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Thursday, November 13, 2008

More information on 1889 silver dollars

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Value of Gold Bullion Coins

By Misha Kerogazov

Bullion coins by definition are the coins minted for investments and not for circulation. They are valued for their precious metal content rather than for their numismatic value.

The value of gold bullion coins in its essence is the gold value of a coin plus the premium. The gold value varies with the time of course but it is what it is on the gold market, which is around $30 per gram at the present. The premium on the other hand is a very subtle subject and can be affected by many factors. And we're going to have a look at some of them.

One of the most usual factors is the coin grade. This one can be split into the coin finish and the coin grade itself. The finish for gold bullion coins can be either brilliant uncirculated or proof. Proof coins usually have higher premium than their brilliant uncirculated counterparts. The grade of a coin is basically its condition. And of course, better condition means higher premium. The grade can vary from PO-1 (pure) to MS-70 (perfect) for normal coins and from PF-01 to PF-70 for proof coins.

Another factor that can affect the value of gold bullion coins is the coin mintage, or the number of coins issued in any particular year or in total. This one is not as crucial for bullion coins as for normal ones because usually bullion coins are minted in great number, but for some coins and for some years it can be significant. It is not an issue of course for the coins that either don't have a year (which is quite rare) or have some set year in the past (like Mexican Pesos or Austrian Ducats).

And the last factor that can affect the value of gold bullion coins is actually the size of a coin. It may sound odd, but smaller coins usually have higher premium.

The first modern gold bullion coin was the South African Krugerrand minted in 1967 and weighed exactly 1 troy ounce (31.10 g). The value of the coin was basically its gold value plus very small premium (3-5%). As the coin proved to be very popular, other countries started minting their bullion coins and at the later years started producing coins as fractions of the troy ounce - half ounce, quarter, tenth, and finally twentieth, which is just about 1.5 g. The premium of the latter one can be up to 50% of the gold value. So, if you're planning on investing into gold bullion coins, consider buying bigger ones.

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Additional Numismatists Info

The U.S. star or replacement note displays a star as a suffix on Federal Reserve notes. A star is used to replace defective notes found during the inspection process at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Since the highest number that can be printed by an eight-digit numbering cylinder is 99,999,999, a star has been used to denote the 100,000,000th note off the press. Historically, star notes hold a value slightly higher than the legal-tender value, with the amount dependent on condition and denomination
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At one time, it was speculated that the notes signed by Treasurer Joseph W. Barr would eventually hold a high numismatic value since he was in office for only 23 days in 1968-69. However, during that period, a total of 484 million notes were produced with his signature. The high quantity produced dictates that the notes will never be considered rare in our lifetime. Interestingly, in 1995, numismatic author Alan Herbert stated, "A $1 Barr note deposited in an interest-bearing account in 1969 would have been worth over $4.00, figuring 6% interest compounded annually. A circulated Barr note kept in a safe-deposit box for 26 years is worth $1 today
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Central banks and the International Monetary Fund play an important role in the gold price. At the end of 2004 central banks and official organizations held 19 percent of all above-ground gold as official gold reserves. The Washington Agreement on Gold (WAG), which dates from September 1999, limits gold sales by its members (Europe, United States, Japan, Australia, Bank for International Settlements and the International Monetary Fund) to less than 400 tonnes a year. European central banks, such as the Bank of England and Swiss National Bank, have been key sellers of gold over this period.
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