What do you look for when buying gold/silver bullion coins?

Ab

Can somebody please tell me what are the important factors to note when buying gold or silver bullion coins e.g. American Eagles, Krugerrand, Maple Leaf, Sovereign, etc.?
And is the year printed on the coin important (I'm beginning to believe it is not since the content of metal is actually more important).
Cheers,
Ab

Placid

What are you buying them for collecting or investing?

leothelyon

Everytime I visit a coin show I'll buy up to an ounce of gold or platinum. Sometimes I'll have to settle for a quarter or half ounce and it's an investment. I may sell if gold prices rise to the $340 to $360 range as someone predicted, if not, oh well.

I've have always found old western movies interesting whenever gold is carried off by someone. I've figured a cubic foot of gold weighs 1200 lbs.

A dealer sells whatever is popular. I buy the American eagles. In my last buy a dealer sold me an ounce for $325 and a short time later I found it at another table for $315. He was good about it and I ended up buying the $315 ounce.

Leo

wallstreetman

The year is just as important as with any other coins, some are rarer than others and some are more circulated than others! Yes, I said circulated, handled and thrown around on tables by dealers and collectors alike! I collect the 1oz $50 Eagles, I like the large coins, really feels like you have something and you dont need a glass to see the details.

leothelyon

Hi wallstreetman
Yea, that's important but haven't paid too much attention to it until a dealer tells me about the lower mintages, especially the one ten ouncers. I'll have to buy a $50 gold sometime. Maybe I better look it up and see if I can afford it first. LOL

Leo (gone to bed)

Steve27

Ab,

It all depends on whether you're buying strickly for bullion content or numismatic value. In other words, if you just want gold/silver then date is unimportant, but to collectors certain dates are more desireable (i.e. more valuable) than others.

FC57Coins

Another factor that I wasn't aware of is the finess of the coins. Some coins are .999 fine gold like American Eagles, and some are .9999 fine gold like Canadian Maple Leafs. I've heard some dealers prefer to deal in the Maple Leafs over the American Eagles for that reason, though you're only talking a few bucks difference.

Frank

ara

correction: The GAE is .917 fine (as are the UK Britannia & SA Krugerrand). The Canada ML, Australian Kangaroo, Austrian Philharmonic are .9999. The China Pandas are .999