Then there's the "liquidity" issue: Gold coins can also be more difficult to sell than physical gold - particularly when it comes to very rare coins. That last valuation variable is especially subjective, since grading standards vary widely and appraisals can differ depending on which "expert" is evaluating a given coin. Instead, they're determined by subjective measures like scarcity, design, condition, and quality. Once that happens, gold-coin values become almost entirely divorced from the price of gold itself. With bullion-based coins, this markup is generally fairly modest - from 3% to 6% above the " spot price" for physical gold (though during periods of heated demand, coin premiums can approach - and sometimes even exceed - 25% or even 30%).īut you move away from bullion-based coins - and into the realm of rare or collectible coins - the markups become even more pronounced. The reason is simple: Due to the costs of minting and marketing, even the most basic of bullion coins carry a markup - a premium over the price of gold itself. Other than that, you can generally find better places for your investment dollars. I'm talking about bullion-based gold coins. First timers often arrive and are confused by all that's available - including rare and antique coins, and a numbing array of "collector" and "commemorative" coins.īut here's a rule of thumb that will make things simple: If you're an investor looking to bolster your portfolio with a modest helping of " hard assets," there's really only one category of gold coins to consider. dollar that continues to weaken - it's no surprise at all that the world coin markets are attracting buyers like moths to a flame. With gold having doubled in price over the last four years - not to mention a U.S. In fact, I'm going to let you in on a secret: If you're looking at gold coins as a true "investment," there's only one kind to consider. So does this mean you should run out and stock up on gold coins? In fact, as one bullion-dealer executive said in reference to India's fifth-largest city: "In Chennai, even the poor buy gold." Take India, where the State Bank of Travancore announced in late April that a program to sell gold coins through five of its branches would be expanded to 60 branches in a single months' time. Mint buyers ordered 107,000 ounces of bullion Gold Eagles - the third-best May in the series' 25-year history.Īnd this soaring interest in yellow-metal coinage isn't limited to the U.S. Regardless, my experiences with them both by mail and in person have been great.Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. Maybe some of these negative experiences could be prevented if they asked what your method of payment was going to be before you put stuff in your cart, so they can display the correct price in the cart rather than having it change when you go to check out. I don't consider this dishonest at all, as you don't decide which payment method you're using until you check out, so there is no way to avoid this given the current setup. One issue I do have with their UX is that, once items are added to the cart, the price in your cart assumes you're paying with cash, then updates when you choose a payment method at checkout. It's not like they sneak in the higher price for credit cards when you aren't looking. In order to add an item to your cart, you have to click a button right next to a list of prices of the item with different forms of payment (cash, CC, PayPal, and now Bitcoin). I really don't get the outrage in some of these negative reviews. Sorry, in this day and age you have to accept a long delay if paying by check. The S&H fees and delays are listed on their website. You also have to realize that they are a small shop, not a bullion warehouse like some of their online competitors, so their shipping and handling is going to be slower and more expensive. I've had some really awful experiences with some shops and dealers, so I absolutely appreciate how great GEC is. An honest precious metals dealer is worth their weight in gold.
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