Jul 01 2009
Investing In Gold Coins And Bullion, It’s Safer
The first known coins were minted in the mid-seventh century B.C. Coins revolutionized the conduct of commerce. The United States minted its first gold coin in 1795. From then until 1933, U.S. mints produced hundreds of and denominations of gold, silver and other coins. Dazzling pieces of artistry and history, collectible rare coins and bullion are among the most prudent additions to any quality investment portfolio. A collection of coins and bullion could add value and stability to a portfolio. Investing a percentage of a diversified portfolio in gold, silver and platinum could act as a hedge against inflation.
Gold can be viewed as an alternative asset class. Tangible assets are usually not as susceptible to the same market pressures as stocks and bonds. Typically, gold is not correlated to either the stock or bond markets. Gold often trades inversely to the U.S. dollar, making it a useful hedge in times of dollar depreciation. The gold supply is limited – all the gold ever mined would fit into a storage room about 55 feet long, 55 feet tall and 55 feet wide. Bullion is a term for coins, ingots, private issue, and so on that trade below, at, or slightly above their intrinsic metal value.
Investors have frequently found that a carefully assembled set of coins is worth substantially more than the total of its individual pieces. Well-compiled sets have also tended to be more liquid than comparable accumulations of random coins. For protection, investors and collectors should only buy rare U.S. coins that have been graded and certified by the three leading independent coin-grading firms: professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), independent Coin Grading Company (ICG). These organizations are recognized industry-wide for their accuracy, objectivity and high standards.
