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How to Buy Gold Online
Welcome to our online gold buying guide.
The guide is divided into how to buy physical gold online and how to buy paper gold online.
Why Should I Buy Gold?
Gold has been a store a value for humans for more than 5,000 years. Currencies come and go, but gold remains universally valued and valuable. Gold is also considered to be an inflation hedge against the Federal Reserve’s multi-year multi-trillion dollar printing program called quantitative easing and its zero interest rate policy.
What Type of Gold Should I Buy?
There are a wide variety of choices when buying silver.
These choices can be divided into physical silver and paper silver.
Physical gold can take the form of gold bullion in the form of gold coins issued by sovereign governments, gold bars or numismatic gold.
Paper gold can take the form of gold certificates, pooled gold accounts, gold ETF’s, gold future contracts and gold mining shares.
Physical Gold
Gold Coins Issued By Sovereign Government Mints
Many governments mints produce silver coins for collectors and investors.
Here are some of them:
Austria
Austrian Gold Philharmonic Coin
Description: Obverse: depiction of the Musikverein, a concert hall that is home of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the German words “REPUBLIK OSTERREICH” (“Austrian Republic”) and “1UNZE GOLD 999.9″ (“1 ounce gold”)
Reverse: depiction of an array of musical instruments including a harp, violin, cello, flute, bassoon, and French horn and the German words “WIENER PHILHARMORIKER” (“Vienna Philharmonic”)
Composition/Weight: 1 troy ounce (31.103 grams)/.9999 gold (24K)
Face value: 100 EUR
Designer:Thomas Pesendorfer
Mint Location: Vienna, Austria (no mint mark)
Years Minted:2008-present
The Austrian Gold Philharmonic coin was introduced by the Austrian Mint in 2008. The Austrian Mint is a public limited company located in Vienna, Austria and is a subsidiary of the National Bank of Austria. The Austrian Mint’s original primary purpose, prior to the introduction of the Euro in 2002, was to produce shillings for circulation in Austria.
The Austrian Mint also produces a one ounce Silver Philharmonic coin in the same design as the Gold Philharmonic.
Compare Austrian Gold Philharmonic coin pricing and shipping.
Canada
Canadian Gold Maple Leaf
Description: Obverse: Depiction of Queen Elizabeth II of England
Reverse: “CANADA” “.9999″ “Fine Gold 1 oz Or Pur” picture of a Maple Leaf
Composition/Weight: 1 troy ounce (31.103 grams)/.9999 gold (24K)
Face value: $50
Designer: Susanna Blunt
Mint Location: Ottawa, Canada
Years Minted: 1979 – present
The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) produces all of the coins for circulation in Canada. The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf was introduced in 1979 by the RCM. In addition to the once ounce gold Canadian Maple Leaf, the coin is also minted in 1⁄25 oz., 1⁄20 oz., 1⁄10 oz., 1⁄4 oz. and 1⁄2 oz. denominations.
The RCM also produces special issues of the Gold Maple Leaf coin from time to time. Past special issues include Colored, Hologram and Olympic Maple Leaf gold coins. These coins sell for premiums above the standard issue Gold Maple Leaf coins.
The Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coins are .9999 gold (24K) and contain no base metals. As such, the Canadian Maple Leaf coins are lighter than the American Gold Eagle coins which also contain one ounce of pure gold but also contain a small amount of silver and copper making the overall weight of American Gold Eagles coins heavier than Canadian Maple Leaf coins.
Gold Canadian Maple Leaf coins tend to sell at prices higher than the Austrian Gold Philharmonic coins but lower than the U.S. Gold Eagle coins.
The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf is legal tender in Canada but its face value ($50) is far less than the value of its gold content.
The RCM also produces Silver Maple Leaf Coins in various sizes.
Compare Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin pricing and shipping.
China
Chinese Gold Panda
Description: Obverse: Depiction of the Temple of Heaven and “中华人民共和国”
(People’s Republic of China)
Reverse: Depiction of a Giant Panda
Composition/Weight: 99.9 fine gold 1 Troy ounce (31.103 g)
Face value: 500 Yuan
Years Minted: 1982- present
The official mint of the People’s Republic of China has been producing Gold Panda coins since 1982.
The Chinese Gold Panda is also issued in 200 (1/2 troy ounce), 100 (1/4 troy ounce), 50 (1/10 troy ounce) and 25 (1/20 troy ounce) Yuan denominations.
The official mint of the People’s Republic of China also produces Silver Panda coins in various denominations.
You can view Chinese Gold Panda coins for sale here and here.
South Africa
South African Kruggerand
Description: Obverse: depiction of Paul Kruger
Reverse: depiction of a springbok, one of the national symbols of South Africa
Composition/Weight: 1.0909 troy ounces (33.93 g of which 31.103 is pure gold/2.826 g copper or .9167% gold).(22K)
Face value: none
Designers: Obverse: Otto Schultz/Reverse: Coert Steynberg
Mint Location: Centurion South Africa
Years Minted: 1967-present
The Kruggerand was first minted by the South African Mint in 1967 during a time when individual gold ownership in the United States was illegal. The name “Kruggerand” is derived from combining the last name of a former South African President Paul Kruger with the name of the currency of South Africa, the rand. Think Reagan Dollar.
Since September 1980, Krugerrands containing pure gold have also been sold in 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce and 1/10 sizes.
Approximately 50 million ounces of gold have been used in the production of Krugerrand coins.
Compare pricing and shipping of South African Kruggerands.
United States
United States American Eagle Gold Coin
Description: Obverse: depicts Lady Liberty with flowing hair, holding a torch in her right hand and an olive branch in her left
Reverse:depiction of eagle carrying an olive branch flying above a nest, with “E Pluribus Unum” “In God We Trust” “1 oz fine gold” “50 Dollars”
Composition/Weight: (33.931 grams) .9167 gold,.03 silver .0533 copper (net weight 1 oz. gold)(22K)
Face value: $50
Designers: Augustus Saint-Gaudens (obverse) Miley Busiek (reverse)
Mint Locations:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; West Point, New York
Years Minted: 1986-present
The American Gold Eagle is produced by the United State Mint. The United State Mint produces all the coins for circulation in the United States from its Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco operations.
The U.S. Mint operates a mint in West Point, New York solely for the purpose of producing American Silver and Gold Eagle and American Buffalo gold coins.
The United States Mint once also operated mints in Carson City, Nevada (1870-1893) and New Orleans, Louisiana (1838 to 1861 and from 1879 to 1909).
In 1905, world-renowned sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens was commissioned by Theodore Roosevelt to create the design for the $10 and 20 gold coins in circulation in the United States at the time. The design of the American Gold Eagle first appeared in 1907 on the United States’ $20 gold coin, or double-eagle, in 1907, where it remained until 1933.
The American Gold Eagle now bearing Saint-Gaudens design is also minted in denominations of $5 (1/10 ounce), $10(1/4 ounce), and $25 (1/2 ounce).
From 1986–1991 the American Gold Eagle bore Roman numeral dates. In 1992, the U.S. Mint switched to adding Arabic numbers for dates. The original 1907 U.S. Double Eagle also contained Roman numerals.
In 2009 the U.S. Mint sold a record 1,325,500 American Gold Eagles.
Compare American Gold Eagle pricing and shipping.
United States Buffalo Gold Coin
Description: Obverse:
Composition/Weight: .9999 fine gold/31.108 g (1.0001 troy oz)
Face value: $50
Designer: James Earle Fraser
Mint Location: West Point, New York
Years Minted: 2006-present
The American Buffalo Gold coin is a .9999 pure 24K gold piece. The design of the American Buffalo Gold coin is substantially the same as appears on the U.S. Buffalo Nickel (1913-1938).
Sculptor James Earle Fraser who had been an assistant to Augustus Saint-Gaudens, designer of the U.S. Double Eagle $20 gold coin (1907-1933), created the Indian head that appears on the front and the buffalo that appears on the reverse.
The U.S. Mint sold a record 323,000 American Gold Buffalo coins in 2006, its first year of mintage. In 2013 239,000 American Gold Buffalo coins were sold.
Compare American Gold Buffalo pricing and shipping.
Pre-1933 U.S. Gold Coins
coming soon!
While the United States technically stopped minted gold coins for circulation in 1933, very few gold coins were minted that year as that was the year of Franklin Roosevelt’s infamous nationalization (confiscation) of gold.
Private Mint Gold Bars
Pamp Gold Bars
Other Gold Bar Manufacturers Coming Soon!
Valcambi
Johnson Matthey
Sunshine Minting
OPM
NTR
Paper Gold coming soon!
Exposure to the price of gold can be obtain without taking physical delivery of gold. Here are some paper gold options:
Gold ETFS
Gold Futures
Gold Pooled accounts
Gold Certificates- Perth Mint
Gold Mining Shares- list coming soon!
Considerations Coming Soon!
Counterfeiting
storage and insurance
confiscation
taxes
manipulation
gold as asset or investment
volatility
Numismatics vs. Bullion
NGC or PCGS Certified investment coins
Top Gold Producing Nations
Coming Soon!
About Gold Coming Soon!
Periodic Table:AU
Uses:
Further Reading:
Smaulgld.com Resources
Smaulgld Silver Buying Guide
Twelve Ways Silver is Different Than Gold
Gold vs. the Dow
Gold and Silver Price Manipulation
Think the Fed Destroyed the Dollar?
Is a Gold and Silver Supply and Demand Price Adjustment Coming?
The West Sells Paper Gold, While the East Buys Physical Gold
China Hoards its Gold Production
Please also bookmark and visit the gold and silver sections of Smaulgld.com (by clicking above) for more information on these precious metals and the events that impact their prices.
Outside Resources:
How Much Gold is there?
Goldsilver.com Knowledge Center
World Gold Council
GATA
Recommended Reading:
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