Transitioning to Gold Backed Digital Currencies for Trade Settlements

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The push toward dedollarization that began after the 2008 financial crisis has taken hold in recent years.

Many central bank are preparing for the elimination of the dollar from international trade settlements in favor of local currencies and are preparing by stocking up on gold and other commodities.

Development of the BRICS+ basket currency began more than ten years, with reforming the global finance system at the top of the plan.

The EuroAsia alliance and the push for the Moscow World Standard, a gold market that is outside of the manipulation from the corrupt Western banking elite is seen as a key driver for adoption of a basket currency.

This week, the Iraqi central bank announced they are dropping the dollar and switching to the Yuan for their trade with China after the US Treasury forced stricter SWIFT transfer rules last year.

While the intent of the tighter rules was to curtail money laundering and to prevent the siphoning of dollars to heavily sanctioned countries. It is yet another political move that appears to have backfired.

Jamie Dimon seems to have lost faith in the Federal Reserve. During a recent interview with CNBC, the JP Morgan Chase CEO said that he believes the Fed has lost control of inflation, while suggesting that it is still possible to have a “soft landing” of the economy.

While the stock market appears to be having a fragile recovery since the market bottom at the beginning of the pandemic lockdowns, the housing market has completely collapsed in record time.

As the rest of the world begins to transition to a gold-backed CBDC for international trade, the risk of out of control inflation to continue remains high and the chances of a soft landing for the economy is increasingly low.

The Federal Reserve has been piloting a number of different CBDC projects in recent months while recent legislation in Congress has been introduced to restrict the central bank from issuing any digital currencies to individuals.

In the long term, gold and silver preserve wealth and spending power while central bankers devalue fiat currency.

Even if the Fed is able to reduce inflation without destroying other sectors of the economy, the long term goal is to devalue the dollar by 2% annually with the inflation targets.

The global economy is shifting back towards some form of a gold standard. Everyone should be buying some physical gold and silver to have at home or in a secure location to be prepared for whatever happens this year.

The US Treasury continues to hold the largest gold bullion reserves. The January 31 report from shows 258,641,878.085 troy ounces, or roughly 8082.56 tons. According to some reports, 2,665 tons seized from citizens by FDR during the depression.

Storing physical gold and silver at home alongside firearms and other valuables is more common than you might think. If you don’t hold it, you don’t own it. Physical metals avoids counter-party risk.

Last year, the US Mint sold 980,000 troy ounces of gold eagle coins, a substantial drop from the 1,252,500 ounces that were sold in 2021.

Though 2022 saw an increase in sales of US Mint Gold Buffalo coins by nearly 60,000 troy ounces which shows that some gold bugs have been turning to .9999 fine gold.

Premiums on current year 1 oz Gold Eagle coins have fallen with online dealer premiums as low as 4.6% of gold spot price, and premiums on random year 1 oz Gold Buffalos are slightly higher from 5.14%.

Gold Eagles are minted from a 90% pure gold that is alloyed with small amounts of copper and silver. The addition of silver helps to gives these coins their unique color and luster.

Gold Buffalos are minted from .9999 pure 24k gold. The coins are beautifully sculpted and minted from gold that is refined from US mines.

Both coins each contain one troy ounce of pure gold.

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.

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.

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.

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

Gold bullion price lower, Stronger gold sales for US Mint

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The gold bullion price per ounce has fallen by around 5% since the beginning of June. The current gold spot price is down by over $120 a ounce since hitting a high of $1362.40 in January.

As the price of gold has gone down the demand for the shiny metal continues to grow. In June sales of American Gold Eagle coins had their third highest sales month of the year. The US Mint reported 24,500 troy ounces of gold eagle bullion sold, comprised of 41,500 gold coins of various denominations. Sales figures where substantially higher than June 2017.

Gold Buffalo coins had strong sales as well, with 6,500 of the 24 karat gold 1 oz buffalo coins reported being shipped by the US Mint. The number of Gold 1 oz Buffalo Coins shipped by the mint in June of this year is more than 300% more than June 2017.

Gold prices lower, sales of gold bullion surge

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Gold prices fell throughout the month of May. The price of gold per ounce at the start of June was down close to 1%.

As the price of gold has continued to fall investor demand for American Gold Eagles has surged. The US Mint reported that Gold Eagle sales in May were the highest since January.

In May, the US Mint sold 18,500 2018 American Eagle 1 oz Gold Coins, up from 4,000 coins shipped in April.

2018 Gold Buffalo 1 oz coin sales rose to 16,500 units in May compared to 2,000 units in April.

While the price of silver has stayed relatively steady, the gold to silver ratio has continued a downward trend over the past couple of months due to the reduced gold prices.