Investinmetal.com

The American Silver Eagle is the official silver bullion coin of the United States. It was first released by the United States Mint in 1986. It is struck only in the 1 troy oz denomination which has a face value of one dollar and is guaranteed to contain one troy ounce of .999 pure silver. It is authorized by the United States Congress and is backed by the United States Mint for weight and content. The American Silver Eagle bullion coin may be used to fund Individual Retirement Account investments. The United States Mint also produces a proof version for coin collectors. Recently minted, uncirculated Silver Eagles currently sell for approximately US$18.

Buy American Silver Eagles 

Design

The design on the obverse has been borrowed from the “Walking Liberty” design by Adolph A. Weinman, which was originally used on the United States’ half-dollar coin from 1916 to 1947. This was probably the public’s favorite design on any United States silver coin; hence the choice of this design for the Silver Eagle. The reverse portrays a heraldic eagle and was designed by John Mercanti.

A Krugerrand is a South African gold coin, first minted in 1967 in order to help market South African gold. The coins have legal tender status in South Africa but are not actually intended to be used as currency.

The Krugerrand was the first bullion coin to be tenderable at the market value of its face gold content; by contrast, earlier gold coins such as the sterling Sovereign had a tender value in currency engraved on their face, which could be completely divorced from their market value. The Krugerrand was the first gold coin to contain precisely one ounce of fine gold, and was intended from the moment of creation to provide a vehicle for the private ownership of gold. By bestowing legal tender status upon the coin, Krugerrands could be owned by citizens of the United States, which at that time prohibited private ownership of bullion but allowed ownership of foreign coins. However, due to the policy of apartheid in South Africa, the Krugerrand was declared illegal to import in many Western countries during the 1970s and 1980s until such system was lifted between 1990 and 1994.

Originally, it was sold at a premium of 5% over the base gold value, and only one size of coin was made, containing one troy ounce (31.1035 g) of gold. Since the Krugerrand was minted from gold alloy being 91.67% pure (22 karats), the actual weight of a “one ounce” coin is 1.0909 ounces (33.93 g). The remainder of the coin’s mass is made up of copper (2.826 grams), giving the Krugerrand a more orange appearance than silver-alloyed gold coins. Alloys are used to make gold coins harder and more durable, so they can resist scratches and dents during handling. In 1980, three other sizes were introduced, offering a half, quarter, and tenth ounce weights. In total, 54.5 million coins have been sold.

Krugerrands are a popular way to invest in gold because their gold content is exactly one troy ounce.

Krugerrands are a popular way to invest in gold because their gold content is exactly one troy ounce.

The Krugerrand gets its name from the fact that the obverse shows the face of Paul Kruger, president of the old South African Republic. The reverse depicts a springbok, one of the national symbols of South Africa. The name “South Africa” and the gold content are printed in both Afrikaans and English.

The success of the Krugerrand led to many other gold-producing nations minting their own bullion coins, including the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf in 1979, the Australian Nugget in 1981, and the American Gold Eagle in 1986.

Krugerrands proved to be a very popular way of investing in gold because their gold content of exactly one ounce made them easy to value.
Size Face Value (Rand) Weight (g) Fineness 1.000 Gold Content (g) Gold Content (Troy)
Full 10 33.9305 .917 31.104 1.0000
Half 5 16.9653 .917 15.552 0.5000
Quarter 2.5 8.4826 .917 7.776 0.2500
Tenth 1 3.3931 .917 3.110 0.1000

The Australian Gold Nugget is a gold bullion coin minted by the Perth Mint. The coins have been minted in denominations of 1/20 oz, 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, 1 oz, 2 oz, 10 oz, and 1 kg of 24 carat gold. They have legal tender status in Australia and are one of few legal tender bullion gold coins to change their design every year, another being the Chinese Gold Panda. This and their limited annual mintage may, unlike for many other bullion coins, raise their numismatic value over the value of gold used.

The Gold Nugget series was introduced in 1986 by the Gold Corporation, a company wholly owned by the government of Western Australia. This issue of coins had two unique features: a “two-tone” frosted design effect, and individual hard plastic encapsulation of each coin. These features were unusual for a standard bullion coin and gave the Nugget a unique market niche.

From 1986 to 1989, the reverse of these coins pictured various Australian gold nuggets. With the 1989 proof edition, the design was changed to feature different Kangaroos, a more world-recognized symbol of Australia. The coins are today sometimes referred to as “gold kangaroos”.

In 1991, 2 oz, 10 oz, and 1 kilo sizes were introduced. These were created with the intention of using economies of scale to keep premiums low, and are some of the largest gold coins ever minted. In 1992, the face values on these large coins were lowered to keep them proportional to the 1 oz coin. The reverse of these coins does not change annually like the lower denominations; the same “red kangaroo” design is used every year.

The Australian Gold Nugget coins should not be mistaken for The Australian Lunar Gold Bullion coins. Both coins are minted by Perth Mint and have 9999 purity, but Lunar coins have image of different animals from Chinese calendar instead of kangaroo.

Specifications
1/20 troy oz coin
Diameter: 14.10 mm
Thickness: 1.40 mm
Weight: 0.0500 troy oz (1.5552 g)
Face value: $5
1/10 troy oz coin
Diameter: 16.10 mm
Thickness: 1.30 mm
Weight: 0.1000 troy oz (3.1103 g)
Face value: $15
1/4 troy oz coin
Diameter: 20.10 mm
Thickness: 1.80 mm
Weight: 0.2500 troy oz (7.7758 g)
Face value: $25
1/2 troy oz coin
Diameter: 25.10 mm
Thickness: 2.20 mm
Weight: 0.5001 troy oz (15.5515 g)
Face value: $50
1 troy oz coin
Diameter: 32.10 mm
Thickness: 2.65 mm
Weight: 1.0001 troy oz (31.1030 g)
Face value: $100
2 troy oz coin
Diameter: 40.40 mm
Thickness: 3.35 mm
Weight: 2.0002 troy oz (62.2132 g)
Face value: $500 (1991)
$200 (1992- )
10 troy oz coin
Diameter: 59.70 mm
Thickness: 7.65 mm
Weight: 10.0010 troy oz (311.0659 g)
Face value: $2500 (1991)
$1000 (1992- )
1 kilo coin
Diameter: 74.50 mm
Thickness: 15.80 mm
Weight: 32.1540 troy oz (1000.1000 g)
Face value: $10,000 (1991)
$3000 (1992- )

The Spur Ryal was an extremely rare  English Gold Coin issued in the reign of King James I. The coin is a development of the earlier Rose Noble or Ryalwhich was worth ten shillings when issued by Kings Edward IV and Henry VII, and fifteen shillings when issued by Queens Mary and Elizabeth I.

The Spur Ryal, so called because the sun and rose on the reverse resemble a spur, was introduced during James I’s second coinage (1604-1619) when it initially had a value of fifteen shillings (15/-), but in line with all gold coins its value was raised by 10% in 1612, to sixteen shillings and sixpence (16/6). The design of this first issue shows on the obverse the king in a ship holding a sword and shield, surrounded by the legend IACOBUS DG MAG BRIT FRAN ET HIB REX — James by the grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland. The reverse shows a rose over a radiant star, with a lion and crown in each quarter surrounded by the legend A. DNO FACTUM EST ISTUD ET EST MIRABILE — This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous (in our eyes).

During James’ third coinage (1619-1625) a new-style lighter spur ryal was issued with the value and weight reduced to fifteen shillings (15/-). On the obverse is a lion holding a sceptre over the royal shield which divides the value “XV” for fifteen shillings, surrounded by the legend IACOBUS DG MAG BRIT FRA ET HI REX — James by the grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland. The reverse shows, as before, a rose over a radiant star, with a lion and crown in each quarter surrounded by the legend A. DNO FACTUM EST ISTUD ET EST MIRABILE — This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous (in our eyes).