The prices of silver and other precious metals rose sharply in the world markets in 2008. Silver prices alone averaged $13.28 per ounce that year.  This upsurge was replicated in a spike in sales of the American Eagle Silver Coins.  As a result, the US Mint had to match the increased demand for the Silver Eagle Coin, boosting its mintage to a record high of more than 20.5 million in bulk uncirculated bullion and an estimated proof production of over 700,000.  The 2008 bullion mintage level is nearly double that of the previous record high of more than 10.4 million produced in 1987, the second year of the silver eagle coin.

Even with the sharply increased US Mint production of the American Eagle Silver Coins in 2008, the supply was unable to cope with demand and so there was an unexpected sellout in August that year.  There was a brief suspension of sales to stabilize the market, and when selling resumed, these were subjected to allocation. Still, the end result was a quick escalation of the coins’ prices in the secondary market.

Proofs of the 2008 Silver Eagle Coin were minted at the US Mint facility in West Point, New York, and thus, feature a “W” on the coin proof’s reverse. These 2008-W Silver Eagle Coin proofs stand in the third year in which uncirculated coins were offered for sale to collectors.

The 2008 proof mintage sports some other features distinctive in the Silver Eagle Coin series.  For instance, the reverse dies of the 2007 coins were used to strike a small quantity of the 2008-W Silver Eagle Coins.  This variety is known in the market as the 2008-W Silver Eagle Reverse of 2007.  As soon as collectors caught wind of such a distinction, there were strong demands and prices of these coin proofs rose quickly.

Even prior to the prize bonanza in 2008 Silver Eagles, these coins are already highly valued in the market, especially among collectors.  After all, no less than the government of the United States guarantees the weight, purity and content of the series, the only silver bullion with this type of government assurance.

Every American Silver Eagle Coin is composed of .999 fine silver, with a weight of 1.000 troy ounce for a silver content of 0.999 troy ounces.  Copper accounts for the rest of the coin’s component and is added for coin durability and better resistance to design tarnishing.  The diameter of the coin is 1.598 inches while thickness is 0.117 inches.  The Silver Eagle has a reed edge, with its obverse side featuring the “Walking Liberty” designed by Adolph A. Weinman and the reverse showing a heraldic eagle rendered by John Mercanti.

Coins may also be strikingly handsome in their own right, with the top designers of a country trying to have their motif selected for immortality on the face of a coin. The history of gold coins dates as far back as 2,700 years back. Certain web internet sites will supply you with a lot of information about the history of gold coins and the Gold Eagle coin. The value of gold coins is generally higher than the value of their weight in gold bullion, making them a better investment than the gold market alone. How would you feel if you knew you had handed over a penny worth $2,000 or more as change for a dollar? Though the aesthetics may change, price does not. So always check to see if you have an Eagle coin in your change!

The value of your coins remains the same without reference to color. Many collect coins to commemorate great events in their lives, a kid’s graduation, a new baby or to mark historic events like the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.

One thing is for certain, there is not a coin collector out there who will stop picking up because the costs have risen a little and possibly an identical quantity will consider selling their prize collection to the bidder prepared to go highest.

Memorial coins are a popular form of collection, as are not common minted coins like those which had a blunder in their stamping. If a certain set of coins does not interest you, it will not be any fun at all to become a collector.

Coin dealers will be much more likely to recognize a counterfeit coin, have a higher chance of hearing about the sale of the explicit rare coins that interest you, and will recognize an asking price that is over- or undervalued. A grade is called a shorthand designed by coin gurus ( numismatists ) to show a coin’s appearance.

Simply put, if a certain coin collector tells another collector that he owns an uncirculated Charlotte fifty half eagle, both should already have an idea of the coins appearance without even seeing it, due to the claim of its grade.

Grading can be learned, studied and applied with a predicted and known result that ultimately relies on judgment, not feelings. Like any language, science, sport, or research, it’s best to learn and understand coin grading one part at a time, thru significant study and experience.

While there are those that whinge of too many grades, most experienced coin graders recognize and appreciate the incontrovertible fact that there’s a big selection in features between ranges. This is the technique of stamping or imprinting a drawing or a symbol onto a blank. Depending on the coins design, it can either have feeble or robust strike. An example of this would be the Type II gold buck on which both sides ( front and back ) have the highest strike that is perfectly aligned, meaning, these designs need feeble strikes. Sometimes the strike isn’t a key factor in building the coins grade except when it is included in a chain where the price is attached to strike. The amount of coin marks as well as where they are placed is a major component in creating the grade.

While there’s no fixed formula on the quantity of coin marks that sets its grade, there are many controlled standards regarding the importance of the location or positioning of a scratch.

All coin dealers are not born equal, and it is almost impossible to specialise in each area when it comes to picking up rare coins. It is important to grasp what to search for before you select a pro for your coin collecting wishes. But as time rolls by, the quantity of these coins go down. Three essential guidelines here : buy what you like, buy what you are able to afford, and buy at a fair cost.

Follow this recommendation and you can enjoy your coins more, you will not pay too much for them and you will not go broke. Another common oversight is when the mint mark, the miniscule letter on most Yankee coins that indicates which mint made the coin, is missing or incorrect.

Though there are exceptions, most old coins are not especially valuable unless they are very well saved. The best place for an idea of their worth is to go to the reference section of your local library. Coin collecting for investment purposes could be a troublesome endeavor.

For example, a coin having a deep scratch that it isn’t simply plain on its reverse ( back ) side won’t be precisely penalised. However, if the same scratch was positioned on a noticeable or apparent central point on the front, for example the cheek on the Statue of Freedom , it’d be punished much more.

A coin can have a variation of textures on the surface, influenced by design, the metal that was employed and the mint of origin. Luster is significant particularly when resolving whether a coin is either circulated or uncirculated. A coin in Mint State technically ; is freed from erosion and wear and must not have heavy breaks in its luster.

This is a particularly subjective element in figuring out coin grade. As an example, a gold coin showing dark green-gold pigmentation could be repulsive to one collector and interesting to another. As gold is tolerably an inert metal, it isn’t susceptible to much color variance as copper or silver. Virtually each one of us gold coins had been dipped or cleaned, thus no longer showing their original color. As coin collectors become well informed, many of them are attracted and fascinated to coins having their natural color.

In most coin series, it is almost impossible to find out original coin pieces. Note a coin having superior eye appeal can be robust in one aspect, for example possessing exceptional luster but not quite as powerful in another aspect, for example not so good color.

A coin that is unattractive in one aspect yet ok in all of the other aspects can still be distinguished as below average in eye appeal. Understanding how to grade a coin is crucial so that one can have an idea of the price or cost of the coin that he is purchasing or selling. When new to coin picking up, be certain to ask the assistance of a seasoned collector or dealer when purchasing or exchanging your coins. When deciding which coins to gather, you must think about your interests, your position, and your ROI.

High quality coins acquired at reasonable prices will appreciate, but potentially no good or bad than other investments. This sounds right because they are the easiest to collect. These hobbyists then expand their collection to coins from increasingly further and earlier origins.

Deficiency shouldn’t be confused with overall mintage. In the silver booms, many silver coins were melted for there bullion content. As an example, during World War Two, pennies were made out of steel, because copper was required for the war effort. While there are some real gold coin fans in the Net, there are those people that are posing as gold coin collectors and are just looking to rip you off.

Always be looking out for rare gold coins, and have coins valued by a gold coin expert to avoid big variations in cost. You can get a silver locating device or a magnetic pole for finding loose coins in ditches, under automobiles, or in other hard-to-reach places. Or depend on your eyes to spot those gleaming metal circlets of potential wealth.

A coin collection could provide handsome profits over the years, especially if you invest some extra cash on the American Eagle Silver Coins proofs.  But first of all, what are coin proofs?  These are uncirculated versions of coins or bullions that the United States Mint specifically produces for sale to the general public, particularly to collectors.

In the case of the American Eagle Silver Coins proofs, these were struck as part of the US Bullion Program implemented in 1986 under the authority of the United States Congress.  Also included in this program is the minting of American Gold Eagle Coins.  An American Eagle Platinum proof was added to the mintage starting 1997.

Each Silver Eagle Coin proof and the other coins minted under the bullion program are struck in a special minting process.  The method calls for having burnished coin blanks manually fed into presses with special dies fitted.  The coin blanks are struck several times, resulting in softly frosted but very detailed images.  An elegant accent is provided by encasing the coin in a velvet-lined presentation box, and topped off with a Certificate of Authenticity from the US Mint.

The American Silver Eagle Coin is also available as bullion for investors. The US Mint channels these bullion coins through its network of authorized purchasers, who create a secondary market for the public by both selling and buying the Silver Eagles.

There are several options in purchasing Silver Eagle Coins.  One is called bulk purchase, which involves buying green boxes which investors know as “Monster Boxes” containing 25 tubes or rolls of 20-coin Silver Eagle.  A green top with the US Treasury seal makes the 20-coin rolls distinctive. The bulk method usually provides the lowest premium, as opposed to an individual Silver Eagle Coin purchase which can generate the highest premium.

To be successful in investing in a coin collection, be it in bullion or proofs, you must have a familiarity of the varying mintages of the Silver Eagle Coin.   The year-to-year fluctuation in mintages since 1986 greatly influences the price levels of the bullion and coin proofs.  Collectors often make use of a standard reference book to determine the mintages. Generally, these are in the millions of coins for the businesses or bullion strikes and hundreds of thousands for the coin proofs.

It will also help to have an understanding of the mintmarks in a Silver Eagle Coin which indicate where the coin was struck.  There are three mints where Silver Eagles have been struck.  If a coin bears an “S” mintmark, it is from the San Francisco mint which produced coins early in the series.  Those coins with the “P” mark were struck in the Philadelphia mint.  Coins or proofs of more recent mintage carry the “W” on the reverse side to indicate that these were from the US Mint in West Point, New York.

Have you held a bag full of coins and felt how heavy this bag was. Well in contrast to the ordinary coins there are special coins that investors can get agreements to buy.

These special coins will not make a little money bag feel like it weighs a ton. Instead these coins can add more worth to a coin collector’s portfolio.

The Eagle Coin can is produced in gold, silver and platinum metals. This implies that the quality on these coins is extremely high. Since the US Eagle Coin is not sold immediately to the public but in proof sets, these must be acquired at the current cost of gold and the other metals. To make the buying weight worth the same for each coin these US eagle coins have a particular weight that is standard. With these set weights you’ll be in a position to have the American Eagle Coins that you are able to add to your portfolio with no problems about its market valuation. There’s another name that is given to the American Eagle Coin. It’s also called American Eagle Bullion Coin.

The program to bring these coins out for financiers to add physical amounts of gold and silver into their investments came into being in 1986. At this time, the sole American Eagle Coins were the gold and silver eagle coins that had at one previous point been in circulation. The platinum uncirculated American Eagle Coins were brought out in1997. American Eagle Coins are easily recognizable thanks to the design on the face of the coins.

Each coin will feature the Augustus Saint-Gaudens design of  the Woman Liberty. And the costliest of these American Eagle coins are those of the gold Saint-Gaudens 1934 20 dollar pieces. The reason behind the high cost of these American Eagle coins lies in the presidential decree of 1934 that banned the use of all forms of gold bullion.

And since the 20 US Dollar American Eagle coins were made of gold they were right away recalled and melted down. Some however, escaped this destiny and survived in the world hunt by each ardent coin collector. The long and short of it though, is that it is irrelevant if you never get the opportunity to see the 1934 gold Saint-Gaudens coin. What does matter is that you learn how to correctly recognize and price the American Eagle coins that you do have in your possession and to keep them safe.

One outlet for people with surplus cash is to invest counts. This is among the reasons why the American Eagle Silver Coins was produced in 1986.  In fact, the Silver Eagle bullion coin may be used to fund investments for an Individual Retirement Account.  The US Mint, authorized by Congress to manufacture the coin under the 1986 American Eagle Bullion Coin Program, has authorized a network of bullion purchasers to create a two-way market for the bullion to be made available in gold and platinum coins. These US Mint-authorized outlets are the ones which buy and resell Silver Eagle bullion to the public.

These outlets generally make the American Eagle Silver Coins purchases in bulk from the US Mint.  They get what is known in trading as the “Monster Boxes”, which are green boxes containing 25 rolls or tubes of 20-coin Silver Eagle rolls. The same boxes are sold to the investing public.  Purchases of 20-coin rolls are the most common in bulk deals which usually provide the lowest premium per coin.  Individual coin purchases can also be done, and premiums are often the highest.  These purchases are usually done by collectors who want to assemble a series with one coin for each year of mintage.

In addition to selling the Silver Eagle Coin series through dealers in a secondary market, the US Mint also directly sells coin proofs to collectors.  These so-called proofs are minted through a special process wherein each coin is struck several times to produce distinctively detailed images. In the case of Silver Eagles, it is referred to as the “Walking Liberty”, which is found on the obverse side of the coin and the classic heraldic eagle with a shield is found on the reverse side.

In order to assemble the more valuable Silver Eagle Coin collection, one must have a good knowledge of the bullion’s mintage series which vary widely over the years.  This wide mintage variation results in the wide range of prices in the American Eagle Coin series. Among those that are highly valued by collectors are the coins in 1995 during which the US Mint marked the 10th anniversary of the American Eagle Bullion Program.  To celebrate this anniversary, a special 1995-W Proof Silver Eagle was minted within the year’s Gold Eagle Proof Set, of which only 30,125 sets were sold, by far the lowest in the series.   Another special three-coin set was produced by the US Mint in 2006 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the program.  This set included a 2006-W Reverse Proof Silver Eagle, the first minting of this kind for a US coin.

The 2008 mintage is also a favorite among collectors. A 2008-W Silver Eagle Reverse coin was minted using the 2007 reverse dies.  Surging silver prices in 2008 due to shortages have likewise sent Silver Eagle prices soaring and mintage to new record levels.

Venturing into the fascinating world of gold coin collecting? Prepare to be awed. There are several noteworthy gold coins that appeal to the most avid coin collectors all over the world. Among the top five most commonly traded gold bullion coins which have generated much attention and have become must-have collectibles for people of all ages and inclinations is the Krugerrand from South Africa. It carries the distinction of being the most famous gold bullion coin during the 1970s era.

The South African Krugerrand is a great coin investment. First minted in 1967, Krugerrands were the first gold bullion coins produced in exact 1-ounce size. They were sold for the spot gold price with a slight mark-up which covered manufacture and distribution. These gold coins played an important part in South Africa’s socio-economic history. Krugerrands facilitated the marketing of the vast stores of gold that emanated from the deep mines around Johannesburg.

The gold coin got its name from Paul Kruger, the statesman who served as president of the South African republic in 1883.. A close look at the South African Krugerrand will reveal the image of the President while on the reverse is a spring book antelope, a national symbol of South Africa. It’s a beautiful piece of coin that harks back to a country’s history and culture.

Krugerrand gold bullion coins are a safe type of investment mainly because the price of gold withstands the test of time. Though they have been circulated, Krugerrands are still opted for by coin collectors which evoke a certain kind of appeal. As special coins consisting of 22 carats of gold melded with copper, Krugerrands were supremely durable, emerging as a worthwhile collectible for the astute investor. Proof versions of South African Krugerrands were also highly favored.

In retrospect, privately-owned gold bullion coins were restricted in the United States from 1933 to 1975. Gold coins came to mean coins of numismatic value, whose value was determined by the each coin’s rarity, condition and other factors. The gold coin value in this case can far exceed the value of the gold the coin contains.

When the South African Government introduced the Krugerrands in 1967, it set the stage for a coin with legal tender status which can be traded just for its gold value.

South Africa, which ranks among the largest gold producers in the world, had the foresight to see that gold ownership would become increasingly popular among private individuals. With visible signs of a weakening dollar, the monetary standard of the world was changing, and gold would be playing a crucial role alongside those changes.

The relative ease with which a coin enthusiast/investor can shop around for high quality coins like Krugerrands make them a wise investment. The Krugerrand’s sheer durability likewise gives assurance that the coin collector or trader will encounter very little difficulty in reselling such coins in excellent condition.

The American Eagle Silver Coins can rightfully claim a lofty place among various Americana items of interest.   For one, it has an iconic design—that of the half-dollar minted for general US circulation between 1916 and 1947.  This design has endeared itself to the American public and is considered as one of the favorites among coinage in the United States up to contemporary times.  The coin features the classic ‘Walking Liberty” rendition of Adolph A. Weinman on its obverse side and a heraldic eagle with a shield, a design by John Mercanti on its reverse side.

More than its design, however, the American Silver Eagle Coin is prized by many because it is the United States’ official silver bullion.  The US Mint first issued the Silver Eagle in November 1986.  Each coin has a nominal value of one US dollar and is struck exclusively in the 1 troy ounce denomination and contains one troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver.

The minting of the Silver Eagle Coins is part of the American Eagle Bullion program authorized by the United States Congress in 1985.  This program granted the US Mint the authority to produce not only silver bullion but also gold bullion.  In 1997, minting of platinum silver eagle was added to the program.  The US government guarantees the precious metal content, weight and purity of these coins.

Proof versions of the American Eagle medallion is struck at the US Mint for collectors.  The proofs undergo a special minting process that entails feeding burnished blanks manually into presses with special dies fitted. Detailed images seemingly afloat a mirror-like surface characterizes each proof, the result of the multiple times that each coin is struck.  Meticulous manual inspection follows after they are struck otherwise they are uncirculated. After passing this quality control process, they are packed in satin-lined velvet boxes with clear plastic covers to complete an elegant presentation.   Each one carries an official certificate of authenticity from the US Mint which helps prevents production of fake coins.

The Silver Eagle medallions come out of three mints.  Those that carry the “P” mintmark are struck at the Philadelphia mint.  Those that were considered mintages of the series’ early years have the “S” mark, indicating that they were minted in San Francisco. Coins of more recent mintage were struck at the West Point, New York, and these bear the “W” mintmark on its reverse side.

It is important for collectors to understand what these mintmarks signify.  The price of the American Eagle Silver Coins may be readily determined through these marks.  This is because year-to-year mintages of the coins vary widely, and collectors usually check a standard reference book to determine the years wherein the minted coins or proofs command higher prices in dollars making them highly collectible.  In general, proofs were issued only in sets of hundred thousands, while business strikes would amount to millions of coins.

Gold coins have significantly increased in value within the last couple of years and has since become rather expensive. You might find a few cheap gold coins here and there but trust me when I tell you that they are not worth it. Which gold coins should you buy? Well, it would be the ones that are of high quality and whose value is worth their price. These days, with the advent of the internet, you are given more options as well as places to buy gold coins from. Here are a few tips to help you figure out exactly which coin you should buy.

Regardless of whether you’re getting your coins in an offline or an online store you should always check the merchant or establishments reliability first. Check if they have a good and clean record when it comes to dealing with clients as well as if they are properly licensed. The thing is, you would want to be sure that you aren’t getting into shady business and that everything is legit. So don’t hesitate to ask around or call the Better Business Bureau for more information. Remember, its better safe than sorry.

One of the most common problems that gold coin buyers experience would be grading. This is because different people have different ideas and ways of seeing things. For example, your idea of what an MS65 is might be different from the idea of the dealer’s. There are also gold coins that have rather big gaps when it comes to value in between grades. So to avoid this issue, its better to get the coins that have been graded by a third party as this would avoid further conflict. Remember also that grading standards change with time and as such, you would want to keep yourself up to speed.

It’s also wise to buy the rarest coin in the best possible condition in a price that you can afford. There are plenty of collector’s gold coins that can retail for the price near that of melt gold because there are plenty of them to go around. Take for example the gold with lower grades. When gold and gold coins increase in terms of value, it means that they are rare and that there aren’t many of them left. Keep in mind that when gold decrease or increase in value, the gold coins follow suit by percentage.

Lastly, it’s also important to do research and I cannot emphasize this enough. Doing so would provide you with the information and the knowledge about certain types and grades of gold. It would allow you to make better decisions and steer clear of bad ones. After all, knowledge is power and that applies perfectly in this situation.

Gold doesn’t just come in bars or in the form of jewelry. They can also come in the form of coins, which in my opinion, are the easiest and the best option for people who want to collect them. Gold coins can cost as low as $40 and can be easily stored as well. If you are planning on purchasing gold coins, do consider your options. You have two, actually, the first of which would be to buy the coins online and the second would be to buy them through pawnshops or other similar shops that buy and sell gold coins. The best places to buy gold coins would be the ones that have an outstanding reputation, fair prices and the ones that would provide you with all you need to know about the coin itself. The data should include the type, make and name of the coin. If you are planning to purchase the coin online, it would be trickier but if you choose a reputable merchant then it would all go through with little or not hassle at all. First, ask the merchant for clear photos of the coin. Ask questions, anything that you might want to know and anything that might help you decide whether or not you wish to purchase the coin.

As for price, both offline and online merchants would usually be open to negotiation so don’t be embarrassed or afraid to ask. If you want to, you can do a bit of research first and find out just how much a coin similar to one you are interested in would actually retail for. This would provide you with the information you need and help you find out if you are being given an unreasonable price or if you are getting a bargain. Buying online would actually give you more options as there are various kinds gold coins that can be found all over the world. However, as mentioned above, buying online can be a little tricky.

Another thing about online shops that don’t sit well with many coin collectors is the fact that you won’t be able to feel the coin in your hands unlike when you’re buying from an offline coin place. Experts can tell the authenticity of a coin through its weight and texture alone. But if you have to wait for the coin to arrive through mail before being able to touch it then you wouldn’t be able to judge it for yourself. However, if you find an online gold coin merchant that’s reliable and trustworthy then it makes online coin shopping that much easier because you’re confident that you are buying the real thing. So which one is better? I think both have their pros and cons but I still recommend buying coins from an offline shop. Nothing beats being able to touch and feel the coin for yourself.

So you have bought gold coins and want to get into the business of selling them as well? But the question is, where can I sell gold coins? There are several great places to start with. Here are some of them:

If you are a member of a gold coin collector’s club, it is a good idea to trying selling them to the other member’s first. Since you are all interested in the same thing, the chance of someone snapping up a few coins is high. You would also be able to exchange your thoughts on the coins and be able to learn a thing or two from each other. Plus, your friends would be reasonable when it comes to pricing as they would be familiar with how valuable the coin is and how much it should be.

You can also try selling to private dealers or shops that specialize in gold coins and purchase gold bullion. Much like selling to your likeminded friends, these people would also be able to tell the value of a coin at a glance and would also be reasonable when it comes to pricing. Of course, there would be negotiation but expect them to be quite easy to deal with. After all, they are well aware of just how much the coin should cost and its equivalent value.

You may also try selling online. You can opt to open your own website if you wish to continuously sell coins or if it’s just a short term thing, you can always go to eBay and open your store there. But of course, selling online would require a bit of research. There are some important things to remember such as: researching your market, pricing your coins reasonably and fairly, providing potential clients with solid information about the coin as well as uploading clear photos that show the coin at its fullest. If there are any flaws it would be best to inform the client about it and show it in the photos as well. Basically, your photos should follow the “what you see is what you get rule” so don’t Photoshop anything and keep the picture honest.

When it comes to describing the coin, it should follow the same rule as the photo. Be honest and straight to the point. Give as much information as you can about the type, make, age and condition of the coin. People would value your honesty and you wouldn’t want to surprise them with a flawed coin when what you promised them was a near flawless one. Don’t forget to clearly state your terms, return policies, shipping policies, payment preferences, insurance fees and other similar things. This would eliminate chances of clients getting confused and would also help make your transactions smoother and hassle free.