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Which are the Best Gold Coins for Investment?

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american gold eagle coin

It is a cycle that may seem familiar. Collapse of the housing sector, collapse of the stock market, bank runs and shutdowns. You may remember some of the symptoms leading up to the 2008 financial crisis. It’s looking similar this time around. The stock market drops and trillions of dollars in wealth vanishes into thin air for millions of people.

Some investors started shifting money into more stable assets throughout the pandemic. Few assets are as trusted and as reliable as a store of value as is gold.

Shopping for gold coins can be overwhelming and confusing in the beginning. There hundreds of online bullion dealers to choose from, and almost every single one offers the exact same product at a different price.

A wise choice for if you’re interested enough to buy gold coins is to stick with holding items that are widely available and likely to be widely recognized. This will make it easier to sell later on.

The American Eagle and Maple Leaf are two of the most widely recognized modern gold coins in the world. Others include Krugerrands, Kangaroos and Britannias.

Vintage coins are also an excellent option. Especially for fractional gold. These coins are steeped in history.

Most of the world economies operated on a gold-standard up until the 1920s. Gold coins were commonplace and circulating for everyday transactions.

Historic gold coins are also a great example to show how gold is a long term store of value and wealth.

Many are still legal-tender today based on their face value. Though the intrinsic value of the metal is worth significantly more.

Coins like the Gold Corona, $10 gold eagle, British Sovereigns and Swiss 20 Francs are often some of the lowest premium fractional gold coins available to investors in current markets.

What makes sovereign gold coins a better investment?

Modern going coins are minted in mass quantities each year. The designs are widely known amongst investor and collectors. Many investment-grade coins, such as the Krugerrand, have had the same consistent design for decades.

Simply put: coins minted by a government come with a guarantee of the weight, purity and quality.

The purity, weight and specifications of these coins is well documented and a well-trained eye can usually identify counterfeits.

Vintage sovereign coins, such as British Sovereigns, 20 Francs Coins from the Latin Monetary Union and Gold Pesos from Mexico all make a solid gold investment.

Historic gold coins are most often in circulated condition and will show some signs of handling, light scratches and other minor imperfections and you can usually buy them at a better price than modern coins.

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American Gold Eagle Mintage Charts and History (1986 – Present)

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american gold eagle coin

The American Gold Eagle is the official gold bullion coin of the United States and has been in production since 1986 as a means for private investors to buy precious metals. Mintages vary each year based on investor demand.

The Gold Eagle is minted in four denominations, each containing a specific weight of gold (1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/10 oz), with the 1 oz coin having a face value of $50. The coin is composed of 22-karat gold (91.67% gold, 3% silver, and the remainder in copper).

The one-half troy ounce has a nominal face value of $25. The quarter ounce Gold Eagle carries a nominal face value of $10. The smallest denomination, the 1/10 troy ounce has a nominal face value of $5.

The nominal face value of each Gold Eagle assures its legal tender status. The intrinsic value of the gold is worth significantly more.

This chart only displays the bullion version of the coin. American Eagle gold proof coins have separate mintage figures.

Proof and Special Finish Gold Eagles

Proof Gold Eagles are specially minted coins intended for collectors and have a shinier, mirror-like finish. These coins are sold direct to consumers by the US Mint and are also available from bullion dealers, coin dealers and secondary market sources. These coins are sought after by collectors and can carry numismatic premiums. They are minted in limited quantities, which can make certain years more valuable.

Certain years had lower mintages than others, making Gold Eagle Key Date Coins more rare and desirable. For Gold Eagles, some of the lower mintage years include 1991, 1992, and 1999, especially in the 1/2 oz and 1/4 oz denominations.

The U.S. Mint has released special versions of the Gold Eagle for various anniversaries or events. For example, the 1995-W Proof Gold Eagle is incredibly sought after, especially when found as part of the 10th Anniversary 5-Coin Set.

Gold Eagles that have been professionally graded and received a high grade can be more desirable. For example, a Gold Eagle graded as MS70 (perfect condition) by a reputable grading service like NGC or PCGS can command a significant premium over a non-graded coin or a coin with a lower grade.

Burnished Gold Eagles were introduced in 2006, these coins have a matte finish and were intended for collectors. They feature the “W” mint mark, indicating they were minted at West Point.

Some collectors aim to acquire Gold Eagles in all four denominations for certain years or seek out specific denominations that had lower mintages in particular years.


American Gold Eagle Annual Mintage History

The chart below shows the American Gold Eagle mintage numbers based on sales data for all denominations minted since their introduction in 1986.

Date1 oz.1/2 oz.1/4 oz.1/10 oz.
19861,362,650599,566726,031912,609
19871,045,500131,255269,255580,266
1988465,50045,00049,000159,500
1989415,79044,82981,789264,790
1990373,21031,00041,000210,210
1991243,10024,10036,100165,200
1992275,00054,40459,546209,300
1993480,19273,32471,864210,709
1994221,66362,40072,650206,380
1995200,63653,47483,752223,025
1996189,14839,28760,318401,964
1997664,50879,605108,805528,515
19981,468,530169,029309,8291,344,520
19991,505,026263,013564,2322,750,338
2000433,31979,287128,964569,153
2001143,60548,04771,280269,147
2002222,02970,02762,027230,027
2003416,03279,02974,029245,029
2004417,01998,04072,014250,016
2005356,55580,02372,015300,043
2006237,51066,00560,004285,006
2007140,01647,00234,004190,010
2008710,00061,00070,000305,000
20091,493,000110,000110,000270,000
20101,125,00081,00086,000435,000
2011857,00070,00080,000350,000
2012675,00043,00090,000290,000
2013758,50057,000114,500555,000
2014425,00035,00090,000545,000
2015626,50075,000158,000980,000
2016817,50074,000152,000925,000
2017228,50037,00064,000395,000
2018191,00032,00062,000230,000
2019108,00030,00038,000195,000
2020747,50070,000106,000350,000
20211,115,50095,000162,000490,000
20221850,00075,000140,000575,000
20232924,000102,000 198,000675,000
20242126,50027,00054,000200,000

* Source : USMint.gov

1 – As of January 3, 2023, the US Mint reports 980,000 troy ounces of gold eagle coins were sold 2022. Although official sales data continues to show 850,000 troy ounces.

2 – Sales data totals through December 31, 2023.

3 – Sales totals through April 1, 2024.

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Top 4 Sovereign Gold Coins for Investing

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american gold eagle coin

Uncertainty in the traditional investment markets brings a lot of interest in precious metals. Precious metals provide a stable investment and store of wealth when the stock market is wavering. Gold has always been looked at as a safe-haven way to hold onto wealth during an economic recession. Gold coins for investing are the best way having physical precious metals in your portfolio.

Gold has historically been a way for investors to preserve buying power from inflation.

Gold has been on the rise this year. All major financial experts are predicting that gold is going to continue to rise. Hedge fund leaders and financial analysts alike are recommending investments in precious metals.

There are ways to invest in gold like traditional stock or mutual fund investments. There are gold-mining stocks whose performance often tracks the price of gold in relation to the expenses of mining operations. There are ETF (electronically traded funds), some of which are backed by physical metals.

However, the safest way to invest in gold is to buy physical bullion.

Gold Bullion comes in different forms. The most common ways to invest in physical gold is to buy coins and bars.

Gold coins are minted, backed and guaranteed by sovereign governments.

Gold bars and rounds are minted by private companies that assure the assay of the gold you’re buying.

If you want exposure to gold in your investment portfolio, then buying and holding gold coins is the best way to achieve that.

Gold Coins are different from rounds in that coins are issued by sovereign government authorities and carry legal tender status. In the majority of cases, the face value that is present on gold coins is nominal and is a fraction of the intrinsic value of the metal in the coin.

Government issued coins are more widely recognized world-wide when it comes time to sell. They are standardized and are manufactured to exacting specifications that are well known and documented.

This makes them much easier to authenticate without requiring expensive equipment to assay. With a digital scale and measuring calipers even a novice in precious metals can often be taught to easily determine the authenticity of a coin.

  1. American Gold Eagle Coins

    The American Gold Eagle is one of the most recognizable modern gold coins worldwide. It’s design embodies the spirit of America. The obverse (front) of the coin features the Walking Liberty design that also appeared on the St Gauden’s Double Eagle coin. The reverse (back) of the coin shows a bald eagle soaring above it’s nest.

    It was introduced in 1986 and is backed in full faith for it’s purity and weight by the US Mint. Each Gold Eagle coin contains 1 troy ounce of gold. The coin also contains small amounts of silver and copper to provide strength, durability and protections from scratches while being handled.

    The composition of the Gold American Eagle is 91.67% Au, 3% Ag, 5.33% Cu. It is 22 karat, which was the alloy used in American Gold coins minted prior to 1837.

    Gold Eagles are widely recognized by investors. They are typically sold by dealers as individual coins. Though they are also available in tubes of 20 coins or Monster Boxes containing  25 full tubes.

  2. American Gold Buffalo Coins

    The American Gold Buffalo coin was introduced in 2006. It is a 24k bullion coin produced from .9999 fine gold. It was the first 24k gold bullion coin produced by the US Mint.

    The Gold Buffalo mimics the design of the Buffalo Nickel. It is produced annually at the West Point Mint. Random Year Gold Buffalo coins will carry the lowest premiums over spot price, which is ideal for investors.

  3. Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Coins

    The Canadian Maple Leaf is one of the world’s most popular coin programs. It is the official bullion coin series of the Royal Canadian Mint and the nation of Canadian. First introduced in 1979, the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins were the first in the world to compete with the South African Krugerrand in terms of gold bullion demand. Prior to the release of the Gold Canadian Maple Leaf no other coin beside the Krugerrand had ever been offered strictly for investment purposes.

    The obverse of all Gold Maple Leafs feature the right-profile portrait sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II. Three different incarnations of Her Majesty’s profile have appeared over the years. These include the following:

    -1979 to 1989 – The image of a 39-year-old Queen Elizabeth II.

    -1990 to 2004 – A depiction of Queen Elizabeth II at 64 years of age.

    -2005 to Present – Susanna Blunt’s depiction of Her Majesty at the age of 79.

    The reverse of all Canadian Maple Leaf coins features the image of the sugar maple leaf. Used on the reverse since the introduction of the gold version in 1979, this image has never changed. The only additions have been security measures, notably radial lines and a microscopic maple leaf privy.

  4. South African Gold Krugerrand Coins

    The gold Krugerrand quickly became the number one choice for investors worldwide during the bull gold market in the 1970’s. Between 1974-1985 it is estimated that 22 million gold Krugerrand coins were imported into the United States.

    The success of the South African Gold Krugerrand inspired other gold-producing countries to mint and issue gold bullion coins. Including Canada, with the gold Canadian Maple Leaf; China, with the Chinese Gold Panda; the United States, with the American Gold Eagle; and the United Kingdom, with the British Gold Britannia.

    The dimensions of the 1 oz South African Gold Krugerrand is 32.77 mm in diameter and 2.84 mm thick. It is minted from a gold alloy that is 91.67% pure (22 karats) so that the coin contains one troy ounce (31.1035 grams) of gold. The remaining 8.33% of the of the coins weight is copper which gives the Krugerrand it’s orange appearance. As a result, the Krugerrand’s actual weight is 1.0909 troy ounces (33.93 grams).

    In 1980, the South African Mint began producing gold Krugerrand coins in fractional ounce sizes, containing 1/2 oz (15.5 grams), 1/4 ounce (7.78 grams), and 1/10 ounce (3.11 grams) of pure gold.

Many experts suggest that every investment portfolio is diversified with 10% to 15% invested in precious metals. Many investors choose to buy gold coins because of their ability to retain and maintain purchasing power over time.

The one troy ounce gold coin is the most popular size and denomination of gold bullion coins available today. These gold coins are widely recognized worldwide and can easily be authenticated with simple tools. One ounce gold coins are small and compact and many of them can be stored discreetly in a very small amount of space.

One standard mint tube of gold eagle coins contains 20 troy ounces of gold and is only slightly larger than an average pill bottle. With the spot price of gold hovering between $1,500 to $1,600 per ounce, a full tube of Gold Eagles has a bit over $30,000 in gold value. That is a remarkable store of wealth in a compact size.

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Five Gold Coins that Cost Less than $200 Each

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Precious Metals investors and enthusiast of all budgets are always on the lookout to add interesting, affordable and cheap gold coins to their portfolio. Investors with smaller budgets, or those new to precious metals may find the idea of spending close to $1,400 on a 1 oz Gold Coin daunting. So we’ve put together a small guide for the budget conscious of five gold coins that cost less than $200 each.

With the current gold spot price wavering between $1,250-$1,400 per ounce many investors look to fractional gold coins as a way to diversify into gold without having to spend a lot of money.

The obvious choice that many people choose is to buy 1/10th oz American Gold Eagle or 1/10th oz Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins. These are a good choice, however, the premiums on these coins can be extremely high when looking at things on a cost per ounce basis.

The melt value of a 1/10th oz American Gold Eagle coin is around $135 with gold spot price trading around $1,350 per ounce. In today’s retail bullion market the lowest price you can buy 1/10th oz American Gold Eagle coins for is around $150. The premium is about $15, which is a 10% dealer premium over spot price.

When factoring that premium on a per ounce basis, the 10% premium become $150 per ounce. The premium on a 1 oz American Gold Eagle coin can be as low as 1%, or roughly $13.50. When you invest in fractional gold coins it is important to look at the cost basis as it compares to a full ounce counterpart.

Vintage fractional gold coins can often be found with much lower premiums.

Gold Coins that Cost Less than $200

10 Francs Gold Coins

10 Francs Gold Coins were minted by a number of different countries under the Latin Monetary Union during the 19th and 20th centuries. The most popular 10 Franc Gold coins were minted in France and Switzerland.

There are at least three popular designs that investors seek for their bullion value and low premiums.

The 10 Francs Rooster Coin was struck from 1899 to 1914 in France. The obverse of the coin features the Gallic Rooster standing proud along with the French national motto of Liberte Egalite Fraternite.

The original design of the 10 Francs Gold Coin was that of Napolean III. Minted from 1854 to 1860, these coins mimic the 20 Francs and features a right-profile portrait of Napoleon III on the obverse, with the engravings Napoleon III and Empereur around the portrait.

Helvetia 10 Francs Gold Coins where struck from 1911 to 1922 in Switzerland towards the end of the Latin Monetary Union. The coins feature the young bust of Helvetia facing left, with the denomination and year of minting on the reverse.

10 Francs Gold Coin Highlights:

  • Composition: Gold
  • Fineness: 90%
  • Weight: 3.2258 grams
  • Actual Gold Weight (AGW): 0.0933 troy oz

Mexican 5 Pesos Gold Coins

The Mexican 5 Peso Gold Coin contains roughly .1205 troy ounces, roughly 3.75 grams of gold bullion. The premiums on fractional gold like the Gold 5 Peso Coin are often much lower than other fractional gold coins making them an attractive investment for bullion investors.

Cinco Peso Mexican Gold Coins were produced by the Mexican National Mint, La Casa de Moneda de Mexico. The Mexican 5 Peso Gold Coins were produced from from 1918-1948. Most of the coins on the market that are sold as 1945 5 Peso Gold Coins are restrikes. Many of the restrikes were produced between 1951-1972 and again in 1996.

5 Pesos Gold Coin Highlights:

  • Composition: Gold
  • Fineness: 90%
  • Weight: 4.1665 grams
  • Actual Gold Weight (AGW):  0.1205 troy oz

Gold 1 Ducat Coins

Gold 1 Ducat coins were minted in Austria and Netherlands during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most of the Gold 1 Ducat coins that are available today are restrikes that are produced by the Austrian Mint based on the design featuring the bust of Emperor Franz Joseph I that are dated as 1915.

1 Ducat Gold Coin Highlights:

  • Composition: Gold
  • Fineness: 98.6%
  • Weight: 3.494 grams
  • Actual Gold Weight (AGW):  0.1107 troy oz
  • Obverse: Laureate head right facing bust of Emperor Franz Joseph I.
  • Reverse: Crowned imperial double headed eagle.

Great Britain Half Sovereign Gold Coins

The British half sovereign was first introduced in 1544 under Henry VIII. Gold Sovereigns and Half Sovereigns were discontinued from 1604 until 1817. The reestablishing of the Gold Sovereigns occurred following a major revision of British coinage in 1817. Production continued until 1926.

After 1926, production of Gold Sovereign coins was limited primarily to special issues for coronation years. Annual minting was restarted by the Royal Mint in 1980.

The Gold Half Sovereign was also used extensively in Australia, until 1933.

The reverse side, featuring St. George slaying a dragon was designed by Benedetto Pistrucci, whose initials appear to the right of the date.

Half Sovereign Gold Coin Highlights:

  • Composition: Gold
  • Fineness: 91.66%
  • Weight: 3.99 grams
  • Actual Gold Weight (AGW):  0.1176 troy oz
  • Obverse:
  • Reverse:

Austria 4 Florins/10 Francs

The 4 Florin/10 Francs gold coins were minted in Austria between 1870 and 1892. Under the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I, Austria began to join the Latin Monetary Union. During that time the Austrian Mint started striking the 4 Florin/10 Francs as trade coins.

The Florin gold coins were minted in two denominations: the 4 Florin gold coins with a face value of 10 Francs and the 8 Florin gold coins with the corresponding value of 20 Francs.

The Austria Mint still produces the 4 Florin 10 Francs gold coins. The restrikes typically show the date as 1892.  Gold bullion investors are the primary buyers of the modern restrikes. The majority of the coins available in today’s bullion market are restrikes.

4 Florins Coin Highlights:

  • Composition: Gold
  • Fineness: 90%
  • Weight:  3.2258 grams
  • Actual Gold Weight: 0.0933 troy oz
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How can you buy gold at spot price?

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Investors and collectors are always looking for a great price on gold coins and bars. It’s understandable that everyone wants to pay the lowest price possible when buying precious metals. The lower price you pay the higher potential return on your investment that you can get. It’s difficult to buy gold at spot price but not impossible.

What is gold spot price?

The gold spot price is the current commodities market price at which gold is bought or sold for immediate payment and delivery. It is what you would pay “on-the-spot” as opposed to some date in the future. In theory, you could pay spot price, or below spot price if you were to buy raw gold before it was minted into a bar or coin.

The gold spot price refers to the price of one troy ounce. It is often quoted in U.S. dollars. The troy ounce is a standard unit of measurement use for precious metals. One troy ounce is defined as exactly 31.1034768 grams (1.097142857143 oz.), but gold prices are often listed as $/oz.

Gold spot prices can be driven by a host of factors such as market speculation, demand for gold, fluctuations in gold futures (paper contracts), currency values, current events (political stability), gold supply (mining), and gold demand (manufacturing and investor).

Gold spot prices are updated every minute as long as one of the markets around the world is open and trading. The most influential global markets are in New York, Chicago, London, Zurich, China, and Hong Kong.

Gold spot price does not take into account any other costs that may be essential to the design, manufacture, transportation, purchase or sale of a precious metal. Those additional costs may including things like packaging, shipping, handling, or insurance. They also don’t factor in the rarity of certain gold products, coins or potential numismatic value.

Expecting to buy a gold coin or bar at the spot price of gold is like expecting to buy a car for the price of the materials. Other factors impact the price of the finished product such as the design and labor, the cost of transporting raw materials and finished products, location, taxes, profit margin, etc.

How are spot prices used?

Companies use gold spot prices to help guide product pricing. However, gold coins, bars, and bullion can sell for varying amounts over spot price due to numerous factors previously mentioned. Additionally, gold coins have other factors that effect the price such as mintage, product types, and rarity on top of the spot price of gold.

Bullion dealers use gold spot price as the basis for pricing many of their products. Dealers price Gold coins, bars and rounds with a premium over gold spot price.

Where can you buy gold at spot price?

While rare, the opportunity to buy gold at spot price does exists. Several online bullion dealers offer 1 oz gold bar for sale at spot price as a special offer for new customers. This is intended as a loss leader for the bullion dealers to acquire new customers.

There are other ways to buy gold at close to spot price, including some that allow you to buy gold below spot price after factoring in various discounts, cash back and rebates.

Choose the type of gold products that will meet your goals

With such a variety of gold bullion products available it can be difficult to decide which products will help you reach your investment or store of wealth goals.

Today’s market is flooded with gold bullion coins from sovereign government mints from around the world and private mints. The market also has a flood of vintage gold bullion coins that were in circulation at a time when economies were based on the gold standard.

Two very important factors to consider include how long you intend to hold on to your gold bullion investment and your intended buyer when you decide to sell down the road.

If transferring cash holdings into another form of legal tender, buying Pre-1933 US Gold Coins, Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins or American Gold Eagle Coins may be the most practical for you. There are plenty of other vintage gold bullion coin options available that don’t have a current legal tender status, that are just as highly recognized world-wide. These vintage gold bullion coins are easy to sell, such as Gold Franc Coins of the Latin Monetary Union (LMU), Gold Sovereigns from Great Britain, and Gold Peso coins from Mexico.

Keep track of the Gold Spot Price

The gold spot price changes everyday based on the market factors mentioned above. It’s important to keep an eye on rising or falling gold spot prices to identify opportunities to buy and sell to capture profits if that is one of your goals.

Compare Gold Bullion Prices

Once you’ve identified your investment goals and the types of gold bullion products that are important to you, then it’s time to comparison shop across the large number of online bullion dealers.

There are a number of trusted and reputable online bullion dealers. Each dealer prices gold bullion products based on their individual business models. Accordingly, the premiums each dealer charges for the same product can vary dramatically.

Almost every online bullion dealer will carry a core set of common products such as American Gold Eagles, Canadian Gold Maple Leafs, South African Gold Krugerrands, and other sovereign government bullion. You can use FindBullionPrices.com to find the best prices on the gold bullion items you want to buy.

 

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American Gold Eagle Coins

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2023 American Gold Eagle Reverse design

When the private ownership of gold was outlawed in 1933, the Gold Reserve Act was passed in 1934 to transfer the seized gold to the US Treasury. The law also prohibited the Treasury and financial institutions from redeeming gold for dollars and halted the new production of gold coins.

The American Gold Eagle Coin is an official gold bullion series that is issued annually by the United States Mint. It was first released in 1986 as authorized under the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985.

The Act reconstituted gold and silver coins as legal tender and ordered the US Mint to create the coins from only newly mined domestic sourced metal.

The coins are minted from a 22k alloy that is historically referred to as “crown gold” which contains 91.67% pure gold. The remainder is a mix of copper and silver which provide added hardness to resist the wear and tear that can be caused by circulation.

Gold Eagle coins are available in four denominations. Each denomination has a nominal face value which is far below its intrinsic value.

Gold Eagle DenominationFace ValueAGW
1 oz American Gold Eagle Coin$501 troy ounce
1/2 oz American Gold Eagle Coin$251/2 troy ounce
1/4 oz American Gold Eagle Coin$101/4 troy ounce
1/10 oz American Gold Eagle Coin$51/10 troy ounce

The American Gold Eagle is one of the two official US Mint gold coins, the other being the Gold Buffalo series which debuted in 2006.

Composed of 1 troy ounce in 22 karat gold form, Gold American Eagles include small amounts of silver and copper to provide the soft metal with some rigidity. That gives the coin with great wear-resistance against blemishes and scratches that are possible on pure gold coins.

The obverse of the coin features a modernized rendition of the Augustus Saint Gauden’s design that graced the $20 double eagle which was minted primarily for international trade from 1907 until 1933. The rendering shows Lady Liberty with long flowing hair. Her right arm is raised and holding her torch proudly, a symbol of enlightenment, shining a path to freedom and liberty. Her left is extended out to her side and holds an olive branch, a symbol of peace.

From 1986-1991, the year-dates were shown on the front of the coins using Roman numerals for dates. In 1992, a switch was made to using traditional Arabic numbers for year-dates.

From 1986 until 2001, the reverse design portrayed a male eagle holding an olive branch flying above a nesting female eagle and a baby eagle. This is sometimes referred to as the Type-1 design by coin collectors.

The reverse of the coin was updated with a new design in 2021. The Type-2 design was introduced partway through the year that shows just the head of an eagle with a piercing eye gazing forward.

Both the Type-1 and Type-2 reverse design include inscriptions for the weight, face value and the mottos commonly found on US currency, “In God We Trust” and the latin phrase “E Pluribus Unum” which means “Out of Many, One”.

American Gold Eagles are available in four weight denomination (1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, and 1 oz). Each is guaranteed for gold content and purity by the United States Government and carries the designation as legal tender currency.

The fractional denominations of the American Gold Eagles are identical in design to the 1 troy oz coin except for the markings that indicate weight and face value.

While Gold Eagle coins are legal tender in the United States at their face values, the true worth lies in the intrinsic value of the gold from which they are minted.

The US Mint also creates commemorative gold coins that highlight culturally significant people and events.

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Compare Premiums to Determine Which Silver Dealer Has the Best Price

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shipping silver bullion

When you buy silver and gold bullion from online dealers the pricing displayed on their websites can be confusing. It can sometimes be hard to tell if you’re getting a good deal or not.

All bullion dealers, whether online or a local coins shop, price their bullion relative to the spot price of the precious metals. The price the dealer charges over spot price is called the dealer premium.

The only way to know whether or not you’re getting the best price when you buy precious metals online is to compare the dealer premiums over spot price.

Comparing dealer premiums for a particular item, whether it’s the latest American Silver Eagle coins, 10 oz silver bars, or Pre-1933 gold coins, can be a tedious and time consuming job. Looking for the same item across multiple dealer websites takes time.

FindBullionPrices.com provides tools to help simplify the process for buying silver and gold bullion from online dealers. We pull the latest prices from many trusted and reputable bullion dealer websites for over 300 unique products.

Each product listing is designed to make it easier to decide which dealer has the best deal when you buy bullion online. The product listings display the current spot price, including the melt value for each item. The current price the dealer is selling an item for is displayed, along with the calculated dealer premium over the melt value.

For each product we try to show as many dealers as possible that are selling a particular gold or silver coin. Dealer inventories can change quickly so we may not always show every dealer that is selling a particular item, though we try to do the best we can.

Shipping Charges and the Myth of Free Shipping

Many online bullion dealers offer free shipping when you place an order over a certain dollar amount. For a lot of bullion dealers, the free shipping threshold is that orders over $99 ship for free. The cost of the shipping is generally included in the dealer premiums.

Several online bullion dealers offer free shipping for all orders regardless of the dollar value of the order. These dealers typically have much higher premiums per item to cover the shipping costs.

Still, there are other dealers that are more transparent in their pricing and cost structure. They may not offer free shipping at all, or have a higher minimum order dollar value threshold for offer free shipping.

As silver and gold bullion are commodities, market conditions dictate the price trend which affects the price you pay. As with any business, each dealer has different levels of overhead, operating costs and desired profit margins.

Some online bullion dealers prefer high volume with lower margins while others may charge a heavy premium, especially when purchasing lower quantities or lower order values.

The top trusted and reputable online bullion dealers willing to compete on both service and price, who are interested in establishing long-term stacker customers that will continue to buy from them on an ongoing basis, are the dealers will to compete on price and provide the best customer service.

Payment Methods and Types

Our dealer listings section has a page that shows the payment methods accepted by dealer accepts and displays information regarding the shipping policies, minimum order value thresholds for free shipping and more.

Virtually all online bullion dealers accept credit cards, checks and wire transfers for payment. Dealers that accept credit cards and PayPal as payment methods typically incur a fee for each transaction. The fee that credit card companies and PayPal charges the dealer are typically 3% to 4% of the dollar value of the order. These fees are included in the cost.

Online bullion dealers often display on their product pages two or three different prices. Dealers will usually display the Cash Price and the Credit Card/PayPal price, and some dealers may display a third category that have begun accepting BitCoin and other cryptocurrencies for payment.

Paying the Cash Price for Silver & Gold Bullion

The lowest price is the Cash Price. The Cash Price when you buy gold or silver from an online dealer represents the equivalent to walking into the store and paying cash. This is obviously not possible when making an online transaction, so this price also often represents the price if you were to mail a check to the dealer, use an e-check option or perform a wire transfer.

Some  credit card companies and payment processors have requirements that forbid merchants from charging a fee for accepting credit cards as a payment method. Online bullion dealers get around this by offering the items for sale at a Credit Card/PayPal price that is typically 3% to 4% higher than the Cash Price. While the Cash Price is often referred to as a discounted price for using Cash, Check, e-Check or wire transfer as a payment method.

 

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2019 American Eagle Coins Beginning to Ship from Mint

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The U.S. Mint will begin shipping 2019 American Eagle Silver and Gold Coins to their list of Authorized Purchasers (wholesalers) this week.

Retail online bullion dealers are anticipated to begin shipping pre-orders for 2019 American Silver Eagle and American Gold Eagle coins beginning on Monday January 14, 2019.

With the 2018 American Eagle coins selling far less than hoped for, dealers are hoping that a slowing U.S. economy and rising interest rates will spur more investment in precious metals during 2019.

Premiums on individual Silver Eagle and Gold Eagle coins vary greatly amongst online bullion dealers.

Our product listings for 2019 Gold Eagle Coins and Silver Eagle Coins track prices across various trusted and reputable online bullion.

500 oz Silver Eagle Monster Boxes remain competitively priced for both 2019 release coins and remaining 2018 Silver Eagle coin inventory.

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Sales of American Eagle gold and silver coins drop to 11 year low

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best place to buy American Silver Eagles online

According to sales data released by the U.S. Mint this week, sales of both American Silver Eagle (ASE) and American Gold Eagle (AGE) coins were down in 2018.

According to sales data, the U.S. Mint sold 245,500 ounces of Gold Eagle bullion coins during 2018. This was down from 302,500 ounces in 2017 and 985,000 in 2016.

Silver Eagle bullion coin sales dropped in 2018 as well. In 2018, the U.S. Mint sold 15,700,000 one-ounce Silver Eagle bullion coins. This was down from 18,065,500 in 2017 and 37,701,500 in 2016.

Silver Eagle bullion coins are sold to dealers in 500 coin Monster Boxes. Many precious metals dealers that are still holding onto 2018 dates coins have lowered the premiums to as low as $2.20 per coin, which is only 20 cents more than the premium charged by the U.S. Mint.

Additional information can be found in this Reuters article and via the U.S. Mint Production Sales Figures.

Overall, the spot price of gold ended 2018 with a 2.1% loss, the spot price of silver lost 9.7% throughout the year.

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US Mint Authorized Wholesale Purchasers

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2018 American 1 oz Silver Eagle

Unlike other world mints, The United States Mint does not sell its bullion coins directly to the public. Instead, the coins are distributed through a network of official distributors called “authorized purchasers”. The Authorized Purchasers then create a two-way market buying and selling to precious metal wholesalers as well as private investors.

In the United States there are nine authorized purchasers that purchase Gold, Silver, and Platinum Eagles and other bullion items direct from the US Mint. In Europe there are two Authorized Purchasers and in Asia there is one. The Authorized Purchasers act as wholesale distributors for US Mint bullion products.

United States

  • A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc
  • American Precious Metals Exchange (APMEX)
  • Coins & Things, Inc
  • Dillon Gage Inc of Dallas
  • Fidelitrade, Inc
  • Jack Hunt Coin Broker, Inc
  • Manfra, Tordella, & Brookes, Inc (MTB)
  • The Gold Center
  • ScotiaMocatta (Scotia Bank)

Europe

  • Bayerische Landesbank
  • Deutsche Bank AG

Asia

  • Tanaka Kinkinzoku