Goil Coin Collecting - Old Is Gold Indeed!

Posted by admin as silver bullion

Coin collecting is an activity that goes back to the time when coins were issued for the first time in trade. Only during the middle ages did people turn it into a hobby due to the historical significance and art work it provided.

Today, coin collecting is a hobby that lots of people enjoy. A collection of gold coins is perhaps the most expensive and precious collections that a person can have. The costliest gold coin that was ever bought cost around 8 million dollars. It was called the American 1933 Gold Eagle. It is evident why the hobby of collecting gold coins is referred to as the king’s hobby.

One of the earliest money forms were gold coins. Silver coins followed these. From 1838 to 1933, gold coins had been circulating in the States. The initial design was the bust of the Liberty Head. After this, the design changed to Saint Gaudens motifs and the Indian Head, which was used until the year 1933. This was followed by the Great Depression, which resulted in the recall of the gold coins, which is why it is difficult to find them today.

As these are not in circulation anymore, the price of these commodities are very high. Today, gold is used for various other items like jewellery and bars. People retain these as an investment.

The first gold coin that South Africa minted was called the Krugerrand in the year 1967. The coin stands mostly as a symbol and has no real face value. It is made up of an ounce of gold and it is usually purchased for the purpose of investment.

After this, many other countries started minting bullion coins. In 1970, Canada produced the Gold Maple Leaf and in 1981, Australia the Nugget. These coins boast of a 24 carat purity and so are far more popular than their South African counterpart.

Today, there is an increasing number of people who are investing in gold as there is a speculation that this demand will cause an increase in the market value. There are still others who prefer to use gold as an insurance in case their financial situation worsens. At one point of time, with the increase in paper money, the value of gold increased and this kept a balance between the value of money and gold. This standard came to an end in the year 1971, after which the government could produce more paper money without the subsequent increase in price of the gold.

As there is no place where gold coins are used for purchase of merchandise, coin collectors prefer to collect them to remember the time when it was once used.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/collecting-articles/goil-coin-collecting-old-is-gold-indeed-739696.html

Valuing Your Coins - Tips To Determine Their Right Price

Posted by admin as gold silver bullion

When you are looking to buy coins or to sell them as well, the first thing that comes to mind is determining the real values of the coins in question. At times the offer a dealer makes would mean nothing compared to how much you personally value it - after all the coin becomes much more valuable to you if it is going to complete a series.

These factors determine the value -

1. Speaking about the condition or quality of the coin, the coins which are not used in the market wand if they are in still good condition will be more valuable than the coins which are in the market.
2. Coin is most valuable when it is not very much available in other words rare. The price of the coin depends on how rare the coin is we should remember that when a coin is rare it need not be very old aged coin the coins from china are very old coins like thousand and more years of age but each goes for a cost value of just ten dollars as they are lots in number; where as a liberty head nickel coin from 1913 has a cost value of more than one million $ because of the only reason that there are a few of such coins present.

3. Bullion value. Value of coins also depends on the quality it is made of. The coins which are made platinum or silver and some times gold will not, in general have a selling price less than the coins value when melted.

4. The higher the demand of a coin the higher is their prices and these prices are decided by the people in business. Coins which have higher values are those which are really very famous between these people who deal with them.

For example, a coin from 1916 the D dimes are more in number than the coins from the year 1798 dimes. Still in spite of this the coins from 1916 the D dimes have more selling value because the number of individuals collecting twentieth century dimes than coins from 1700 dimes.

The following are the ways to determine the value of a rare coin:

1. its very important the way you can precisely and very accurately classify the coins and then also know it’s true value. This can be done by using the net as a source of information from the various guides available online to know what coin has what specific value.

As every single day the prices of these coins changes and so it becomes very necessary to have a track of their new values. It’s best if you can find the best guide to coin rates to vlaue your collection. Once you have the real valid value in mind, you can obviously trade much more efficiently.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/collecting-articles/valuing-your-coins-tips-to-determine-their-right-price-739678.html

Personal Finance and Money Management 17-types of Mutual Funds

Posted by admin as gold bullion

As we mentioned in previous articles we know that our government only represents about 30% of our retirement income. The company retirement pension plan offers another 30 % and many of us do not have one. It is up to individuals to invest wisely short and long term in order to make up for the short fall if he or she would like to live comfortably after retirement without giving up some retirement plans. In this article, we will discuss types of mutual fund.
Mutual fund is a pool of investor’s money and is sold as a unit. It is an open end fund and managed by professionals. It also must meet certain regulations of the security commissions and laws governed before it can be sold to the general public. There are 4 types of mutual funds depending to the fund objectives:

1. Balance fund
a) Their purpose is to maximize a balance of capital appreciation and income, yet preserve capital.
b) It contains a combination of debt and equity securities. The proportions of bond and security are adjusted according to economic conditions.

2. Equity fund
a) Dividend fund
i) Invested in dividend-paying stocks.
ii) Maximize income by specializing in stocks paying high dividends.
iii) Allows investors to take advantage of the dividend tax credit, but they don’t give many capital gains dividends.

b) Growth fund
Invested in common stocks for capital appreciation.
There are 3 types of equity growth fund
i) Broad spectrum funds: invested in any company with growth potential.
ii) Market segment funds: invested in a specific sector of the market, such as oil and gas, precious metals, commodity, or high technology.
iii) International funds: invested in specific countries such as China, Japan, Russia, and European countries.

3. Specialty fund
Specialty funds have the below characteristics:
These types of fund investments are strictly in specific commodities, such as gold funds only allowed to invest in gold bullion or gold certificates, real estate funds only allowed to invest in property, Oil and gas only allowed to invest in oil and gas producing companies, as indicated in the fund prospectus.

I hope this information will help. If you need more information, you can read the complete series of the above subject at my home page:

http://lifeanddisabitityinsuranceunderwriter.blogspot.com/
http://financialinvesting09.blogspot.com/

Kyle J. Norton
http://www.articlesbase.com/personal-finance-articles/personal-finance-and-money-management-17types-of-mutual-funds-674042.html

Silver Certificates: What is the Value of a 1935 Silver Certificate?

Posted by admin as silver bullion

The 1935 Silver Certificate is one of the most popular notes among currency collectors. The history of these fascinating bills extends back to the 1800’s.  It was the Congressional Acts of 1878 and 1886 that authorized the printing of Silver Certificates - for a very specific reason.

In those days, the supply of silver coins was far less than the demand.  Thus, the government came up with the idea of creating a paper certificate in order to create a more efficient method of silver exchange.  The certificates were redeemable on demand, for an equal amount of silver bullion and coins.  The amount that was redeemable depended upon the denomination of the note.

Silver Certificates were issued in both small and large-sizes.  The 1935 series was one of the series of small-size notes. These small-size notes were issued in denominations of $1.00, $5.00 and $10.00.  The 1935 series included only the $1.00 denomination and either ‘F’ or ‘G’ series (with no motto). In 1934, the obligation on the note was changed to read that it was redeemable for “One Dollar in Silver,” not “One Silver Dollar,” as had been the case since the printing of the 1928 series silver certificate.

The value of a silver certificate is determined by several factors.  These include the denomination of the note, the date or series, the serial number, and of course, the overall condition of the certificate, itself.

1935G Series - in circulated condition, it’s probably valued at around $1.50 to $2.00.  In uncirculated condition, the value would be a bit higher at around $7.00 to $8.00.

1935F Series -  in circulated condition, it’s probably valued at around $1.25.  In uncirculated condition, an unfolded, crisp note would be valued at around $5.00.

The 1935 silver certificate was one of the more common series of certificates that were printed. Thus, collectors seeking to add this particular note to their collection should be able to easily find it at various coin shows, online auctions, and estate sales.

Christina Goldman
http://www.articlesbase.com/collecting-articles/silver-certificates-what-is-the-value-of-a-1935-silver-certificate-699213.html

Gold: the Key to Financial Freedom and Security

Posted by admin as gold silver bullion

There are two levers of power that governments never consider giving up - and these are:

1. The state controls education. It is compulsory. It teaches what the state mandates (whether delivered by public or private schools). It is a means of ensuring all citizens grow up with the right mindset - i.e. predisposed towards the very idea of big government, social welfare, taxation, war. In other words the ‘Big Brother’ mindset.

2. The state issues the money. This is called fiat money - money with no inherent value other than the fact the state declares it legal for all debts and financial obligations. The state then enforces a monopoly on the issue of this fiat money - ensuring it can manipulate it to its advantage.

I could wax lyrical about what I think should happen to state education, but right now I want to discuss government fiat money, and how it is a tool of enslavement. And I want to identify one possible way out of this slavery. But first I should define the term “fiat”. From dictionary.com comes the following definition:

1. An arbitrary order or decree

2. Authorisation or sanction: government fiat

So fiat money is money that is declared to be money by the arbitrary order or decree of government.

Government fiat money is the end result of an evolution of money as we know it. And it can be summarised briefly as follows:

Historically, various commodities have functioned as money - that is, as a means of exchange. Some of these commodities have included unique items of special value to certain cultures and conditions, like salt or tobacco. However, historically, only two commodities stand out as having passed the test of time - gold and silver. The reason is quite simple. Both of these metals have intrinsic value and cannot be counterfeited or manufactured at will.

Throughout history both gold and silver have functioned as money. As commerce became more sophisticated, various means of dealing with gold came into being. One such way was to pass on gold receipts as negotiable financial instruments. The process was simple. You stored your gold with a goldsmith who issued you with a receipt for the same. Now you could pass on that receipt to another - and pass on the claim to your gold. In this way gold became the backing for such receipts - allowing for the easy carrying and transferring of value. Of course gold coins were also common - like the cash of today.

This process of privately issuing gold receipts became the basis for what is known today as banking. A bank became a repository for gold and issued bank notes which were redeemable in gold. And in the “good old days” a bank note was a promise to pay - a promise to pay a certain amount of gold (or silver) on demand.

Today we still have bank notes - but they are mostly issued by the state (not by private banks), and they have no redeemable value other than in exchange for another, similar, bank note. The link between gold and bank notes was broken with the abolition of the gold standard. The USA abolished it in 1933 and Great Britain abolished it in 1931. The paper money we have today is a ghost of its former self. If you walk into a bank now and ask to exchange it for something other than another note, I’m sure you’ll get a very strange look!

The value of the notes you use every day is arbitrarily determined by the state, and by its capacity to disallow any monetary competition. It is this monopoly on the issuance of what we use as money, and the state’s ability to determine the value of it, which is at the heart of the state’s power. With this power, the state can literally manipulate the money supply for its own ends. It can “cook the books” in a way that a private company could never do. It can use this power to ensure it stays in power. And it can even steal the money you have saved by inflating the currency - i.e. by lowering its value over time.

How to break this monopoly?

Frederic Hayek, the great Austrian School economist, posited the idea of competing currencies. What he meant was that if each nation allowed for the free use and exchange of currencies from different nations within its own national borders - then this would act as a disincentive to debase currencies via inflation.

On a day-to-day basis this would mean you could go shopping and use the currency of your choice - USD, EUR, HKD, AUD, RMB etc. It may be a bit of a headache for your local shopkeeper, as he or she would have to deal with such multiple currencies at the cash register. But it’s not impossible, and many duty-free stores around the world already deal in at least the main globally accepted fiat currencies. All that would be needed is a smart cash register that can handle multiple currencies.

This scenario would eliminate the monopoly nature of currency as it stands now. However, it would not address the nature of fiat money as such. It would not deal with the issue of value, and how it is determined.

There have been many suggestions as to how one could move forward to a free market money system - one where the government has no control over the money in circulation. Some of these are very interesting, and some have a look of quackery about them. But there is one way of achieving this which would be based on historical experience and on a proven track record. And that is a return to the use of gold in some form or another.

Gold is not created by the government. Gold is not inflated by the government. Gold has intrinsic value. Government fiat money has none. And gold has stood the test of time as a trusted medium of exchange. What’s more, the modern digital age has created the means to deal in gold without actually having to cart it around in your pocket.

With online services like E-gold, Pecunix and GoldMoney, you can store gold and use an online interface to transfer gold to others - similar to online banking and making it a form of offshore banking. The difference is you literally own gold, something of intrinsic value. You can also own gold by holding a receipt for it - giving you ownership of real gold, without having to physically store it. And of course you can own gold by purchasing bullion - either in bars or coins.

Naturally, gold is valued by comparison to various fiat currencies, primarily the US Dollar - and as such its value fluctuates day to day. Of recent times this fluctuation has been mostly up, as gold continues to increase in value, in comparison to the world’s paper currencies. This is another way of saying that fiat currencies are less trusted than gold. Gold is also the financial haven of last resort, for when the financial world starts to shake and jitter, people rush to gold. Why? Because they know that should paper currency plummet in value - even to zero - gold will hold its value.

There are a number of savvy financial experts and investment newsletter writers who are pushing the case for gold - as a means of protecting yourself from a potential future economic meltdown. People such as Bill Bonner, Peter Schiff and Doug Casey come to mind. But there are many more. The common theme amongst these financial commentators is that fiat money is headed down - and gold is headed up.

However, the true benefit of gold is the freedom it grants. Gold is a form of money which is out of state control. The state cannot inflate the gold supply. It cannot make more gold. It cannot determine the value of gold. In this way gold is a true free market financial instrument - and as such is a present and existing means of increasing both your personal and financial freedom.

Yes, perhaps there are better and more innovative ways to achieve freedom from the state’s control of the money system, but gold is here and now - and in the present economic environment it is likely your best bet to avoid the potential ravages of inflating paper currencies which are looming on the horizon.

David MacGregor
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/gold-the-key-to-financial-freedom-and-security-742260.html

Goil Coin Collecting - Old Is Gold Indeed!

Posted by admin as gold bullion

Coin collecting is an activity that goes back to the time when coins were issued for the first time in trade. Only during the middle ages did people turn it into a hobby due to the historical significance and art work it provided.

Today, coin collecting is a hobby that lots of people enjoy. A collection of gold coins is perhaps the most expensive and precious collections that a person can have. The costliest gold coin that was ever bought cost around 8 million dollars. It was called the American 1933 Gold Eagle. It is evident why the hobby of collecting gold coins is referred to as the king’s hobby.

One of the earliest money forms were gold coins. Silver coins followed these. From 1838 to 1933, gold coins had been circulating in the States. The initial design was the bust of the Liberty Head. After this, the design changed to Saint Gaudens motifs and the Indian Head, which was used until the year 1933. This was followed by the Great Depression, which resulted in the recall of the gold coins, which is why it is difficult to find them today.

As these are not in circulation anymore, the price of these commodities are very high. Today, gold is used for various other items like jewellery and bars. People retain these as an investment.

The first gold coin that South Africa minted was called the Krugerrand in the year 1967. The coin stands mostly as a symbol and has no real face value. It is made up of an ounce of gold and it is usually purchased for the purpose of investment.

After this, many other countries started minting bullion coins. In 1970, Canada produced the Gold Maple Leaf and in 1981, Australia the Nugget. These coins boast of a 24 carat purity and so are far more popular than their South African counterpart.

Today, there is an increasing number of people who are investing in gold as there is a speculation that this demand will cause an increase in the market value. There are still others who prefer to use gold as an insurance in case their financial situation worsens. At one point of time, with the increase in paper money, the value of gold increased and this kept a balance between the value of money and gold. This standard came to an end in the year 1971, after which the government could produce more paper money without the subsequent increase in price of the gold.

As there is no place where gold coins are used for purchase of merchandise, coin collectors prefer to collect them to remember the time when it was once used.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/collecting-articles/goil-coin-collecting-old-is-gold-indeed-739696.html

What is the best reason you can think of to buy silver and gold bullion? Or would you not buy it?

Posted by admin as gold silver bullion

Last time I checked, in order to buy my supper, my local A&P supermarket does not take gold dust. They want US Federal Reserve notes (dollars or credit/debit card and the card company wants dollars also) So along with the reasons Rick gave, I would not buy it.

Silver- the Perfect Christmas Gift

Posted by admin as silver bullion

When you read the title you probably are thinking that he is suggesting I buy silver jewelry for my wife’s Christmas present. No, that is not what I’m suggesting. With the current state of the economy and with the value of the dollar plummeting as we speak you stand to make a significant amount of money and also protect your wealth.

Below are the reasons why you should own silver coins or bullion this Christmas:

1) Wealth Protector. Since 2003, when the silver bull market officially began, silver has appreciated more than 200%. At the same time the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up a whopping 30%.

2) The Dollar Is Worthless. I have yet to understand why we use a currency that is based strictly off of confidence and not on a tangible asset such as gold and silver. Since 2000 the dollar has lost 33% of it’s value compared to the Euro. Have you noticed that your gas, electric, and food bill in the last several years has increased significantly while nominal wages have decreased.

3) Limited Supply. As with all tangible assets there is a finite supply of silver on this earth. The United States used to have the largest silver stockpile in the history of the world. In 1970 the U.S. had 350 million ounces of silver. As of 2007 they have about 50 million ounces in inventory. Where did it go? The U.S. government sold it to the industrial industry to keep up with demand for their products such as computers. With very little silver available for investment you stand to profit big time.

4) Printing Press. As the government bailes out everybody under the sun one morning we are all going to wake up with the cost of a loaf of bread $1,000. The money that the government is giving to Wall Street and soon to be Detroit is newly printed money. Money that we do not have. Guess what happens when the government prints more money… you guessed right, Inflation! An invisible tax that we get to pay while the Wall Street CEO’s get millions of dollars in bonuses. Once all of this new money makes it out into the market watch out your dollar ain’t going to buy you squat. You better own silver by this point or you will be living in a “tent city.”

Shawn L Charles
http://www.articlesbase.com/investing-articles/silver-the-perfect-christmas-gift-683210.html

Free System for Precious Metal Wealth Called Silver Torando

Posted by admin as gold silver bullion

When trying to find a market for precious gold and silver coins, the recent hedge inflation crisis hasnâ??t helped things any. Have you ever wanted to break into the business of distributing and amassing pure silver coins? What about pure gold coins? Have you ever wondered if the market was still as strong as its always been? Better yet, have you desired to invest in your future through the trade of precious metals but felt limited by your income levels?

Hereâ??s an investorâ??s secret; the market for precious metals, even for something as common as silver eagle coins, is as strong as it ever was. If you look at Americaâ??s financial history, nearly every twist and turn of our stock market can be shown to have one common thread; that precious metals have always remained strong. Dollar values may rise and fall, but gold and silver are, and will be, the strongest and safest currency in the world. This begs the question; how do you get involved in this ever growing and profitable market?

The people at Silver Tornado have stepped out as the worldâ??s first precious metals downline builder system to help you achieve your dream of working with gold and silver. They are a long-term focused company that works with multiple, reputable partners to bring you the numbers and success youâ??ve wanted but never thought you could have. Through their free system, they allow you to work with multiple distributors to meet your own financial ends. Most of the hard work is taken care of for you; all you need to do is the one crucial part that many of these sites simply donâ??t have the time or resources for, and that is drive traffic.

When working through Silver Tornado, you gain hundreds of dollars worth of marketing software, inside news on the market, the knowledge and ability to perform your job successfully and your own website with one year of free hosting already provided. The good people at Silver Tornado have done most of the hard work for you; itâ??s your knowledge of the web and the people you know that do the rest. The money is made automatically by the business you drive, and the companies you work with will often time share the wealth with you just for being involved.

When you work with Silver Tornado you are working with distributors and whole sellers of everything from silver eagle dollars to bullion to the popular Liberty dollar, which has many in America talking about how they can put their trust and financial security back into our own great country. Imagine being able to not only help0 these companies fulfill their needs by distributing the abundance of precious metal stock they have accrued, but also gaining a leg up on the market by having the inside track.

There are a lot of get rich quick schemes out there, and Silver Tornado isnâ??t one of them. This site is designed to help you slowly and steadily build up the financial security you know youâ??ve wanted but were never sure how to attain. Go to Silver Tornado and see for yourself how this incredible site can start you on the road to financial security.

Samuel Heins
http://www.articlesbase.com/entrepreneurship-articles/free-system-for-precious-metal-wealth-called-silver-torando-689247.html

What Are Australian Gold Nugget Coins?

Posted by admin as gold bullion

Potential gold investors will want to know what are Australian gold nugget coins? At this time, gold is rising in price and more people are looking to invest in gold and learn about gold buying options. This type of Australian gold coin was first issued in 1986 and initially one side of the coin had an image of a famous Australian gold nugget. This image was replaced with that of a kangaroo in 1989. Nuggets, the image first carried by these coins, are becoming rarer to locate. It has been said that a five-carat diamond is easier to find than a nugget of one ounce of gold today. In addition, each nugget is unique. They also sell for a higher price as they are viewed as the equivalent of gemstones. What many do not realize is that most gold coins are made from melted gold dust, which is far more common than nuggets. A limited amount of the Australian gold nugget coins was minted in the early years, so they might be even more valuable today. For instance, the year 1987 only had 15,000 of each type of coin produced. These coins are produced in different weights and in fractions of an ounce.

While the American Buffalo gold coin is the most popular amongst gold investors who buy coins, the Australian gold nugget coins are also very popular, because they have a distinguishing feature that is rare. The Perth Mint, a subsidiary of the Royal Australian Mint mints these coins. The coins should not be confused with the lunar gold bullion coins and they cannot be confused as they have different images printed on them. The latter carry different animal images from the Chinese lunar calendar; and the former now carry different images of kangaroos.

Why There Is Growing Interest In Gold As An Asset For Investment

Investors fearing the loss of the value of their due to inflation caused by the printing of money by governments desperate to avert the downside of the Great Recession are flocking to gold as a hedge. These are the less informed investors who missed what a leading official of the leading gold mining company (Barrick) recently noted that global gold production is falling because there is less gold available. This was revealed in an article published in the British newspaper the Daily Telegraph on November 13, 2009. The newspaper quoted Aaron Regent, the president of the Canadian mining company, who said at a gold conference held in London that global output has declined by approximately 1m ounces a year since the beginning of this decade. Total supply he further said had dropped by 10 percent with erosion of quality as well. Hence, gold is becoming dearer and its value will rise regardless of what will be caused by the paper-printing machine of governments.

A Little History About Australian Gold Coins

As investors are aware, gold coins tend to hold their value. The one-ounce size, because of convenience and relative value is a popular size. In this category, the South African Krugerrand was a market opener in 1967. Krugerrands were minted in fractional sizes of a half-ounce, a quarter ounce, and a tenth of an ounce from 1980 onwards. The Panda gold coins minted by the Republic of China created solid demand a changing the design every year after their introduction in the early 1980s. Australians appear to have followed with pattern with the changing image feature of the new coin series.

Australia has issued gold coins since 1852 In 1986, gold coins in convenient weights became originally available in four different weights, from one ounce to one tenth of an ounce. A twentieth ounce size was introduced in 1989; and in 1991 larger sizes, ranging from two ounces to 10 ounce and one kilo were introduced. Annually, the coins are produced in the following weights: 350,000 at 1oz, 100,000 at 1/2oz, 150,000 at 1/4oz, 200,000 at 1/10oz, and 200,000 at 1/20oz coins Distinguishing features of these coins are: annual design changes; a government guarantee of purity and weight; an official legal tender status and a high quality finish, with a delicate frosting within its central design area.

Paul Meiffinger