have every reason to fear politicians with a printing press.

Here's the real problem for you and me: We have no way of knowing when a financial crisis will erupt. We have no way of knowing what event will precipitate the unraveling.

Will the reckoning happen tomorrow? Next week? Next year? 2018?

No one has that answer.

All we can do is prepare.

One Solution

And the only way to prepare is to own gold.

In every financial crisis, gold has served as the ultimate store of value. As archaic as it is - it has been a currency for thousands of years - it will prove once again that it is the only true currency on the planet (that is, until the Chinese release a hard-asset-backed yuan in the new future... but that's a story for another day.)

This isn't just another "buy gold" story.

It's me imploring you to protect your future from what's coming.

As a lifelong world traveler, Jeff Opdyke has been investing directly in the international markets since 1995, making him one of the true pioneers of foreign trading. He is Investment Director for The Sovereign Society and a weekly contributor to The Sovereign Investor Daily.

 

Gold, Best Asset Protection Today!

The world is a volatile place. War. Terrorism. Natural disasters. Roller coaster stock markets. The stress and pressures never seem to go away. You've worked hard and you want to know your hard-earned money is safe from risk. With the possible financial risks increasing by the day, have you given a thought to what the best asset protection is? Maybe you've diversified your assets between stocks, bonds, and real estate. But how about gold? The reasons to own gold are numerous, but the most important thing to remember is it's the only truly safe asset in this financially unstable world.

It's often difficult to read the newspapers or watch the news. Everything seems to be a potential bubble or meltdown waiting to happen. The stock market goes up. The stock market goes down. Banks are either expanding quickly or laying off thousands of people at a time. It used to be a safe bet to diversify your assets by buying real estate, but then the real estate crash happened and all of your holdings are now underwater.

When the real estate market crashed, lots of people decided FX trading was a great bet for financial success. But its risk is also high and the unexpected nature of the world affects this market just as much as others. Currencies go up and down every day. Look at what happened when the Swiss Franc shot up 18% one day and wiped out thousands of people. And the dollar and euro are not as safe as they seem. The US and the EU have amassed enormous debts and the value of their currencies are dependent on the countries that own the debt. Neither currency is safe.

There is one safe way to protect your assets. Gold. Actually, it's the best asset protection. There are many reasons to own gold, but the best reason is it's the original world currency and has been for 5000 years. With that history, you know it's going to be around even when the stock markets crash or the dollar or euro disappears. The reason why it's so great is because it's a commodity. When you buy gold, you buy something that has physical value. Whereas a stock or bond might have value at the moment, gold will always have value. That's why the rich always keep part of their holdings in gold. They use it as an insurance for the unexpected and you should too. It's the perfect way to diversify your assets.

Now that you know the reasons why it's important to own gold, you are ready to protect your finances and learn the ABCs of Gold Investing. It's actually quite easy. You can buy gold bullion or coins online or from a local jeweler. Most people prefer this because they get something physical they can keep in case of emergency. For those who don't want actual gold, it's also possible to invest in gold by buying ETFs that specialize in gold or by buying future contracts in gold. You can also buy stocks in the gold mining companies since their stock prices are usually valued in relation to the value of gold. These options are all great, but gold coins and bullion are always the best asset protection.

The ABCs of Gold Investing is just that easy. Buy gold coins or bullion online or from your local jeweler. Use it to protect your assets and hedge against future disasters. It's the perfect investment. If the stock market crashes, gold still has a value. If the real estate market crashes, gold still has a value. If the dollar or euro suddenly crashes in value, gold still has a value. By buying gold, you are buying a commodity that has a 5000-year history of being the most stable currency in world history. Protect yourself and invest in gold. 

The Truth About China's Gold

For you stock-market buffs, here's a blast from the past: "Plunge Protection Team."

You remember those guys? That's the catchy nickname for a presidential group of officially sanctioned market manipulators who sprung out of Wall Street's 1987 crash, and who have been pulling strings and pushing levers behind the scenes ever since to keep the markets from collapsing.

Well, I'm not sure how to say "plunge protection team" in Chinese, but last week's news makes it clear China has one.

China released its latest data on the amount of gold its central bank is holding. The number was a shocking lie. And what seems clear in this lie is that China only released the data for one reason: to stanch the bloodshed in its stock market.

I will tell you right now that if there's one investment you make this year, it should be gold.

Physical gold.

At just over $1,100 per ounce as I write this, gold prices are at the lowest levels since 2010. The latest move down stems from China's Big Golden Lie...

The country announced last Friday that its official gold holdings now stand at 1,658 tons. That's just 600 tons more than the country supposedly owned in 2009.

It's a lie as big as the country itself.

China now mines more gold than any other country. It has mined more than 2,000 tons of gold since 2009. Much - if not all - of that gold ends up in the People's Bank of China.

And depending on the month, the country is also the No. 1 or No. 2 gold importer. It has imported well over 3,300 tons of gold through Hong Kong. China has also imported nearly 700 tons from Switzerland since January 2012.

And yet the country's official gold holdings increase by just 600 tons?

The math seems askew...

And Then There's This Little Tidbit

Just last month, at the London Bullion Market Forum 2014, the chairman and secretary-general of the China Gold Association announced what should have been shocking news. It proves everything I've been saying for last few years about the massive size of China's gold hoard.

Mr. Zhang's first slide showed that "Since 2009, Chinese gold reserves keep increasing. Successfully breakthrough 7,000 ton, 8,000 ton, 9,000 ton. Till the end of 2014, the gold reserves reach 9,816.03 ton, the world's second." (That's where he ended it, presumably meaning the world's second-largest hoard of gold.)

I've been saying that based on known flows of gold, China has at least 5,000 tons and possibly closer to 10,000 tons. And here's the head of the country's gold association confirming my calculations and suspicions.

And yet the country officially announced just a 600-ton increase that leaves the total hoard six times smaller than what the country's gold association says China really has.

Why?

Plunge Protection Team to the rescue!

A Secret Hedge Against a Dollar Disaster

During the recent Shanghai Stock Exchange implosion, there was an internal call for the government to shore up investor worries, not with empty words but with real action. One of those actions was to increase gold and silver reserves, to show that China's financial system is stable.

Showing an increase in gold would help that cause.

At the same time, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which wants to add the yuan to a basket of reserve currencies, has been calling on China to update its accounting of its gold reserves, since that figure was last updated six years ago. Again, the latest announcement helps that cause.

But it doesn't address the lie.

Why would China so drastically under-report it's gold?

Two plausible scenarios I can think of:

China doesn't want to unsettle the global currency market by announcing how truly large its gold holdings are. That would call into question the value of U.S. dollars and could be seen as an attack on the dollar. China isn't ready - yet - to rule the roost.

China is preparing for a crisis of confidence in Western currencies, namely the dollar. And it is building a massive store of gold to fend off - and profit from - the storms to come. In a global currency crisis, gold would rise to between $3,000 and $5,000 an ounce, possibly more. The value of China's gold holdings - its real gold holdings - would recoup any losses accumulated in U.S. Treasury debt the country owns.

The Best Insurance Policy

This is the moment to be building your own hoard of gold. Prices are at five-year lows, yet nothing in the world has changed since the end of the global financial crisis.

Indeed, as I will show you Friday, far from deleveraging in the wake of the financial crisis, the world has actually taken on substantially more debt.

This is not a sustainable path.

Buy gold. And as I always say, buy it often. It's your only salvation when the reckoning comes.

As a lifelong world traveler, Jeff Opdyke has been investing directly in the international markets since 1995, making him one of the true pioneers of foreign trading. He is Investment Director for The Sovereign Society and a weekly contributor to The Sovereign Investor Daily.

 

The Current US Economy Is Like Being on the Titanic's Only Voyage

It occurred to me recently, that I see the current US economy much like being on the RMS Titanic during its maiden voyage in April, 1912. There are many beliefs and perceptions regarding our current economy that remind me of what Titanic passengers must have experienced.

Most of America's citizens believe strongly this country is too big to sink. They have been led to this belief by the news media and our esteemed politicians. Just like the Titanic we're in the good hands of an experienced and knowledgeable crew.

The ship's design was solid and unsinkable, and so is the foundation of this country. We live in complete confidence the crew will take good care of us through anything. We depend on our leaders to make the correct decisions to avert disaster.

The Titanic's captain, crew and many passengers had knowledge of the icebergs nearby, but didn't see them as dangerous. Only a few people thought the ship should take any kind of precautionary action. The masses were complacently denying the dangers around them.

The few who expressed concern were scoffed at, and called Doomsday Sayers. Most just considered them fringe lunatics, very much like people today warning of inevitable financial collapse from today's federal debt management.

Many people, who acknowledged the potential gravity of the situation in the highly unlikely event of an iceberg collision, figured so much chaos would erupt; they would end up going down with the ship anyway. Options for survival weren't even casually entertained by the vast, vast majority of passengers or crew. "Stay the course" they said.

Many others were having too much fun to consider the prospect of it suddenly ending. The ship was simply too great to sink, in spite of careless actions at the helm. Traveling full speed ahead, in the night fog, with icebergs everywhere was questioned by only a few "nut-cases".

Of course, the few who sensed something wrong had no way of predicting the exact outcome of an event; only that it might end badly. A few plans were likely developed based on very limited knowledge and data.

This was okay though. The masses had no plan at all. Some sort of contingency plan, even the wrong plan greatly increased their chances of survival.

As with today, the masses were counting on the captain and crew to make the right decisions to avoid danger. When the iceberg was hit, the leader who got them into this situation kept reassuring the passengers no danger existed. "No need to worry". Sound familiar?

The survivors weren't so involved with enjoying themselves to realize their peril. They weren't complacent. They were open to changing the course of their lives when it became essential to do so.

So, where are we now in this journey that so closely parallels the Titanic's journey? I think we're still at the stage where a few people recognize danger ahead, and think we should alter our course to avert disaster. The masses are complacent. They think things are much better than they really are.

Very few people are anticipating any radical changes in our lifestyle, and the government assures us the future they're leading us to is gloriously bright. The dissenters are labeled as crazy or radical whack-jobs.


To discover more about coins: collecting issues, money management, investing in the rare and bullion coin market, and much more, I invite you to visit http://www.heritagecoingallery.com for videos and free tips on buying coins at the best prices.

 

Economic Future For You and Your Loved Ones - Gold Is the Answer!

In order to build and preserve your wealth, you need a diversified portfolio that actually fits in with your schedule. There is a different type of portfolio that is appropriate for someone with time to handle investments day to day and for someone with a day job, a family and other interests to consider.

For people who want to maintain a life while securing an economic future for themselves and their family, gold is the safe investment. There are many ways to protect and build your wealth with gold. Here are just a few of the ways in which gold can help you secure your economic future.

Gold goes up when currency goes down or fluctuates.

You can protect and build your wealth with gold because it is less volatile than perhaps any other type of investment class. It is one of the safe investments even during highly volatile economic times because it is a basic component in many of the materials that are used in everyday life.

Many people will actually use gold as a buffer for many of their more speculative investments. At the same time, gold can also be an income producing investment. This is one of the greatest advantages of gold and other precious metals.

Gold holds its value above inflation.

The history of gold has shown it to be an investment that tends to hold its value above inflation. This is actually one of the most important aspects of any investment that an investor should consider. Because savings accounts and normal checking accounts have interest rates that are lower than inflation currently, people must find other ways to hold their money in long-term assets. Gold is one of the safest ways to do this.

Although there may be a bit more work involved in procuring a gold investment, it is certainly worth the time to an investor who understands the market truly. Gold is relatively easy to trade if there is a short-term emergency; however, the fact that the investment money is in a precious metal tends to keep people from turning it into liquid currency for anything frivolous. These unique characteristics make gold a unique wealth building tool that has been used by many of the most famous investors in the world today.

There are many different ways to invest in gold.

Depending on the time that you are willing to put into your investment, you have the ability to receive rewards that are far beyond the scope of many other types of investment classes. For instance, gold bullion gives investors the ability to become involved with precious metals at a very basic level, decreasing the volatility of the investment while increasing its wealth building capabilities. However, if you do not have time to get involved with gold at this level, you can also invest in gold derivatives through gold stocks, gold exchange traded funds and mutual funds that include gold in their holdings. There are many ways to invest in gold; utilize them all if you can. You can also invest in gold mining companies for a speculative option that may increase your holdings exponentially if the company is successful in its efforts.

There are many other reasons that goal can secure an economic future for you and your loved one; however, the reasons above are more than enough for you to get started in the industry. Make sure that you understand all of the risks that are involved in any investment before committing yourself to anything. In particular, be sure that you are well-informed about the precious metals industry and how you can make money through your involvement with gold investments.

Historically, gold has been one of the most popular and well performing investments of any precious metal. Whether you are just looking to get started or you are a seasoned investor with years under your belt, you can always find a great use for your money through some type of investment in gold.

 

Rare American Coins and 1840-1873 Liberty Seated Silver Dollars

The Liberty Seated series silver dollar is impossible to complete in MS condition because of very small mintages and low survival rates. The series started as a slight variation of Christian Gobrecht's original obverse design. The original Gobrecht soaring eagle reverse was replaced by a modified Heralding Eagle design by John Reich, first used on coins in 1807.

Robert Ball Hughes modified Gobrecht's original obverse creation in the "name of decency". He chopped some of her rock seat away, made the liberty lettering on her shield more legible, and added more folds to her left sleeve. He also added 13 stars to the obverse rather that placing them on the reverse.

It was minted initially in Philadelphia, then in New Orleans in 1846. Liberty Seated was the last silver dollar minted before the Coinage Act of 1873. The Coinage Act of 1873 stopped the production of silver dollars for domestic use, and initiated the use of silver Trade Dollars for foreign commerce.

The Coinage Act also ended private citizen being able to have their personal silver or gold minted into legal tender. The main source of silver prior to 1870 was from private citizens, and not much silver was normally brought in for minting.

By 1859, there was now a much better supply of silver from the Comstock Lode, therefore output of Liberty Seated dollars increased at the end of the series in 1871 and 1872. The Trade Dollar filled the gap between the Liberty Seated and the Morgan silver dollar.

The total production of all Liberty Seated dollar business strike is 6,487,747. The Philadelphia Mint produced 5,465,463 of these coins. In fact during 1871 and 1872, the Philadelphia mint struck a total of 2,179,300 coins, making them the most "common" in the series.

In 1851 and 1852 the Philadelphia Mint produced a total of only 2,400 coins. The branch mints only struck Liberty Seated silver dollars for four years each, early in production in New Orleans, and late in production in San Francisco and Carson City.

The New Orleans mint struck a total of only 875,000 of these dollars. The New Orleans pieces have by far the highest mint state survival rates of the entire series due to the 1962-64 US Treasury release.

It is believed that between one and three mint-sealed bags of 1,000 fresh 1859-O and 1860-O dollars were found among the bags of Morgan and Peace silver dollars sold to the public during the 1960's.

The 1870-S Seated dollar mintage is unknown. Estimates range anywhere from 25-300 pieces. Today's confirmed population is just a dozen specimens. In fact, the best known specimen 1870-S is MS-62. 1870-S is considered the king of the Liberty Seated series.

1866 was the first year American coins started to add the inscription "IN GOD WE TRUST". This date is actually more common in MS condition than many prior dates.

The Carson City mint produced a total of only 18,584 Liberty Seated dollars during its four years of production. The 1870-CC accounts for 63% of the total mintage, making it the most "common" of the Carson City produced in this silver dollar series. A "few" MS examples have turned up.

The 1873-CC is the second rarest date to the 1870-S with a total mintage of 2300, and a single MS-64 found. Because this series contains so many "stoppers" and is much more expensive to acquire than the Morgan or Peace series, the Liberty Seated series unfortunately hasn't had much collector interest.


To discover more about coins: collecting issues, money management, investing in the rare and bullion coin market, and much more, I invite you to visit http://www.heritagecoingallery.com for videos and free tips on buying coins at the best prices.

 

Why Do I Need to Save and Hold Gold?

Why do I need to buy and hold gold? There are many reasons. To understand why you need gold, you need to understand our current money system. In the United States, when the Federal Reserve prints a dollar, the government owes the Federal Reserve a dollar, adding more debt to the already mounting debt from other expenditures. Other countries buy the debt, in the form of treasury bonds. Lately, the US has bought back a lot of its bonds. To pay just the interest on the US debt, what do we do? Print more dollars. Thus owing more money to the Federal Reserve.

In 1933, each dollar was backed by gold. One ounce of gold was equal to about $20.00. This could buy a formal suit, a car, or a vacation. Later that year, President Roosevelt took the dollar off the gold standard. He intended this to be temporary during the war, but it was difficult to adjust back to after the war. In 1935, he adjusted the value of an ounce of gold to $35.00, to enable a return to the gold standard. This held, with more adjustment, until the 1970's, when the gold standard was abandoned. Now, one ounce of gold will still buy what it did in 1933, but the same 20 or even 35.00 won't even buy a week's groceries.

So what form of gold should I buy? It is almost universally agreed that it is best to buy physical gold, that you can hold in your hand. Lately the paper gold certificates have been popular, but when people start trying to redeem them for physical gold, there is a good chance that gold supplies will run out before all certificates are redeemed. There are still a variety of physical gold options. The best option is pre-1933 gold coins. This is because of the law enforced by President Roosevelt during the war, forbidding citizens to hold large amounts of gold. The exception was collectible coins. This law, although not enforced anymore, is still on the books, and could, theoretically, be reinforced. They also have the advantage of numismatic, or collectible value. Other options are modern-day gold coins and bullion. There are various grades of modern coins, but many gold dealers will still just pay spot price for them.

At $1169.70 per ounce at the time of this writing, buying a full ounce of gold is cost prohibitive for many people. There are some companies that sell smaller amounts, even down to 1 gram. This is my personal preference, because it is more affordable, and, in case of economic crises, could be more easily traded for goods/services. There are different grades of gold bullion also. When buying gold bullion, look for gold that is LBMA certified. This is gold from a refiner approved by the London Bullion Market Association. This gives you assurance that the gold you are buying is high quality, pure gold. You also want to make sure you are buying 24 karat gold. This is the same as.999, 99.99% pure, or "currency grade". You can take a bar of LBMA certified, 24 karat, or currency grade, gold, to a bank and pay a loan with it.


My company offers just such LBMA certified, currency grade, 24 karat gold in small denominations. For full product and business information, or just for current news affecting gold prices, please visit my website.

Hi, my name is Christina St. John. My business is Golden Times Monthly. I maintain a blog of economic news that affects the price of gold. I also sell 1 to 5 gram increments of 24 karat, LBMA certified gold bars. There is also a home based business option. My website for the blog ishttp://goldentimes.my-free.website/blog. For product information, you can link from there or go directly to http://goldentimes.my-free.website/our-products. Thank you for visiting.

What You Need to Know About Engelhard, the Private Mint and Precious Metals Refinery

Engelhard was founded in 1902 in Newark, New Jersey. This company soon became the world's largest precious metals refiner. In the mid-1970's Engelhard made gold, silver, platinum & palladium bullion bars.

It wasn't until the early 1980's, that the company started to produce bullion rounds known as the Engelhard Prospector. They were struck from 1982 until 1987 when their production of precious metal ceased. 1987 was the second year of the American silver Eagle, which became vastly more popular.

American Prospector gold and silver rounds were struck in 1/10, 1/4, 1/2, and 1 oz sizes. The fractional sized silver rounds were produced in smaller numbers and only in 1985. Understandably, they have higher premiums due to their rarity.

As with other numismatics, the Prospector series has a key date. The 1983 is far more difficult to find than the other coins in this short lived series. The rounds generally follow the silver bullion market, but the 1983 will typically cost three to four times as much as the other rounds in the series.

Engelhard silver and gold rounds are far rarer than the American Silver Eagle, with only 700,000 silver rounds ever minted. The lowest Silver Eagle production year was 1996, when they made only 3,603,000.

The Engelhard mint was the only private mint at the time who could say they rivalled federal mints from around the world. They are certainly worth the premium they don't seem to get on their products.

The Engelhard trademark started as a capital E overlaying a world globe. They used this logo on all their products until sometime in 1984, when the Prospector reverse became a flying eagle. This allows collectors to buy both the 1984 with eagle reverse and with the original "E" reverse.

The bars came in many sizes, but the most popular sizes are 1, 5, 10, and 100 oz denominations. Their silver bars have the famous "E" logo along with their name written out on both sides of the bar. All of the bars are clean cut and uniform. Silver bar production amounted to roughly 4,000,000 units.

Engelhard may be the most well-known name when it comes to silver bars, but they aren't the only big name in the field. Other popular names include Sunshine Minting, Johnson Matthey, Pamp Suisse, and Silvertowne. Each of these companies has been around for many years and enjoys a reputation similar to Engelhard.

Probably, the best place to buy an Engelhard silver bar or round is on the internet. You will be able to choose from the lowest mark ups, and may even find versions of the bar that you didn't even know existed before. There are many, many variations of their silver bars.

To discover more about coins: collecting issues, money management, investing in the rare and bullion coin market, and much more, I invite you to visit http://www.heritagecoingallery.com for videos and free tips on buying coins at the best prices.

Just How Rare and Collectible Are the US Trade Dollar Coins?

Trade dollars were despised at home and loved in China. They were 4 grams heavier than either the Liberty Seated or Morgan silver dollars used for domestic trade. These silver dollars were very short lived, and only used from 1873 to 1878.

When silver prices crashed in 1876, the Trade Dollar flooded the American economy. They had an actual value of $.80 even though their face value was a dollar. They were worth their weight in silver bullion, not the dollar stated on the reverse. In July of 1876 Congress withdrew its legal tender status.

They offer the chance to buy truly rare American coins for reasonable prices.

Three significant factors contribute to the rarity of collector grade Trade Dollars.

1. Original mintage: Mintages were small compared to most US silver coins.

2. Relatively few of the coins actually remained in the United States. Huge quantities of them were melted for their silver value in China and India. It's believed that half the 1878-CC mintage was melted.

3. Chop marks: Many Trade Dollars were counter stamped in the Orient with merchant acceptance as payment. Many others were abrasively cleaned. Both disqualify the coin from being graded.

Business strikes are dated from 1873 to 1878 and produced in Philadelphia, San Francisco and Carson City. The business strikes minted from 1873 to 1878 comprise 6 Carson City issues, 6 San Francisco issues, and just 5 Philadelphia Mint coins. This results in only 17 different date/mint mark combination.

Mintage of over a million coins is relatively rare for the Trade dollar. The highest mintage was the 1877-S with 9,519,000 struck, then 1876-S taking second place with 5,227,000 and the 1875-S taking third place with 4,487,000 examples. Fourth place is the 1878-S with 4,162,000 coins.

As you can see, only the above dates of 1875-S, 1876-S, 1877-S and 1878-S would qualify as "relatively common" and even these are still difficult to find in Mint State. All the other date/mint marks are scarce, rare, extremely rare or unknown in Mint State.

Trade dollars have somewhat more collector interest than Seated Liberty dollars, because they have at least some chance of completing a full date/mint mark series. None would be considered an unobtainable rarity. The most elusive coin of the group is the 1878-CC, which also happens to be the lowest mintage of the series.

If you ignore the 1884 and 1885 limited proof issues, there might be a chance of a complete series collection. There were only 5 total 1885 proofs struck. The 1885 trade dollar has all of the elements of intrigue and desirability of the more famous 1804 Draped Bust silver dollar.

Disregarding 1884 and 1885, proof versions of the business strike Trade Dollars were produced in very limited numbers for collectors. There wasn't much collector interest, and little attempt was made by the mint to generate collector interest in them.

If a collector wished to retain an example, he would purchase a proof from the mint. Proof Trade Dollar coins were issued for collectors from 1873 to 1883. The high mint state versions are usually only available as proofs.

These coins never got hoarded the way Morgan and Peace dollars have. In other words, there isn't much chance of future discoveries of someone's secret stash.

Business strikes are often very rare in Mint State, but relatively obtainable in circulated grades, even AU. In higher mint state grades, business strike versions of the Trade Dollars are among the ultimate rare American coins.

Gold Coins - A Different Way to Invest in Your Future

If you've been considering how to begin financial planning for your future you may have considered investments but been unsure where to start. The options can be overwhelming but if you have ever wondered how to buy gold for investment there are some simple ways to get started. It is important to begin with knowing what is the best gold to invest in.

Why Invest In Gold?

Gold values shift with time but gold is always valuable and its value is not dependent solely upon being able to sell it. Unlike stocks and other investments, gold's value isn't linked primarily to supply or demand nor is it related to company performance or earnings. Gold stands on its own and will always have some value just as it is. In an ever shifting economy and world market the dollar may lose value, stocks may plummet and other investments may fall flat. Gold coins, however, are valued everywhere and travel well. No matter what happens there will always be a minimum fixed value to gold and demand for it. Gold coins are one way to diversify your investment portfolio if you are an avid investor, and one of the easiest ways to begin investing if you are new to the practice or have limited means to begin.

The Best Investment

To make the most of your investment in gold coins you need to know the best gold to invest in. If you are looking for how to buy gold for investment, the best option of all is bullion coins. Many people are taken in by the idea of collectible gold coins, but unlike bullion, collectibles require an interested party if you wish to off-load them for cash later. Collecting is not the same as investing, though you can certainly collect thoughtfully with the intent of investment. Collectors tend to gravitate towards designs that appeal to them rather than the actual quality of the gold itself. This means when they want to sell, they need to find someone who is equally interested in the design or meaning of a specific coin if they want to recoup the investment or make more. This can be tricky as the value of the gold itself is then not in play but instead it is based on the intrigue to a collector. Bullion coins, on the other hand, have an inherent value being of higher quality more pure gold that can be melted down if necessary. It is easier to find a buyer for bullion for this reason.

How To Get Started

It is often said the best time to buy gold for investment is when the economy is fairly quiet. Gold and interest rates are connected; when interest rates rise gold value drops and vice versa. Buying gold when the value is lower in anticipation of it rising again makes sense, but buying when there isn't a panicked scramble for gold is even better. Find a reputable trader and build a relationship. Look for brick-and-mortar businesses where you can meet with your merchant in person. Consider how long they have been in business. Familiarize yourself with market values on gold so you can recognize if the merchant is also knowledgeable and able to give you accurate information and is selling quality gold. Buy from the same merchant in relatively small amounts at a time as you are able. Think of each purchase as a long-term investment, with no intent to try to flip the gold coins quickly. Buying slowly allows you to invest a reasonable amount at a time and watch the coin investment increase over time. Watch the market so you can plan purchases when prices are low.

Investing in gold bullion coins can be a relatively simple way to get started in investing or a great way to add additional value to an extensive portfolio.

Creating Wealth: Create One Own Gold Standard 101

Despite the roller coaster ups and downs of various economic indicators, one thing remains constant for approximately the last 3,000 years: the value of gold. No one disputes its value; however, there is a perpetual debate as to what is the better way to buy, invest or hold this precious yellow metal. Below, we will cover one common sense approach that may help not only the experienced investor in gold but the first time investor as well.

Since it is doubtful that anyone of us will actually own a gold mining operation, although it is not outside of the impossible, our article will limit itself to the best way to buy gold and the best way to buy silver, being coin collectibles vs bullion.

Gold Standard Background

Since having abandoned the gold standard in 1971 during the administration of President Richard M. Nixon, many notable individuals have advocated a return to a gold standard. In fact, more than 12 states are slowly but surely moving ahead in the direction of a gold standard including: Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington.

Furthermore, Steve Forbes, ex-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and former presidential candidates among many others are saying that individual citizens can set up their own gold standard with some simple to implement steps--right now!

Where Does One Begin? Changing One's Mind

First of all, one must recognize that the only impediment to creating wealth is in one's thinking process. For too long, many have blindly been led by what the powers that be recommended as choice ways to prosper financially.

Secondly, creating a mindset that says a person alone is responsible for creating their own wealth is crucially important. Fortunately, today the Internet has facilitated gold investment and is showing many the best way to buy gold and the best way to buy silver through the means of web sites dedicated to investments.

Lastly, one must realize that there is no scarcity of gold or silver. A manipulated market is what makes these and other commodities scarce on planet earth.

Devising A Strategy

While undergoing a paradigm shift of sorts about being able to do this, the next step that follows is basically starting a short-term plan. Getting an education and researching everything on investing in gold, especially about coin collectibles vs bullion, is vitally important.

Setting aside a part of one's paper money, make an emergency gold-based and silver-based reserve fund by investing in "junk" silver coins, 1 ounce silver eagles and 1 ounce gold coins or small gold bullion ingots. This short-term reserve emergency fund will theoretically carry an individual for about six months.

Advancing to the next step, medium-range gold goal setting, set up a secured, gold deposit account in Switzerland. Of course, one also has the option of taking physical possession of one's precious yellow investment.

Finally, being mindful that gold is kept best as a long-term investment, develop long-term plans for both purchasing and storing precious metals. Experts usually agree on keeping up to 25 percent of one's financial portfolio backed with gold-backed entities; however, monitoring daily gold fluctuations is a must.

Not Enough To Create A Gold Standard? Think Again

Today, thanks to the Internet platform, many beginner investors are securing their future by going online to buy precious metals. For as little as $25.00 a month, a small investor can either purchase gold/silver ingots or gold/silver coin collectibles.

Once the full purchase price is reached, the commodities can either be sent to an investor's home address or stored in Swiss gold depositories. If nothing else, buying gold jewelry has always proven a good investment as well.

While gold is not a panacea for all of this planet's economic and social ills, one's self-confidence grows when a person learns to manage their own financial future.

What Are the Common Gold Selling Options?

1. When you consider selling gold, care should be taken to deal with reputed buyers in your local area. The gold business is highly competitive, making it imperative to find trustworthy buyers. The benefit of dealing with local buyers is the fact that they generally offer a fair price of your items in anticipation of getting repeat business from you and gaining publicity through word of mouth.

2. Do not sell gold through mail or social gathering organized for this purpose, or road shows that are keen to buy gold and antique coins. Those buying gold through road shows or organized social gatherings are known for paying considerably lower price for your valuable belongings. Reputed local buyers will offer you a price on the spot, and if you find it acceptable, they will give you instant cash. Companies buying gold though mails often make the sellers wait for weeks before making the payment. Unfortunately, some of these buyers vanish from the scene after they have collected the precious metal from a few sellers.

3. Find out the prevailing market price of gold. You should know that the price of gold keeps fluctuating all though trading day and every day. Thankfully, the Internet allows you to know the existing price of gold at any time of the day. By knowing the latest price, you can better negotiate with the buyer and get more cash for your valuables.

4. Be reasonable: You should realize that no buyer can buy your items at the melt price of gold. Local buyers of gold frequently sell the items procured from their clients to refiners and keep a cut for themselves. Depending on the worth of the items, you can expect to get forty to seventy percent of the final price. The man buying gold from you is here for business and has overheads apart from paying rent for his store and salary to his workers.

5. Know the worth of your items: Before you visit any dealer for selling your precious metal, you should do a bit of your homework. Get your items weighed and assess the karat value of different items. Karat is a measure of the purity of gold; the bigger the carat value, the bigger will be the price of gold. By knowing the weight and karat value of items, you can get a fairly good idea of the melt value of the gold you intend selling. Make sure that the items with varying karat values are weighed separately.

6. Certification: A reputable buyer of gold is expected to use an appropriate apparatus for conducting his business. The test equipment and scales should be accurate and conform to the prevalent regulations. Certification necessarily demands the verification of the tools and equipment used for carrying the business of buying and selling gold.


Are you wondering where to sell gold and get a great price? Come and visit our website today to learn more about us!

Collecting Silver for Your Children's Future

Overview

There are many investment vehicles that people use to build wealth for both their future and their family's future. Many people investment in things like real estate and stocks in order to create a high return. However, many people do not know about investing in precious metals like silver. There are a plethora of reasons why a person should choose to invest in silver for both their future and their children's future. Not only is silver a haven against inflation, but it can also hold intrinsic value in times of economic collapse. During the recession of 2008, many people who had precious metals investments made a huge return while people in typical asset classes saw their investments cut in half. Below are several reasons why you should consider investing in silver.

Inflation Hedge

One of the biggest positives for investing in silver or any other precious metal is that it is a hedge against inflation. Most of the currencies around the world are simply paper currencies, which means that they are only worth the paper they are printed on. If the United States economy was to collapse, the value of the U.S. dollar would collapse as well. Even people that saved and invested their whole lives would see their fortunes dry up in an instant. However, with silver you can protect yourself against currency collapse as it will hold intrinsic value no matter what the economic times dictate. Inflation is simply the gradual rise of prices over time, and in the last twenty years the price on everything is up while wages are stagnant. This effectively means that people are earning less than decades before on a dollar per dollar basis. Silver helps to protect as a hedge against inflation because it holds it value no matter what.

Investing Returns

Another reason to invest in silver is the investing returns that a person can earn. In general, for precious metals the worse the economy is doing the better their investments will be. This means that silver should not be the entire portfolio for someone's investments, but it should comprise a part of it in order to protect against economic collapse. Investing in silver is easier than ever before due to the internet. There are many websites where people can deposit money and invest in precious metals at the click of a button. Silver coins value will continue to go up over time, and this is a great reason to invest in precious metals. The higher the rate of return that an investment earns, the more money the investor will make. Simply making the decision to start investing means that you are already ahead of the average person.

Transactions Are Easy

Finally, silver is much easier to sell than other assets. For example, in the economic crisis of 2008 many people had a difficult time selling their largest and most important asset in their home. It takes a lot of time, energy, and thousands of dollars to sell a home. However, anyone can sell coins for cash at a variety of different physical or online stores. When a person decides to sell coins for cash, it is important that they are getting market value for the silver that they are purchasing. Over time, saving money on the transactions of buying and selling silver will add up to thousands of dollars over the course of a lifetime. It is wise to attempt to reduce the amount of money spent on buying and selling investments as it will increase the annual returns and total wealth.

The great thing about investing in this area is that silver coins value holds steady over time no matter what happens in the United States or world economy. Taking the first step to invest in this asset class means taking charge of your personal financial future and that of your children and others.

Coin Collecting in 2015 - An Investment and a Hobby

Many individuals are aware of the fact that they can invest in silver or gold through an IRA or by purchasing stocks. However, another option that should not be overlooked is to buy gold and silver coins outright. This alternative allows the individual to build a collection that serves as an investment as well as an enjoyable pastime.

An Investment and a Hobby

The value of different coins depends on not only their content of precious metal, but also their age and condition. Because coins date back several centuries, older coins are typically worth more than their newer counterparts, with mint condition coins being the most valuable of all. Creation of the first silver and gold coins is credited to 6th Century BC Turkish traders, who needed a type of currency in certain trading situations. Pieces of this kind are typically a mixture of the two metals, with a ratio of approximately 30 percent silver to 70 percent gold. For this reason, it is possible that a specific value was not yet established for silver or gold at that time. Immediately following this period, advancements in coin design techniques resulted in the stamping of images and dates on the surface of each piece. When this type of art was perfected, Kings and Queens quickly demanded to see their images embossed on specific coins.

Through the years, coin history followed a pattern that is closely associated with human history. Many Greek and Roman coins featured pictures of famous individuals in history, such as warriors, or religious gods or mythical creatures believed to play important roles in crucial battles. Some coins of this type also featured animals or depicted various works of art that were famous at the time. Guides are available for those who want to determine the value of coins from different centuries and countries.

Benefits of Investing in Precious Metals

Since the value of coins and physical precious metals is intrinsic, their usefulness as an investment cannot be understated. The security they offer is unparalleled in many ways: unlike stocks or mutual funds, the risk associated with coins is virtually non existent. In addition, those who invest in coins need not depend on bank stability or a stock exchange.

Popular Modern Coins

Those who sell coins for cash usually have a clientele of investors who prefer owning precious metals themselves rather than investing in stocks or futures. Many investors consider modern gold coins such as the American Gold Eagle and the Canadian gold maple leaf great investments, especially since the price of gold is steadily climbing, according to the world commodities markets. American Silver Eagles are also popular among many investors, and these are typically available individually, but can also be purchased in the form of a proof set.

Importance of Purchasing Gold and Silver From a Reputable Dealer

Those planning to buy gold and silver coins should only do business with reputable dealers who are established in the field. Legitimate business owners who sell coins for cash guarantee the quality of their precious metals. For this reason, a dealer should be selected with care.

Choosing a Coin Dealer

The best way to verify the legitimacy of coin dealers is through agencies such as the National Geological Service or the Bureau of Land Management. One's local Better Business Bureau is also a good place to obtain information about specific dealers. In most cases, such agencies keep lists of legitimate gold and silver merchants.

Investing in precious metals is a virtually risk free endeavor, and the time has never been better to begin. Because of inflation and the shakiness of the global economy, those who wish to expand their investments should give serious though to adding gold and silver coins to their portfolio. Regardless of a person's individual objectives, when the aforementioned steps are followed and care is taken to locate a reputable precious metals dealer, consumers will find that gold and silver are worthwhile investments.

Buy Silver Coins Online - 3 Good Reasons Why

Silver can make a good investment especially when you pay attention to the market trends and understand the value of your silver or the silver you are about to purchase. It is presented in many forms, including coins, bars, jewellery and certificates among others. The decision you make should be based on your main purpose in making the purchase. When you purchase silver coins, you should take the time to find reputable dealers for the purchase. Here are three good reasons for shopping online for silver coins.

1. They are liquid - This is in the sense that they can be melted and divided easily compared to bullion bars of the same metal. Their small size also makes the coins easy to carry and trade in complete discretion. This advantage makes the coins suitable for every kind of buyer including small individuals looking for coins for personal reasons such as simply owning them or collecting them.

2. The coins are easy to store - These coins don't need specialized care to keep, you can simply throw them in a sack and hide them in your safe without needing additional care. The silver content usually holds greater value over the condition or rarity of the coins. However, your storage requirements might depend on the reasons why you bought the coins. For investment purposes, the weight and quality matters most, hence you can simply store them in coin tubes or sacks before placing them in your home safe or bank safe. If you are buying the precious metal for the numismatic value of the coins, better care might be required. The condition of the coins in this case will determine how valuable and prized they are to the collectors. Coin holders should be good enough to keep the coins in good condition, since they reduce exposure to tarnishing oils and compounds. They can then be placed in a deposit box.

3. Some coins can be used as legal tender - This is another important reason why online purchases are the best when it comes to silver coins. Some states such as Utah recognize them as legal tender and in the US coins minted before 1964 are still considered legal tender in the country. This is a great advantage especially to those wishing to buy the coins in bulk. They could actually end up being worth a lot more, thanks to the silver content they have.

Buying online gives you the chance to own valuable coins without having to move an inch from where you are. You can also jump into investment opportunities, thanks to the online trading l platforms, and get most value from your coins. You can decide to purchase coins that you take into your possession or you can decide not to keep physical assets, if you are engaging in trade. Whatever your purpose, you definitely will find what you are looking for online.

Silver is a precious commodity and with the online advantage, you can purchase silver safely for whatever purpose you have. You might actually end up making more from your coins through trading.

Which Walking Liberty Half Dollar Collecting Strategy Is Best for You?

Walking Liberty half dollars are one of the most beautiful of American coins. They age gracefully, and are a far less expensive to collect than the more popular Morgan silver dollar.

Their key date 1921-S, in MS-65 condition will sell for around $100,000. The 1893-S Morgan in MS-65 condition will bring nearly $700,000. In MS-60 they are about $20,000 compared to the 1893-S for $130,000.

The Walking Liberty isn't quite the same bargain in AU however. The 1921-S goes for around $7,000 and the 1893-S Morgan goes for around $21,000. Instead of a 1 to 7 ratio in the MS categories, it's only a 1 to 3 ratio in AU.

As you get into the late date Walkers the cost of mint state coins goes down considerably. Mint state examples are plentiful and cheap after 1935.

A complete date/mint set of MS-65 Walking Liberties would cost somewhere in the half million dollar range. So, the entire collection would cost less than one 1893-S Morgan in MS-65 condition.

I see four fundamental strategies for collecting Walking Liberties:

1. US half dollar type set

2. Walking Liberty year set

3. Walking Liberty complete date/mint set

4. Walking Liberty proof set

1. The US half dollar short, type set could include each of the following:

· Flowing Hair half

· Draped Bust half

· Capped bust

· Seated Liberty half

· Barber half

· Walking Liberty

· Franklin Kennedy

If you're willing to accept lower mint state for the Flowing Hair and Draped Bust designs, this collection could be obtained for around $150,000.

2. The Walking Liberty year set would contain 25 coins for an example of one from each year this issue was minted. An example of this would be:

· 1916-P to 1921-P

· 1923-S

· 1927-S

· 1928-S

· 1929-D

· 1933-S

· 1934-P to 1947-P

This strategy allows you to assemble each year of issue in mint condition without breaking the bank. It would be acceptable to have the rare dates in MS-64 alongside the common dates in MS-65. You're looking at something under $40,000 for a collection like this.

3. A complete date/mint set would require 65 coins. A set like this could also use MS-65 examples for the common later date coins and MS-64 for the more expensive dates. Depending how you organize a collection like this, it might cost around $350,000 to complete.

4. Here's the surprise. If you go for a proof set, there are only 7 coins minted as proofs for this series. Proofs are surprisingly inexpensive and even more beautiful than the circulation issue. There is only one key date in the proof series, and that's 1936. A set of PF-65 Walking Liberty coins will cost just under $10,000.

I price mint state coins here because the mint state coins have the most demand and collector value. They will retain their prices better and increase more than their circulated versions.

As discussed in my article on Pivotal Grading Points, the greatest profit potential is to buy the coin just under the pivotal grade. That is often, but not always MS-64.

If you were to accept MS-64 as your grade standard, you could complete these set examples for considerably less money than described here. As demonstrated above a complete set is considerably less expensive than a complete date/mint Morgan set.