The higher gold and silver values that were seen today were somewhat unexpected, but the key marks that gold and silver surpassed today have influenced futures traders and technical trading experts to revise their earlier estimates on the next moved for gold and silver.

Peter Degraaf mentioned today on Kitco Commentaries that both gold and silver could be poised to make some impressive moves in the near future. Historical data shows that gold could be ready to eclipse a December 2009 high of $1126 per ounce before summertime, and silver will also be aided over the first two quarters of the year by a weakening dollar and higher levels of fear among US consumers and investors.

Degraaf and others also pointed out today that the monetary base of the United States is growing at an incredibly scary rate, like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Many believe that our government is trying to do what is called “soft default,” which is an intentional way of devaluing currency (by overprinting) to devalue debt in that currency. Since gold and silver have direct inverse ties with the greenback, don’t be surprised to see substantial gains in the yellow and white metals around the same time you hear about higher deficit limits or a lower dollar index.

If you feel dollar-heavy and you want to protect your spending power from soft default and the possible collapse of the dollar, contact GoldSilver.org today for our award-winning investment tutorial and free advice from the sharpest minds in the gold and silver industry.

Experienced precious metals investors know that the gold value of any investment is based on the current gold spot price, and each investor also requires that a bit of research, to find a beneficial gold value for his or her individual needs and expectations.

Each investor should independently evaluate his or her own finances, to determine these needs, and to help them arrive at the proper precious metal investment to customize those needs. Traditionally, investors have used gold bullion to capitalize on short-term gains, but today’s mounting economic uncertainty has multitudes of investors opting for greater long-term financial safety and stability. These investors are acquiring rare coins like Double Eagles, which are $20 Lady Liberty, and $20 Saint Gaudens, 22-karat, rare gold coins.

The reason why Double Eagles are so highly regarded as long-term investments is because of their numismatic value, which historically has a tendency to appreciate substantially during long economic droughts. They also contain almost a full troy-ounce of pure gold (.9675 troy-ounces), but their precious metal content is merely a secondary gold value in this case. For this reason, investors are paying a small, added premium for having their rare gold coins certified by either the PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service), or the NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation).

Modern, 22-karat American Eagle bullion coins are widely-used diversifications for Double Eagle coinage, as these one-ounce gold coins carry prices that are just slightly higher than the current gold spot price. Investors can avoid paying deplorable retail prices for their American Eagle bullion, and Double Eagle rare gold coin by contacting one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts on bullion, and rare coin to household investors like you.

Shawn Cunningham

Before ever speaking to any gold dealers, investors are emphatically advised to first evaluate their finances, and arrive at his or her own, specific, short-term and long-term needs and expectations from a prospective gold investment. They are then advised to research the various types of long-term and short-term gold investments that could accommodate those individual needs. Once these needs have been determined and sufficiently researched, investors are advised to avoid consulting with local gold dealers, and to contact a reputable large-volume precious metals exchange for their bullion and rare coin requirements. Our current economic conditions have approached a crisis mode, and Americans can maximize their investment potential through institutional gold dealers, who provide large-volume discounts to household investors like you.

Household investors can save with institutional dealers, because they conduct huge bullion and rare coin transactions for financial institutions like insurance companies and banks. Due to the massive volume of these transactions, gold is sold at discounted levels, and the surplus gold from these transactions is sold to household investors at the same, or nearly the same discounted level. Popular long-term rare coin investments are Double Eagle coins, which are $20 Lady Liberty, and $20 Saint Gaudens, 22-karat gold coins, minted from 1850 to 1907, and from 1907 to 1933, respectively. Many of today’s investors are diversifying with 22-karat, American Eagle bullion coins, which can be used for potential short-term profit gains. Investors can receive institutional discounts on their American Eagle bullion and Double Eagle rare coin by contacting one of our friendly specialists, who offer these discounts to household investors.

Shawn Cunningham

Gold coin prices require a bit of research in and of themselves, but investors are first encouraged to honestly and thoroughly evaluate their own finances before considering any gold coin purchase. Gold coin prices vary most fundamentally by their status as either bullion coin or rare coin, and investors must learn to diversify their gold holdings between these two types to maximize their investment potential. A commonly shared need among today’s investors is long-term financial safety for their wealth. Those with appropriate budgets purchase rare coins like Double Eagles, which are $20 Lady Liberty, and $20 Saint Gaudens, 22-karat gold coins. These coins command exceptionally high premiums, but serious investors are taking no chances, and buying Double Eagle coins because they’ve already demonstrated their ability to withstand the throes of long-term inflationary cycles.

The numismatic value that Double Eagles possess is what separates them from modern bullion coins, whose prices usually hover slightly above the current gold spot price, which is the cost of one troy ounce of pure gold. Today’s trend savvy investors are purchasing Lady Liberty’s and Saint Gaudens investment grade gold coins for long-term financial safety, and certifying their numismatic value through either the PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service), or the NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation). These two companies are globally recognized as the premier rare coin assayers, and their certification assures hassle-free liquidation when the time comes. Investors are encouraged to complete their research, and then to contact one of our friendly specialists who offer institutional discounts on bullion, and rare coin.

Shawn Cunningham

Record setting high gold prices have become the norm rather than a fluke occurrence, and even the most staunch supporters of “economic recovery” are waiving the white flag, as even they know that our governments’ stimulus funds are about to expire. Nobody’s heard much about a “plan B” from our Administration, and the scuttlebutt is that the Federal Reserve will most likely resort to raising the interest rate. There hasn’t been any positive news that will prompt investors towards financial market investments or improving dollar values, so it appears that we are all in for a long-term period of economic recalibration. Historically, during such times, gold prices tend to rise, while the economy adjusts to years of overextended credit, and grossly overprinted currency.

It certainly seems like things are abundantly too urgent to focus on short-term precious metal investments, so the vast majority of today’s investors are securing their wealth over the long term with rare coin investments. Double Eagle coins are today’s top selling rarities, which are $20 Lady Liberty, and $20 Saint Gaudens, 22-karat gold coins. These coins each contain nearly a full troy ounce of pure gold, but it’s not their precious metal content that makes them so widely revered. The numismatic value that these coins possess has historically proven to appreciate dramatically during prolonged periods of economic unrest, and many Double Eagle coins are currently selling at up to 400% below their all-time highs. Investors can receive institutional discounts on their Double Eagle, and other gold coins by contacting one of our friendly specialists, who offer institutional discounts to household investors like you.

Shawn Cunningham

US investors have seen the dramatic increase of the gold price in recent weeks, and some of these investors have given thought to supplementing their portfolios with more gold. The growing trend since 2001, has been for investors to obtain gold, and most economists agree that physical gold investments should be held as close to the vest as possible. Gold investing can be performed in a variety of ways, but some types of precious metal investments are high-risk. Mining stocks, pool accounts, and ETFs involve extensive risk and speculation, so more traditional investors more are apt to vest their funds in gold coins and bars.

When gold investing is done with tangible metals instead of certificates of ownership, liquidity and buying power are maximized. Gold bullion investments could be confiscated by our government in the future, so Americans who want to protect and grow their wealth over the long-term are encouraged to engage in certified gold investing. Gold coins that have been examined, graded, and hermetically encapsulated by either the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) or the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) tend to do better financially for long-term investors, and their non-confiscatability is a key factor in their recent price spikes.

As international owners of US debt grow increasingly restless, something has got to give. Since President Richard Nixon removed the United States from the Gold Standard, our policymakers have been able to run the printing presses around the clock. Gold bullion was confiscated in 1933 to shore up our devalued US dollar, so many analysts have predicted that our “leaders” will once again recall gold bullion. Contact a reputable gold dealer for more information about gold confiscation and how it could influence the way you diversify into the gold market.

Shawn Cunningham

Projections for this month’s gold/silver spot prices are looking bullish, with gold leading the way. Experts are projecting gold spot prices to meet some resistance around the $910 benchmark, then again at around the $930 range, and ultimately climbing to as high as $950 or even $960 by the end of May. Despite quelled panic over a possible Swine Flu pandemic, gold/silver spot prices seem to be poised for profit, as yesterday’s announcement of the United States’ 6.1% decreased GDP (Gross Domestic Product), fanned new flames of fear among an already shaken global economic community. The final quarter of 2008 demonstrated a 6.3% decrease in the U.S. GDP, which marks the first time since 1947, that our nation has shown GDP losses of more than four percent, for two consecutive fiscal quarters.

Historically, gold/silver spot prices tend to behave inversely to dollar values. Shrinking dollar values are a growing worldwide concern, as the U.S. Treasury Department has printed over forty percent more currency over the past four years. Many experts fear that our country is headed for a vicious, long-term inflationary cycle, which historically jeopardizes investors’ ability to profit on traditional investments like stocks and bonds. During the last long-term inflationary cycle of the 1970’s, returns from stocks and bonds investments failed miserably to even keep up with the rise of inflation. Meanwhile, our nation’s dollar lost about 60% of its’ spending power. Conversely, gold investments made as much as 1000% during the 70’s which is why so many so many wise investors are paying especially close attention to gold/silver spot prices.

Shawn Cunningham

If the world gold market were a living, breathing being, then the gold spot price would be the pulse. The spot price of gold is the common term used for the price of one Troy ounce of pure gold. Vital signs are looking strong for gold investors, as average projections for gold spot prices are $11 to $12 hundred and ounce by the end of this summer. Precious metals investments have grown exponentially in recent years, as droves of outraged investors have been converting their decimated portfolios and retirement accounts into precious metals. Traditional investments in stocks and bonds, in some cases, are now being referred to as “toxic”, which is enough to discourage even the most idealistic investor from venturing onto Wall Street any time soon. Gold has traditionally taken the lead in most precious metals portfolios and retirement accounts, so it is essential for investors to familiarize themselves with the gold spot price, and its’ fluctuation trends, to properly monitor the approximate value of his or her gold investment.

The gold spot price is influenced by the law of supply and demand. Higher global demands for gold drives the gold spot price up, while lesser demands would command a lower spot price. The world’s supply of gold only increases by about 2% annually, so demand is actually the primary influence of gold spot prices. Different types of gold investments carry various premiums above the spot price of gold. For example, a rare coin possesses numismatic value beyond its’ gold content, so a rare coin would command a higher price above the spot, whereas, a bullion coin, having no numismatic value, tends to hover slightly above the gold spot price.

Michael Saints

The Gold Eagle coins are really the ones that belong in an art museum. Augustus Saint-Gaudens really was a one of a kind artist, who treated his coin designs with the same love and attention to detail he treated his sculptures. But you know, the Silver Eagle is nothing to sneeze at, either. The Gold Eagle may be widely considered the most beautiful coin ever minted in the US, but the Silver Eagle is considered, at least, the most beautiful silver coin ever minted in the US, so I figured it was worth noting just to make sure it’s not being overlooked. Designed by Adolph Weinman, the image on the head of the coin depicts Lady Liberty walking from the sunset. This image debuted on the 1916 half dollar coin. This coin seems to be most popular for working and middle class investors, as it’s more affordable than the Gold Eagle, so it’s easier to buy and trade the coin in large quantities. Although, savvy investors of any scale would be wise to look into the Silver Eagles, because, as I always say, it’s a good idea to keep your options open. You want to be just as prepared for the ups and downs in silver and platinum as you are for the ups and downs in gold. Before we close this entry, I’ll mention the Platinum Eagles. These are actually the most popular platinum bullion coins in the world. The artwork might not strike you (if you’ll pardon the pun) quite as immediately as the gold and silvers, displaying the Statue of Liberty’s face, rather than a bold image of the Lady walking from the horizon, the sun behind her, but it’s an attractive design, nonetheless. Designed by John M. Mercanti, the coin contains 99.95% pure platinum and bears a face value of $100. Given the current value of platinum, this is definitely a coin worth investing in.

I know a lot of investors like to grab up some gold or silver and just stick to one or the other. To be fair, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Either way, you have a nice fund of value that won’t depreciate in time, and that will, at the very least, keep up with inflation. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, nobody’s ever lost their life savings investing in precious metals and bullion. You can’t say the same for stocks or even real estate. Metals don’t depreciate in value. That said, I tend to think it’s a good idea to mix it up a little, invest in gold and silver. My reasoning should be simple enough: You have more options that way. Demand for metal investing is on the rise right now. Primarily, the demand is for gold, but all metals are seeing a jump in demand, so just about everybody who already has a metal investment is pretty happy right now, but the market isn’t always an even race. A lot of variables go into the price of either metal. For example, industrial demand in silver is rising, so we’re likely to see the price go up and up over the coming years, even as gold cools a bit. There have also been times when gold shot up as silver cooled down. Think of stock investors for a minute. A stock investor doesn’t just grab up one stock and stick with it, they buy up several and shift the money around now and then. Say they have a stock in Acme and a stock in Brand X (not real companies of course! Just using this for a hypothetical example). Brand X starts falling, so they take that money and put it in Acme. A month later, Brand X gets back on their feet, so the investor puts their Acme money into Brand X. When you have both gold and silver, you have the option of selling and buying whenever it’s most profitable. Simple as that.