The shortage of physical gold investments has pushed premiums up for gold that is available. Credit-Suisse dealers and the U.S. Mint are just two examples of companies that have raised premiums for their products. Individuals who want to buy gold are no longer afforded the opportunity to buy tenth-ounce gold Eagle Proofs and one-ounce bullion bars have become more expensive, from companies that still have that size of bar in stock.

Silver buyers have become frustrated with the silver bullion market in general, as bars, rounds and popular coins minted by national mints have been either unavailable or on back-order. The Proof silver Eagles are no longer sold by the U.S. Mint and neither are the “American the Beautiful” five-ounce silver coins. Un-circulated silver Eagle bullion coins can be found but only in limited quantities. Silver investment products that are still available include Sunshine and Amark rounds, 10 and 100-ounce silver bars made by Johnson-Matthey and it is still possible to find Proof silver Eagles on the open market. These options should help investors wary of paper investments preserve their wealth while at the same time avoiding high U.S. Mint premiums and long wait times.

Gold climbed as $1900 and silver reached $50 before starting to decline over the last few months. Prices were still respectable until last month, when between Friday, April 12, and the following Monday, prices for gold and silver dropped by double digits in terms of percentage points.

Yesterday, gold fell through a significant support barrier of $1400 per ounce. Silver is close to losing support at the $22.50 level (it is currently at $22.71). Physical buying has tapered off somewhat, but the real issue is the derivatives markets. Institutional investors and large banks have been shy about jumping off the sidelines and back into the market since the mid-April crash which, ironically enough, was caused by those same investors.

If gold can get back on top of $1400, and silver $23, expect some solid gains to start the summer. Investors are itching to get back into the market but they are waiting to see what happens to our dollar over the next few weeks. A lot of economic data will be released during the last two weeks of May and the numbers will definitely affect the gold and silver markets. The bottom line is this: a stagnant economy, slow or no job growth, low interest rates that are poised to rise and printing presses that run non-stop are all factors that could be positive for gold. Gold wants to go up, it just needs our help.

Let me begin by saying I know that gold and silver were the currencies of choice up until the last couple hundred years, and I know the history behind the shift from real money to fiat IOUs. I also know that every single printed currency in history has eventually failed, because that is the point of such Ponzi schemes. However, Arizona’s “Sound Money” law didn’t address any of these issues.

If you haven’t heard, the Arizona legislation would have allowed citizens to treat gold and silver as legal tender. Governor Jan Brewer vetoed the bill, saying she supported a return to financial monetary policy but that the bill in question was not the correct way to approach the matter. It was the smartest decision she has made as governor.

Passing and implementing such a vague law would have cost the state hundreds of millions, and the lost tax revenue on gold and silver coins would have been astronomical. Getting the bill that far probably cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. On top of that, the bill just wasn’t logical.

Gold and silver buyers want to hang on to their metals, not trade them for groceries or use them to pay the power bill. No one wants to walk around with gold and silver coins jingling in their pockets, and following Utah’s strategy by implementing a “deposit in metals/pay bills via card” program would be a waste of money, as Utah’s program has yet to recognize a single applicant. One day, we may need gold and silver to buy things. For now, we just need to keep our gold and silver locked up and not tell anyone about it.

That ice just got a little bit thinner. The “America the Beautiful” five-ounce silver bullion coins will be allocated between authorized purchasers until more of the five-ounce silver planchets, or blank rounds, become available.

The “America the Beautiful” coins will be allocated in two ways. Half of the U.S. Mint’s inventory will be distributed evenly among all authorized dealers on May 13, and the other half will be distributed according to each authorized dealer’s sales volume of those coins during the last two years.

The U.S. Mint’s statements regularly blame the allocations and suspensions on a shortage of blank rounds from which coins are minted, but large-volume exchanges such as Gold Silver have no shortage of gold and silver rounds that are made of U.S.-mined metals. Who knows the real reason the Mint can’t get its hands on gold and silver, but it will be hard for the Mint to stay on pace to beat annual sales records if there are no products to sell.

Dealers and household investors have repeatedly expressed frustration with the Mint’s inadequate supply of coins, and the fact that no return date for the coins has been set makes individuals even angrier. The Mint usually says something like “we will restart this series when we have a supply adequate to meet anticipated marketplace demand” and this sort of vague brush-off certainly heats things up between the Mint and its buyers, and each day that gold and silver coins are unavailable the ice gets thinner and starts to crack. The only thing left after that is a dive into cold, cold waters.

The Republican-controlled Arizona state legislature voted in favor of the bill, which called for the state to make gold and silver coins and bars legal tender by no later than mid-2014, last month. Supporters of the bill said it was drafted as a result of a lack of confidence in U.S. currency and the international monetary system in general. Utah passed a similar law in 2011, and Arizona was looking to become the second state in the nation to pass such legislation.

Many fiscal conservatives from the Tea Party movement, the American Principles Project and the Gold Standard Institute have called upon individual states as well as Congress in recent years to enact fiscal reform, including a return to the gold standard, in which each dollar that is printed is backed by physical gold. Many individuals believe that gold and silver will soon be useful for purchasing goods and services nationwide, but even the sponsor of Arizona’s bill, Republican Senator Chester Crandell, has previously said that the ability to use precious metals in such a manner in Arizona in everyday life was still a “work in progress” and that the legislation would need to be fine-tuned before it could be viable.

David Beahm, executive vice president at precious metal investment firm Blanchard & Co., said the more quantitative easing, the weaker the dollar becomes and gold will benefit from these economic policies.

U.S. gold futures for June delivery gained $21.40 or 1.5 percent to $1,467.60 per troy ounce after a fall of $25.90 or 1.8 percent on Wednesday. By midday trade on Monday, U.S. gold futures for June delivery were balanced at $3.30 or 0.23 percent to $1,467.50 per troy ounce. The spot price of gold drifted, but remained steady, with a drop of $2.58 or 0.18 percent to $1,468.17 per troy ounce.

Jim Wyckoff, a senior analyst at Kitco Inc., said gold decided to act more like a raw commodity than a safe-haven asset Thursday, as the raw commodity sector showed good price gains amid an improved investor risk appetite on this given day.

Wyckoff added than an interest rate cut by the European Central Bank Thursday morning added to bullish sentiment in the raw commodity sector.

The U.S. Mint reports gold coins sales rising on increased buying activity. Collectors picked up gold coins, proof sets, and uncirculated sets. The range of U.S> Mint collector products showed 98 notching higher week-over-week sales against the 65 from the previous report.

2013-W Proof American Eagle Gold Coins gained 8,441 unites as a group during the first full week compared with 5,893 in the first five days of availability. The instance of a later week recorded higher sales than the opening is unique, but is a result of the U.S. Mint lowering prices, which it decides and implements once a week.

The top selling products included the 2013 Proof Set with an increase of 21,398 to 289,805, the 2013 America the Beautiful Quarters Uncirculated Set with sales at 13,052, the 2013 Native American (P) $1 Coin Roll with 9,775, and the 2013 Native American (D) $1 Coin Roll with 9,457.

Gold Bullion

Gold coins are more popular with household investors than gold bars. They are more liquid than bars, as they make it easier to convert smaller amounts to cash. That being said, gold bars are still a smart investment decision that will preserve your wealth over the long-term.

• American Eagle Gold Coin

• One of the most popular gold coins in the world, the Gold Eagle is a sound investment.
• Demand for Gold Eagles is on par 2011 levels, when gold reached its highest spot price in history.

• Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin

• The Royal Canadian Mint has a long history of producing high quality gold products. The Gold Maple Leaf was the second modern bullion coin to hit the market, after the South African Krugerrand.
• Minted from 99.99% pure gold, Gold Maple Leafs boast one of the highest purities on the gold coin market. It is the only coin series to issue “five-nines” or 99.999% pure gold coins.

• $20 Saint Gaudens Gold Coin

• The $20 Saint Gaudens Gold Coin is an American masterpiece of coin mintage.
• Limited mintages and rare variations make this rare coin one of the most valuable on the market today.
• Rare coins are considered an even more potent safe-haven asset than modern bullion coins, as their rarity gives them a value that they retain even when the gold price dips.

• $20 Liberty Gold Coin

• This child of the 1849 gold rush is another excellent rare coin investment.
• It has three different variations that increase its numismatic value.

• Credit Suisse Gold Bar

• This 99.99% pure gold bar is the most reputable gold bar on the market.
• Credit Suisse gold bars are available in a wide variety of weights, from 1 gram to 10 ounces, even up to a kilogram.

Silver Bullion

Silver is going to have a remarkable 2013. The U.S. Mint is seeing demand for silver coins like it has never seen before, and many analysts expect the metal to break sales and price records this year.

• American Eagle Silver Coin

• With a reputation equivalent to its yellow metal sister coin, the Silver Eagle is one of the smartest investments to make this year.
• The U.S. Mint has already sold over 16 million Silver Eagles this year.

• Morgan Silver Dollar

• Born of the “Free Silver” movement, the Morgan Silver Dollar is the best known American silver coin.
• This is another rare coin that is highly prized by investors and collectors alike.

• Peace Silver Dollar

• The Peace Silver Dollar was the successor to the Morgan. It was the last ever circulated one dollar silver coin.
• Both Peace and Morgan Silver Dollars are available certified by PCGC and NGC coin grading services.

• Silver Canadian Maple Leaf

• Boasting superlative purity and limited mintages, the Silver Maple Leaf is consistently one of the most highly demanded modern bullion coins in the world.
• Annual variations make this silver coin another fun bullion product to collect.

• Johnson Matthey Silver Bar

• Johnson Matthey silver bars are widely respected and recognized worldwide. They are available in a wide range of weights.
• JM silver bars feature serial numbers stamped into them in order to ensure authenticity and increase their value.

Start Investing Today

Gold Silver has these and many other gold and silver bullion products available for purchase. You can find other options in our catalog. We have over two decades of experience providing household investors with the knowledge they need to invest in gold and silver bullion to profit and protect wealth.

In order to further equip you to make the right precious metals investments for your financial situation, we offer you our 2013 Gold Investment Guide. To receive your free copy, give us a call at 1-800-394-3337 or email us and one of our friendly and knowledgeable precious metals advisers will return your query as soon as possible.

Gold Bullion

Gold coins are more popular with household investors than gold bars. They are more liquid than bars, as they make it easier to convert smaller amounts to cash. That being said, gold bars are still a smart investment decision that will preserve your wealth over the long-term.

American Eagle Gold Coin

One of the most popular gold coins in the world, the Gold Eagle is a sound investment.
Demand for Gold Eagles is on par 2011 levels, when gold reached its highest spot price in history.

Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Coin

The Royal Canadian Mint has a long history of producing high quality gold products. The Gold Maple Leaf was the second modern bullion coin to hit the market, after the South African Krugerrand.
Minted from 99.99% pure gold, Gold Maple Leafs boast one of the highest purities on the gold coin market. It is the only coin series to issue “five-nines” or 99.999% pure gold coins.

$20 Saint Gaudens Gold Coin

The $20 Saint Gaudens Gold Coin is an American masterpiece of coin mintage.
Limited mintages and rare variations make this rare coin one of the most valuable on the market today.
Rare coins are considered an even more potent safe-haven asset than modern bullion coins, as their rarity gives them a value that they retain even when the gold price dips.

$20 Liberty Gold Coin

This child of the 1849 gold rush is another excellent rare coin investment.
It has three different variations that increase its numismatic value.

Credit Suisse Gold Bar

This 99.99% pure gold bar is the most reputable gold bar on the market.
Credit Suisse gold bars are available in a wide variety of weights, from 1 gram to 10 ounces, even up to a kilogram.

Silver Bullion

Silver is going to have a remarkable 2013. The U.S. Mint is seeing demand for silver coins like it has never seen before, and many analysts expect the metal to break sales and price records this year.

American Eagle Silver Coin

With a reputation equivalent to its yellow metal sister coin, the Silver Eagle is one of the smartest investments to make this year.
The U.S. Mint has already sold over 16 million Silver Eagles this year.

Morgan Silver Dollar

Born of the “Free Silver” movement, the Morgan Silver Dollar is the best known American silver coin.
This is another rare coin that is highly prized by investors and collectors alike.

Peace Silver Dollar

The Peace Silver Dollar was the successor to the Morgan. It was the last ever circulated one dollar silver coin.
Both Peace and Morgan Silver Dollars are available certified by PCGC and NGC coin grading services.

Silver Canadian Maple Leaf

Boasting superlative purity and limited mintages, the Silver Maple Leaf is consistently one of the most highly demanded modern bullion coins in the world.
Annual variations make this silver coin another fun bullion product to collect.

Johnson Matthey Silver Bar

Johnson Matthey silver bars are widely respected and recognized worldwide. They are available in a wide range of weights.
JM silver bars feature serial numbers stamped into them in order to ensure authenticity and increase their value.

Start Investing Today

Gold Silver has these and many other gold and silver bullion products available for purchase. You can find other options in our catalog. We have over two decades of experience providing household investors with the knowledge they need to invest in gold and silver bullion to profit and protect wealth.

In order to further equip you to make the right precious metals investments for your financial situation, we offer you our 2013 Gold Investment Guide. To receive your free copy, give us a call at 1-800-394-3337 or email us and one of our friendly and knowledgeable precious metals advisers will return your query as soon as possible.

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Arizona, Kansas and South Carolina are just a few of the states that have recently decided to take a leaf out of Utah’s book and get the ball rolling on making gold and silver coins usable currency.

Does this mean you should be buying gold and silver coins to pay your bills and buy groceries? Probably not. Even in Utah, where such legislation made its way into the law books back in 2011, the pragmatic uses of bullion are still quite limited. Does this mean you should be buying gold and silver coins? Yes.

Growing Distrust in The Fed

The burgeoning distrust that states are exhibiting towards the Federal Reserve are definitely well grounded. The laws are not, as some believe, the first steps on the path that returns to the gold standard. Such a move is impossible in a global economy. However, by passing the laws, states are doing two things. They are:

• Providing citizens with a backup, an alternative to the mainstream economy that could possibly fail them in the near future; and
• Making manifest their disapproval of the Fed’s loose monetary policies through official legal frameworks.

“The legislation is about signaling discontent with monetary policy and about what Ben Bernanke is doing,” said Loren Gatch, a teacher of politics at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Legal actions such as these only exemplify the current economic uncertainty within the U.S., as well as in the rest of the global economy. Despite the fact that the gold price fell almost 5 percent in the first quarter, and that gold exchange-traded funds saw their highest outflows ever in February, gold coins are selling at very healthy rates, and silver coin sales are on track to break records (the U.S. Mint has already sold over 15 million American Silver Eagle coins, the earliest point in a year that it has ever reached that milestone). The message is clear: get into physical gold and silver now.

How to Start Investing in Gold and Silver Coins

If you’re new to physical gold investment, it helps to have an expert in your corner. Here at GoldSilver.org, it is our mission to make smart, savvy precious metals investors, and we’ve been doing just that for over 20 years. We do not manage accounts, we advise household investors on the best physical gold investments for their specific financial portfolios. Owning gold is about taking control of your finances so that your savings are not in the hands of an irresponsible market. The states passing unconventional gold and silver laws know it, as do more and more investors each day.

If you feel that it’s time to take complete control of your finances and start investing in gold and silver coins, give us a call today at 1-800-394-3337 or email us and one of our gold coin analysts will get back to you as soon as possible.

The Mini Roo series, which debuted in 2010, was intended to broaden investor access to gold by providing a gold product with a much lower price point than other gold coins on the market. The coin’s first issue sold 15,713 units; in 2011, 14,852 of the tiny coins were sold; and the 2012 issue has so far sold 18,002 coins and is still available for sale. The coins are sold on a mint-to-order basis and a maximum mintage will be set after 12 months of sales.

Featured on the coin’s reverse is a depiction of a standing kangaroo, under which an inscription reads “0.5 Gram 9999 Gold”. An effigy of Queen Elizabeth II adorns the obverse, along with the issue year and the coin’s circulation value of “2 Dollars”.

Arthur McGuire, Vice President of Gold Silver, says, “The Mini Roo is a great way for small investors to get into gold, almost like a starter kit, as the price point is very low. The high price of gold these days might seem daunting for novice investors, but Mini Roos make gold investment more accessible. The Perth Mint has a history of producing beautiful, high quality products, and this series is no different. Each issue features a different reverse design, making it a fun item to collect over the years.”