Is It a Good Time to Invest in Gold in 2012?

For decades many have invested in gold and for most, it has proven to be a good investment. However, before making an investment in gold, it is best to consider all aspects of gold. Investing in a gold coin is another way to invest in gold.

With gold and silver, there is usually a limited supply and in the past decade, the demand for gold has increased. Common sense will tell you that when the price of a certain item rises and the demand is less than what is in supply, the value of the item-such as gold--will increase.

One big advantage with gold is that it can be melted down and turned into jewelry. Many foreign countries like India love jewelry-hence the value of gold for jewelry, rises. When a person invests in gold there are two basic advantages that come with it such as being a secure way to invest in one's future. With economic times as they are and if an emergency arises, the value of gold will go up and of course, be of help in that emergency. Another advantage of buying gold is that it can be used as an alternative currency. Gold coin values fluctuate according to the economic twists and turns of an economy.

Buying gold is actually another way to invest in currency and future growth. When the value of the dollar drops, then gold and other investments usually rise and this helps to preserve the value of your current wealth. For many buying gold offers diversification in one's investments. Investing in gold coin is a great investment option.

When it comes to deciding how much gold one should invest in, some say that between 10% and 25% should be invested in gold. The best kind of gold coin investment is "government-minted bullion coins." Gold coin investments are worthwhile and are quite productive.

Gold coin option investments can be investments that adds value to your portfolio. Coin collections are also another way to invest. Other examples of coin investments are: Bars, Bullion, Silver Coins and silver bullions. For more information on coin investments, talk with a financial advisor.

The most popular investment coins are the Krugerrand, which is government minted in South Africa. The US Eagle, minted in the United States of America and recognised as an investment quality coin world-wide. If you are in the UK or Europe, then you will probably buy the British Sovereign and Britannia. Both minted by the Royal mint and also traded globally. In the UK the Sovereign and Britannia are exempt from Capital Gains Tax, making them and highly sought after investment.

In answer to the question, "Is it a Good Time to Invest in Gold in 2012," the answer is a resounding, yes!

There's Gold in Them There Hills! Metal Detecting for Gold   When the Funds Are Low And The Debt Is High   How to Ensure You Purchase Authentic Antique Silverware   Purchase of Gold And Silver - Find The Best Deals   What It Means to Start Investing in Gold   Precious Metals Price Discovery - At and Despite the Margins   

Top 5 Silver Items to Sell To Gold Buyers

Although most viable currencies - certainly the Unites States' dollar - are backed up by the unshakable value of gold, there is a place for silver as a precious metal in any economy. Whenever there's an especially robust market for gold, it turns out that you can also engage in selling silver as long as it is the right kind, because it can also act as insurance against economic downturn, and has been valued in nearly all locations around the world since antiquity. There are countless vendors that will pay you fairly for your silver trinkets; in fact, there are five very popular items that silver buyers purchase most frequently from sellers:

1. Ornate or antique silverware may be worth more than you think, especially given the fact that the worth of silver doesn't devalue, and the price can obviously go up during times of fiscal misfortune, when the dollar's own worth takes a hit. This may initially surprise you, but even if the silverware is damaged, it is still worth about the same amount, because it will be melted down anyway in most cases, as long as it's real silver. If it is aged Spanish royalty silver or something like that, then it can be worth more than heaps of gold.

2. If you have silver coins for whatever reason - maybe they've been passed down through the generations of your family, etc - then these could be very good items to sell for fast cash. You can be paid well for them at a pawn shop depending on the place of origin, the age, to whom did it belong, etc; but you can often get much more money from an online website that deals in precious metals.

3. Silver jewelry is always a popular one to sell, because they are worthy accessories that are always in demand. As usual, taking the time to find a trustworthy online retailer often nets you considerably more than you might get at a local jewelry store, since online retailers don't have the multiple costs that a brick-and-mortar physical location that has to deal with customers, security, utilities, etc. Out of all silver, jewelry can sometimes be the easiest one to sell because of the worth of the craftsmanship, meaning the buyer can just choose to resell it, and the usual inherent worth of the silver itself, which can be broken down, melted, and used in multiple ways.

4. You've certainly heard of gold bullion; but probably not as much about silver bullion. If you happen to have any silver bullion, it can be very valuable because it is already in a widely-acceptable format, and the expenditure to heat and melt it down need not be made, which automatically drives up the price you can get for it.

5. You may not even be aware of some the valuable silver in your home; for example, silver has the highest electrical conductivity of any known element, as well as the highest thermal transfer abilities. This is what makes it as good as a conductor in many electrical contacts, especially older ones (before silicon started being used primarily). If you have enough old machinery that no longer works or is no longer needed, they can serve as a valuable source of silver. Remember that since it will all be broken down anyway, silver from this source can be just as valuable as from silverware or coins.

There's Gold in Them There Hills! Metal Detecting for Gold   When the Funds Are Low And The Debt Is High   Gold Bullions - An Investment Option   How to Know Where to Buy Gold   How to Ensure You Purchase Authentic Antique Silverware   Purchase of Gold And Silver - Find The Best Deals   

What Is A Semi-Numismatic Silver Coin and How To Spot Them

Semi-Numismatic Silver Coin Features

1. The most crucial aspect of semi-numismatic coins is their undeniable beauty and design. The design of these coins should appeal to everyone regardless of culture, and should be so stunning that their beauty is undeniable. Judging exactly what makes a "beautiful" coin takes some experience in this field, however, the examples in this section should teach you the types of coins that are considered "beautiful".

2. The next feature to look for is a design that keeps changing. This creates a scenario where that every year a new design comes out and the old design instantly becomes a collectors item. Great examples of such coins are the Chinese Panda and Somalian African Elephant.

3. The third and final aspect to spotting semi-numismatic bullion coins is limited mintage. Some coins are unlimited mintage and the production runs until it meets demand. However, some coins are limited mintage, even though they are regular bullion coins. Examples of such coins are the Australian series coins such as the Kookaburra and Koala and the Canadian Wildlife Series coins.

Why Buy Semi-Numismatic Silver Coins

1. Price Cushion- The very second you purchase semi-numismatic coins, you are theoretically immediately making money. No other investment can make this claim because it seems almost too-good-to-be-true. What this means for you is that the silver price can drop many points before you will even break-even, nevertheless lose money. This leads me to the second reason for why you should be buying these premium coins, the undeniable protection against selling that comes with buying these awesome coins.

2. Protection- Stacking only the most beautiful and rare coins will make you a lot less willing to sell before the next huge run in this bull market. I have seen many people get very caught up in the profit story of purchasing the metals that as soon as the price starts falling, they get scared and sell all of their silver. I can tell you from personal experience that it is very hard to sell your semi-numismatic coins because of the fact that the longer you hold, the higher the value goes. For example, I have two rolls of Grizzly Bears that I bought 6 months ago. I paid around $35 for these coins and they are now worth around $50, but should I sell now or wait until they are worth $70 or even $100? This leads me to the third point for why semi-numismatic coins are the best for of silver, and that is the growing premium.

3. Growing Premium- The premium on semi-numismatic coins always grows, regardless of silver price. I have noticed that most of these premium coins sell for around $50 varying only slightly with huge upswings and corrections in price. I believe that the reason for why the premium grows for these coins is due to the previous two points. Most people who purchase semi-numismatic coins understand that the longer they hold, the higher the price will be and since they are so beautiful to look at, why not just hold on for a few months?

Visit Silver 2012 for examples of semi-numismatic silver coins that appreciate in value regardless of the current silver price once they sell out.

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Why You Might Buy Silver Instead of Gold

Most people view gold as a safe investment and considering how much the price of gold has risen historically, it would seem that their views are not wrong. After gold has always been viewed as a precious metal, trading has been done in gold, gold coins and bars are a global currency (particularly in illegal deals), gold is used as jewelry, and till recently banks had to have reserves of gold against currency issue (though now they have much less). Gold has long been a hedge against inflation.

When you see movies and shows and see pictures of treasure of any kind they always show gold and precious stones - you almost never see silver. It is no wonder then that the psyche of gold investing is very much entrenched in people's minds.

Why then you would you buy silver as an investment? After all, silver has many drawbacks. You would have to buy a lot more silver than gold; silver is also quite volatile - some years ago its price crashed. If you do buy a lot of silver, you may find it a problem to store it. Then again silver is not as easily saleable as gold is globally.

But with prices of both metals increasing a great deal, it is time to rethink and perhaps do a rejig of your investments in precious metals. In fact it would be a good idea, if you do not have investments in metals, and considering the volatility of the stock market and money market and recent crashes/lack of consumer confidence in paper assets, you really ought to invest in precious metals, if you have not done so.

The benefits of investing in silver

Silver is easier to buy than gold, because it is cheaper. It is an affordable investment even for the small investor.

The silver market as compared to gold is very small.

Silver has good physical properties and is used a great deal industrially.

Silver is actually in short supply in the world.

Historically the silver to gold ratio was 10:1; now it is 40:1.

Silver is under priced at current values.

Silver has anti bacterial and microbial properties, which increases its potential value.

Future mining of this metal is limited, because there are fewer chances of the metal being found deep underground and also because it is uneconomical to mine it. Because of this more silver is used annually than is mined.

Silver is actually rarer than gold, because there is much more gold than silver in the world.

Silver is a good conductor of electricity and high thermal conductivity as well so it finds its way into applications that gold cannot.

Demand for silver in technology and industries is only going to increase and this will cause an increase in price. There is no substitute for silver in almost all products that it is used in.

Silver cannot be confiscated by the US government as gold bullion can.

What kind of silver should you buy?

If you are buying silver for investment purposes, you should avoid silver jewelry because you will lose money due to making charges. Instead you will find better value for the money that you invest if you purchase

Government minted bullion coins.

Junk silver coins, so called because they have no collectible value, are usually 90 percent silver and less liable to be damaged.

Bullion bars, which are 99 percent pure silver.

Silver rounds, which re also 99 percent pure silver

So you can safely invest and buy silver, but from a reputable source or silver dealer.

There's Gold in Them There Hills! Metal Detecting for Gold   When the Funds Are Low And The Debt Is High   How to Ensure You Purchase Authentic Antique Silverware   Precious Metals Price Discovery - At and Despite the Margins   Counterfeit Coin Detection - 4 Ways to Initially Spot a Counterfeit Coin (and Avoid Being Taken)   Gold Bullions - An Investment Option   

Why You Should Be Investing in Gold Now

Most investors split the money over some kind of mix of stocks and bonds. They usually intend that the stocks will be a portion of their money that is expected to grow, while the bonds produce slower growth but, by comparison to stocks, are virtually guaranteed to maintain and increase their value. While these categories of investments have their place in a portfolio, too many people are overlooking the potential benefits of Investing In Gold.

Gold is a metal that has been precious to humans for as long as history has been recorded. A Gold Investment, therefore, is basically guaranteed to always have some value. While a company can declare bankruptcy or a municipality can potentially default on its bonds, gold has had value to people for thousands of years and there is absolutely no reason to believe that this is going to change. In fact, the value of a given quantity of gold more than doubled between 2005 and 2010. This made Buying Gold not only a very secure investment, but one that outperformed the vast majority of the stocks available on the market!

Most of the main financial benefits is that gold is not impacted by a company's profits or lack thereof. When you're dealing with stocks, many times these shares can have huge shifts in value simply because a company performed better or performed worse than was believed. This can wreak mayhem on the value of your total investment portfolio, especially if your portfolio is heavy on stocks.

Potential investors should take the time to learn about the option of a Gold IRA or 401k. Essentially, the government allows for people to invest in gold through their tax-advantaged retirement accounts. In this case, the individual does not end up being in possession of the physical gold. Instead, for so long as it is part of the retirement account, it must be held by a depository that is approved by the IRS. Once a person reaches retirement age and is taking withdrawals from their accounts, of course, they are free to either have the physical gold shipped to them or to have it sold on their behalf.

Investing In Gold is a great way to add additional diversification in a very secure form to a retirement account. Anyone who is concerned about being sure that some of the money that they are putting aside for their retirement is not at risk of being completely lost can benefit from getting an account that permits them to hold this asset.

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Is Outer Space The Next Frontier In Resource Investing?

A particularly unusual announcement that may have come across the radar of those of us investing in the resource sector is that of Planetary Resources, a company pursuing the goal of extracting natural resources from near-earth asteroids. Planetary Resources boasts an impressive team, which includes past and present high-level Google executives Eric Schmidt and Larry Page, multiple former NASA members, a former CTO of Microsoft (MSFT), acclaimed film director James Cameron, and of course seasoned space exploration entrepreneurs as physicists. As impressive as this team is, I do believe they would benefit greatly from having a visionary geologist as well.

As far out (literally!) as asteroid mining may sound, it is reminiscent of the ideas proposed by Zecharia Sitchin and Michael Tellinger -- students of ancient history who have authored books that have popularized the idea that humans were created by extraterrestrials as a slave species designed to mine earth for mineral wealth. These ideas are, needless to say, controversial and widely criticized. But for those who give them some credence, human endeavors to mine asteroids could simply be seen as a species' natural progression that may have occurred before with other species as well.

Regardless of whether or not there is a historical precedent for such activities, let's take a look at what is needed for mining of asteroids to work:

A very high price for natural resources like gold, silver, and copper. Very high quantities of minerals on these asteroids. Moreover, these minerals must have very high grade ore, so that the metallurgical process of refining them is not extremely costly. In other words, because of the inevitably high fixed costs of mining asteriods, there needs to be an abundance of minerals extractable at low prices to make this project economically viable. A strategy for water. The Planetary Resource team admits that while they are certainly interested in securing critical resources like platinum and palladium from these asteroids, these asteroids are likely to contain abundant supplies of fresh water. What is the strategy for dealing with this water? Will it be sold? Sufficiently advanced robotics technology. The ability to reduce energy costs significantly. This is what I regard as the biggest obstacle; in a world where crude oil is over $100 a barrel and where oil production has plateaued since 2005, energy costs are crucial -- especially when you want to do something like mine near-earth asteroids. There are many asteroids up there, and a game plan for how to scale an asteroid mining operation and actually get large quantities of what's valuable needs to be thought out carefully. Ultimately, though, I'm skeptical that systems reliant upon fossil fuel will be low-cost enough to make this work; I think nuclear powered space vehicles are needed before serious space exploration and mining can begin.

In sum, I think this idea is very promising and illustrates where we are headed to solve our natural resource problem -- but this is going to take a while. Given that real world mining companies often take years to get to any meaningful production, I think the timeline for near-earth asteroid mining is going to take a decade or more to get going. Moreover, I also consider it more prudent to explore the under-explored areas here on planet Earth before going to near-earth asteroids. For instance, Nautilus Minerals is a company dedicated to mining the ocean floor; I think that is a strategy that is a much better starting point, and companies that experience success in such endeavors are positioned to use the competences they develop in robotics and massive energy usage to take on more ambitious projects like asteroid mining.

Ultimately, the fact that a company like Planetary Resources is even emerging, is securing top talent, and is gaining media coverage illustrates how critical natural resources are becoming and how high the price is headed. For those of us investing in the resource sector, staying abreast of these "out there" ideas is what will help us stay cutting edge and find the best first mover investment opportunities.

There's Gold in Them There Hills! Metal Detecting for Gold   When the Funds Are Low And The Debt Is High   How to Ensure You Purchase Authentic Antique Silverware   Gold Bullions - An Investment Option   How to Know Where to Buy Gold   

Utah Now Accepts Gold and Silver

One hundred and fifty years ago Congress passed the Legal Tender Act, authorizing the use of paper notes to pay government bills. This week, Utah Governor, Gary Herbert signed into law House Bill157 allowing gold and silver to be used as currency in place of increasingly worthless paper notes. Several states have proposed similar bills but Utah's is the first to pass. The bill provides for transactions based on the weight of the metals to determine their value rather than face value. This allows the use of gold and silver bullion to be used as payment rather than the limited scope of federally minted precious metal coinage.

There are two distinctly separate issues at work here. The first issue is the Governor's expression of his constituents' voices. There is genuine concern that the easy money policies in place since September 11th which includes TARP, Quantitative Easing 1,2 and 3?, Operation Twist and so forth will seriously devalue the greenback's worth. This is not tin foil hat, alarmist conjecture. Our money supply has ballooned over the last 10 years. Money supply as defined by M1, which is currency plus demand deposits like checking and savings accounts has mushroomed from $1.25 trillion in April of '02 to $2.22 trillion, currently. That's an increase of 77%. Furthermore, the Federal Reserve forecasts M1 to grow at a 17.4% rate over the next 12 months. Theoretically, each new dollar printed is worth exponentially less than the one that preceded it. The dollars you hold in your pocket should be worth 77% less than the same dollars in your pocket 10 years ago. Clearly, there is a Dollar devaluing argument to be made.

The second issue is the game changing effect this will have on the physical gold and silver trade. This could truly be a watershed moment. For example, let's say you've been ahead of the game and began buying gold and silver years ago. Good for you. Generally, this meant buying metal from a coin dealer who charged you a premium above the spot market for your purchase and then the government charged you sales tax on top of the merchant's premium. The end result is that you've been overpaying to get in the market. Think of it as a front end loaded mutual fund.

Now that you're ready to get out, you find yourself offered below market prices on your physical holdings and due to your success, you'll be issued a capital gains form to pay Uncle Sam his share. The end result is that being right the market meant you had to pay up a total of four times.

Utah House Bill 157 will now treat precious metal transactions just like currency exchanges. In other words, if you ask for change for a $100, you'll get the entire $100 back. You'll be able to cash in your precious metal holdings for fair market prices or, simply use precious metals to make purchases, payments or deposits. The law states that metals don't have to be accepted but, if they are, it will be by weight of the metal and the market price for it.

Finally, the kicker, as I've read it, is Utah will offer a one-time tax credit to offset capital gains on any metal that is being exchanged for paper. The capital gains and tax reporting nature of getting out of your holdings will work like a currency exchange. This eliminates the physical black market or, shadow market of physical transactions. This will avoid multiple calls while shopping transaction values and eliminate the tricky conversation of tax reporting issues. Who'd have thought that seldom mentioned Utah would be the pioneer of such forward thinking?

There's Gold in Them There Hills! Metal Detecting for Gold   When the Funds Are Low And The Debt Is High   How to Ensure You Purchase Authentic Antique Silverware   Counterfeit Coin Detection - 4 Ways to Initially Spot a Counterfeit Coin (and Avoid Being Taken)   Gold Bullions - An Investment Option   

The Carson City Mint

Carson City is Nevada's capital and is centrally located between Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Virginia City. Below is a brief overview of Carson City, the mint and CC coins. The mint ran from 1870-1885 and 1889-1893, and being the shortest lived mint, produced very few coins and many rarities with the mint mark CC.

The city was founded in a place known as Eagle Station. It was during the gold rush days of the mid to late 1800's that so many people were coming west to find their fame and fortune. Eagle Station was one more trading post on the way, albeit slightly off track, to the gold fields of California. The place had gained its name from a dead eagle displayed over the entrance door to a trading post located here. As the area grew and a town was founded the name Carson City was chosen to honor the famous Kit Carson. The town grew because it was centrally located between Lake Tahoe and Virginia City. Virginia City was growing with the discovery of the Comstock Lode and Lake Tahoe had the timber resources to supply the mines and their operations. Episodes of Bonanza notwithstanding it was something of an arduous trek between the two.

In 1859 the discovery of an unprecedented silver vein was discovered in Virginia City. Virginia City boomed with a population swelling to over 20,000 souls. All of those people meant commerce and in the midst of an avalanche of silver the residents of the territory met with a tremendous shortage of coins. The location, nestled snugly in the valley between the Sierra and Virginia ranges made Carson City became a natural place for a new mint.

The mint was opened in 1870 and produced dimes, twenty cent pieces, quarters, halves, Seated dollars, Trade dollars, Morgan dollars, five dollar gold pieces, ten dollars gold pieces, and twenty dollar gold pieces while it was open. The mint was shut down in 1885 for political reasons, but was later reopened in 1889 and ran until 1893 when it closed for good. The Carson City mint is still standing and today operates as the Nevada State Museum.

The Carson City mint produced coins in such small quantities that today many of them are highly sought after prizes. Carson City dollars are the most popular coins from the mint, but many people collect the other denominations as well. The mint saw many changes in coinage during its short life. Twenty cent pieces came and went, arrows were added to quarters and halves to signify a change in silver value, and the dollar changed design three times!

The CC mint produced the following silver coins during its short production life. They made dimes from 1871-1878. All of these dimes are the Seated Liberty style and the rarest are the dimes form 1871-1874. In 1875 the nation began to make 20C pieces to cover the shortage of small coinage. Also minted were twenty cent pieces in the only two years the coins were made for circulation, 1875 and 1876. The 1875 is not too difficult to locate, but the 1876-CC 20C is a classic rarity with most of the mintage having been melted. The quarters were produced in the same style and made from 1870-1878, with none made in 1874. The only common dates are 1876 and 1877. The Seated Liberty CC halves were made from 1870-1878. The rarest being the earliest and the last year of issue. Most people know of the CC Morgan dollars, but fewer know of the Seated Dollars and the Trade Dollars. In 1870 the Carson City mint began to produce Seated Liberty dollars. They did so only until 1873 when they began the production of Trade dollars. Trade dollars were produced at Carson City from 1873-1878 before the Morgan dollar took over as the official dollar of the United States.

Morgans were made from 1878-1885 and then again from 1889 to 1893. The 1889-CC dollar is the most highly sought after Carson City dollar, but the 1893-CC and 1879-CC are also highly sought after dates.

Gold coins were also produced during these years. There are a few CC gold coins that are easily located, but many have extremely small mintages and are scarce. Gold coins are highly prized and sought after by many. The mint produced $5, $10, and $20 denominations in gold. The $5 gold pieces were produced from 1870-1884 and again from 1890-1893. The highest mintage of any of the CC $5's is the 1892-CC with 82,968 made that year. Many of the $5 gold coins have mintages less than 10,000. Carson City $10 gold pieces were minted from 1870-1884 and again from1890-1893. As with the fives, CC $10 gold coins are rare with many low mintages. The 1891-CC $10 had over 103,000 made, but there are eleven years of minting at Carson City where less than 10,000 pieces were made. CC $20 gold pieces were made from 1870-1879, 1882-1885, and 1889-1893. The rarest CC twenty dollar gold piece is the 1870-CC. $20 gold coins are much easier to locate than the tens and fives, but they are still in short supply. The mint had its highest production of $20 gold coins in 1876 with 138,441 pieces made, a fraction of the 1,597,000 made in San Francisco that year and the 6,256,797 made in Philadelphia in 1904. Carson City gold is rare and desirable.

While the mint struck a number of legal tender coins, the total production of gold coins was quite small. Take double eagles for instance, of all the double eagles released by the U.S. Mint, fewer than one-half of one percent were struck at the Carson City mint. Today, $20 Liberty gold coins with the rare "CC" mint mark are far more rare than those struck at other mints.

There's Gold in Them There Hills! Metal Detecting for Gold   When the Funds Are Low And The Debt Is High   How to Ensure You Purchase Authentic Antique Silverware   Precious Metals Price Discovery - At and Despite the Margins   

All the Gold and All the Money

What is the true price of gold and what are the factors that help determine this?

Gold advocates have long believed that when currencies are not on a gold standard the equilibrium price will ultimately be found, as there is an inexorable link between the amount of money(currency) in circulation and the available gold supply. In order to speculate where the price may lie it is important to examine all the possible influences.

Demand and supply are the primary determinants of price. Surprisingly to some the biggest driver of demand for gold is jewelry with India at the front of the queue. Approximately 500 tonnes of the yellow metal are purchased by India on an annual basis, as there are strong cultural and religious traditions attached to this buying, demand is fairly inelastic.

The next part of the demand side of the equation is investment. Over the last few years there has been a significant change here with Central banks becoming net buyers of gold in 2009. This coupled with increased purchases from an emerging middle class in China is adding more buying pressure, Indeed China itself as a nation have been aggressively accumulating gold over the last few years, no doubt due to its aspiration to usurp the American dollar with the yuan on the reserve currency throne.

The remaining side of demand is made up of industrial demand which accounts for 10% (electronics, dentistry etc).

The supply of gold comes mostly from mining (around 60%) with most of the remainder from recycling. In fact a decade of rising prices has spawned a 'we buy your gold' industry encouraging the public to part with their gold 'while prices are so high'.

You would think that supply and demand are the two obvious determinants of price, with gold this is only part of the story.Gold is an asset of finite supply whereas the unit it is valued in (US Dollars) is not. The supply of these US Dollars has increased progressively over the last 40 years since America came off the gold standard. In fact the last few years has seen unprecedented growth of the US money supply as the US Federal Reserve has sought to increase liquidity and combat what it sees as deflationary forces as debt deleveraging takes place in the system.

Influences on demand are expectations of future inflation or deflation and financial stability or peril.Also perhaps more controversially, control and downward manipulation by governments through a variety of methods as they have a vested interest in keeping the lid on the price of gold, which naturally competes with paper money and significantly should act as an alarm signalling trouble in the financial system. An organisation called GATA has long campaigned against what is sees as government intervention in the gold market.

Under a gold standard the price of gold is determined by dividing a proportion of the money in circulation (fixed) by the weight of gold held in the central bank's vault. Historically there have been different ratios used from 20% to 100% of the money supply against bullion in the vault. If gold advocates are to believed then using the conservative 20% metric, the true price of gold would be around $8,000 dollars - far higher than the $1590 at the time of writing.

If you believe that all markets eventually find their true price discovery and that the gold price will ultimately reflect the amount of currency out there, then the present day price could be described as being at base camp of Everest, with the summit well above 8,000.

There's Gold in Them There Hills! Metal Detecting for Gold   When the Funds Are Low And The Debt Is High   How to Ensure You Purchase Authentic Antique Silverware   Purchase of Gold And Silver - Find The Best Deals   

Industrial Silver - Investment To Last Over 50 Years!

Recently Baker was quoted as saying that "the silver markets of today,which could actually be closely compared to those same markets a century ago". At this time photography was really starting to take off and industrial silver demand was on the rise. "From the mining company's inception in the late 1890's through the early 1980's silver mining had been a booming business with huge physical demands in industrial applications for the white metal. However, by the mid 1980's and during the next twenty years the silver industry had "flat-lined, it bottomed out".

These days the silver industry is booming again. The industrial applications for silver have exploded with new technologies growing significantly needing this very special metal. The industrial silver applications alone within the modern silver industry are once again looking to become a great business. Investors can invest into this industry now and reap the financial benefits from it for the next fifty years or more.

There are two key reasons for these predictions

1. Silver's exclusive properties include being highly conductive, highly malleable and highly reflective. In addition one of its unique characteristics more recently discovered, its effectiveness as a very strong biocide. Now used extensively throughout the medical industry. Today it's used in everything from band-aids to solar panels to iPads. Fifty percent of silver's demand today is directly connected to technological usage alone. From WWII, then again at the start of the new millennium, new technologies have been discovered far surpassing the decline for photographic usage. Photographic demand used to be the largest industrial application for the precious metal but now it's almost extinct. Baker say's current applications for silver are not going away. It appears now, every day some new development comes out requiring the use of this precious metal.

2. Why is Baker so confident for the industrial side of this market? Simply because, all these new products coming out are set to expand greatly within the next few years. Baker believes that trending towards ever- rising populations, sets up the next phase for these technological products to enter ever-increasing markets. An example, take South Korea where twenty years earlier silver consumption was roughly 0.05 ounces per person. If you were to look at those numbers today, you would find these numbers have significantly increased to around 0.5 ounces per person. Chances are China will be experiencing the same increase today as well, above all the new applications currently requiring this natural resource.

Baker also said while demand is still high, that supply at least for the short-term, is running behind. Dating back to 2005, industrial silver had been in a depression going back twenty years. During this time new exploration for silver was not profitable, therefore silver mining operations were not cost-effective, many silver mines were shut down. In 2005 the rise in physical demand was needed as new technologies sparked more and more interest for the precious metal. Mining operations once again started into production with exploration for new resources on the rise.

There is a problem within the silver market however which underlies the physical demand for industry and technology. The physical demand today is growing at a faster rate than can actually be mined. Mines now are having supply shortages creating gaps in supply for the physical metal. At some point above-ground stocks will need to be shifted from investment to industrial usage. Of course this is not likely to become one-way traffic as investment demand always goes up and down.

When the investment side is in a downturn, expect explosive downside movement within the markets. Over the long-term however, the silver market should still be very impulsive and volatile to the upside, mixed with market dips where lower prices will still occur providing excellent investment buying opportunities.

Tom Genot -

There's Gold in Them There Hills! Metal Detecting for Gold   When the Funds Are Low And The Debt Is High   How to Ensure You Purchase Authentic Antique Silverware   Precious Metals Price Discovery - At and Despite the Margins   

The History and Value of Antique Silverware

The word "silverware" encompasses a multitude of items nowadays and can include jewellery, antique silver tea caddies, flatware, silver handled baskets, porringers, coins and silver medals or trophies among many others. However, times have changed considerably since the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian periods when silverware was in daily use mainly by people who were wealthy or by royalty.

Useful items of silverware were made as far back as the 12th century and just a short time later cutlery and flatware became extremely popular and fashionable. The antique silver items that have survived to this day were made from the same quality of silver that was used in coinage.

During the Industrial Revolution many ordinary people outside of the nobility accrued vast personal fortunes very quickly and the upper middle class emerged. These "new money" people invested heavily in silverware commencing around the 1840s, and were anxious to show off their wealth. In Victorian times people stopped eating with their fingers and began using knives and forks and for the newly rich they naturally were made from silver. During this period English flatware silversmiths became very busy serving both the European and American markets.

Just as today we collect labour saving gadgetry, the upper middle classes collected sterling silver utensils as symbols of wealth but also for regular use. Silver tea services, tea caddies, coffee pots, fruit baskets, sugar bowls; milk jugs and innumerable other items of flatware and cutlery could be found in all parts of Victorian houses.

As can be seen in large antique silver collections the Victorian period certainly saw silver at a peak but at the beginning of WWII there was a remarkable decline not least due the lack of technology in machinery to make the items. All sterling silverware had historically been handmade and stamped by machinery. Labour costs were higher during the Great Depression and even wealthy households began to feel the pinch. They employed fewer servants, didn't throw as many large dinner parties and the maintenance of silver was not an insignificant task. Hand polishing sterling silver was time consuming especially for those items that were ornate and intricately designed. Hence there was a shift in popularity to flatware since it was much easier to polish and maintain.

The value of silver goes up and down as a precious metal but for collectors of antique silver to find perfectly preserved Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian silverware in perfect condition is a joy. There is something decadent about drinking from a silver goblet and using silver knives, forks and spoons at a dinner party. Serving coffee from a sterling silver coffee pot that has lasted for well over 100 years puts some of our porcelain and china equivalents to shame.

As an investment antique silverware will always be valuable and if the price of silver falls, you can guarantee that it will rise again in the future. Unfortunately the demand for silver is greater than the supply and some of the exquisite silver pieces that can be found from time to time in antique markets or hidden away in the attic are sold for scrap and melted down, a process that simply destroys the work of England's great silversmiths along with part of our history.

There's Gold in Them There Hills! Metal Detecting for Gold   When the Funds Are Low And The Debt Is High   How to Ensure You Purchase Authentic Antique Silverware   Precious Metals Price Discovery - At and Despite the Margins   Counterfeit Coin Detection - 4 Ways to Initially Spot a Counterfeit Coin (and Avoid Being Taken)   Gold Bullions - An Investment Option   

The Top Five Reasons to Start Investing in Gold

Gold, today, is performing its traditional function.

Gold's price is trending upward as the currencies of the world are being devalued.

Gold, for thousands of years, has effectively preserved the wealth and prosperity of its owners.

Before going further on this topic, however, it's important to remember two facts:

First, gold is a commodity and one does not invest in commodities. One speculates on commodities. If you buy it and it's price goes higher, you gain. If it's price goes lower, you lose.

Second, no one knows what the price of gold is going to do. We can only evaluate the probabilities and make trading decisions based upon what we think is probable.

Here are the top five reasons why gold's price will probably go higher:

1. The US dollar is temporarily strong rendering gold's price temporarily weak. At the moment, the US dollar is enjoying the fact that fear grips investors worldwide. Presently, only the US dollar and the Euro have the capacity to serve as the global "reserve currency." With the financial crisis in Europe continuing, the US dollar looks pretty good and money managers all over the world are seeking refuge in U.S. Treasury bills and US dollars. This is temporary due to the fact that both the European Union nations as well as the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) are working diligently to get their financial houses in order. As soon as the Euro and the currencies of the BRICS are healthier, the US dollar will decline drastically as global investors flee the dollar for the relatively greater safety elsewhere. The US dollar is presently strong because it is the nicest looking house in an ugly neighborhood. At some point in the future, perhaps the near future, the dollar will probably fall and gold's price will probably continue higher.

2. Government debt is out of control and growing. The US government debt is now well over $15 trillion and nearing $16 trillion. That includes only the balance sheet items! When you add in the unfunded entitlement programs, the total debts facing the United States government are nearer to $100 trillion. Few people, if anyone, will claim that our economy will ever be strong enough to pay off that debt. Only through continued currency devaluation and the ensuing inflationary spiral can we ever balance our budget. Again, because the dollar will probably fall in value, gold's price will probably continue higher.

3. Governments are "printing money" instead of controlling spending. As stated above, the US government debt is out of control and cannot be paid off by "growing the economy." Instead, the currency must be devalued. How is this done? It's done by "printing money." Today, however, this is not done with the traditional printing press. It is done with various Federal Reserve policies and actions. With euphemisms such as "quantitative easing," they cleverly disguised the fact that they are simply "printing more money." It is easy to see, by simply evaluating the government's own money-supply statistics, that they are increasing the money-supply and thereby devaluing the US dollar. Gold's price will probably continue to rise because the value of your dollars will probably fall.

4. Central banks are buying gold. It is easy to verify, through various sources, that the central banks of the world are stocking up on gold bullion. More than anyone else, the central banks recognize that currency devaluation is almost inevitable. Additionally, the global banking rules may soon change the asset status of gold on a bank's balance sheet. Presently, gold is classified as a "Tier 2" asset. That means when calculating its value on a bank's balance sheet, gold bullion can only be recorded at 50% of its value. There is talk and credible reports that gold will be reclassified as a "Tier 1" asset. This is planned not only for central banks, but for federal, state, and private banks as well. What this means is that banks can trade their deteriorating currencies for gold and this gold can be counted at 100% of its value on the books. This is huge. In addition to the current state of gold-buying by central banks, we may see every bank on the planet entering the market as buyers. If this happens, gold's price will probably rise drastically.

5. The supply of gold may be shrinking. Gold can be found all over the world. It is not, however, economically feasible to mine a gold deposit unless there are at least 1 million ounces of gold available. There are only 439 discovered gold deposits on Earth that are believed to contain more than 1 million ounces of gold. Only 189 of those deposits are being mined. The global production of gold is approximately 2500 metric tons per year. It is an almost constant supply that is unlikely to increase for two reasons. The large, major-deposit mining operations are being depleted, and the newer discoveries are deeper and more expensive to mine. The constant and possibly shrinking supply of gold contributes to the probability that gold's price will go higher.

Again, we are talking about probabilities. No one should liquidate their assets and pile into gold believing that they're going to get rich. That would be foolish.

It would be wise, however, to consider these five reasons why the price of gold will probably go higher. If you agree, buy some gold coins, small gold bars, and/or stocks that give you exposure to gold.

CAUTION: Events and market conditions that are presently unknown can cause gold prices to decline before moving higher. It is safer to accumulate gold in small amounts each month instead of making a single bulk purchase.

There's Gold in Them There Hills! Metal Detecting for Gold   When the Funds Are Low And The Debt Is High   How to Ensure You Purchase Authentic Antique Silverware   Precious Metals Price Discovery - At and Despite the Margins   How to Know Where to Buy Gold   Purchase of Gold And Silver - Find The Best Deals