Recognize fluctuations in gold coin prices and determine the best opportunities for gold coin investing.

In general, avid coin collectors are not entirely interested in private owned companies, such as the Bradford Exchange and Franklin Mint, who produce so-called collectible gold coins of various types since they are not actually an official government corporation. Despite the fact that certain products produced by these companies still increase a little in gold coin prices within the secondary market, their gold coins have generally performed very poorly. There are some exceptions which include of a few early Franklin Mint gold coin sets which were produced. Professional coin dealers used to just place these coins on a scale to weigh them, and compensate approximately 90-95 percent of the spot price once they have been verified to be real gold. The United States Mint, on the contrary, is an official government mint whose gold bullion coins perform much better on the secondary market especially over the course of a long period of time.

For the bullion offerings, such as the Gold Eagles, the mint and proof versions of these coins sold online at the United States Mint website have the same bullion purity content which is usually reserved for regular coins, but they adhere to a fairly higher standard of quality and are in limited quantities. Both versions of these coins have the potential to be excellent investments. However, whichever product you purchase will greatly depend on your collecting or gold coin investing goals.

For example, if your main goal is to buy gold bullion strictly as a form of investment, it is best that you do not even consider purchasing these coins at all, rather, buy generic gold bullion bars or ingots which are sold for a few percentage points above spot price. The US Gold Eagle, as well as the Canadian Maple Leaf and Chinese Panda are all prime examples of gold coins issued by government mints which have premium mark-ups on them. The country of South African produces the Krugerrand which traditionally has lower premiums. However, the lowest of all gold coin prices are the bars and ingots produced by various European banks such as Johnson-Matthey, PAMP and Credit-Suisse. For the United State of America it would be banks such as SilverTowne and Engelhard.

If you are purchasing gold for the sole purpose of storing them as bullion, then it would be wise to purchase the types that have the lowest commissions on them which are the bars and ingots manufactured by the aforementioned refiners. But if your interest is leaning more towards collecting aesthetically pleasing gold coins that also have the stability of bullion investments it is highly suggested that you contemplate buying American Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs, and Chinese Pandas. Moreover, consider buying classic USA gold, such as the Saint Gaudens Double Eagles, since they trade at gold bullion value with an additional 7-10 percent for the majority of grades and dates. These particular types of gold coins have a double benefit where the gold in them will always be worth bullion value, regardless of the condition of the economy and that they are extremely rare since the bullion is stored in a one hundred plus year old American coin. The exact figures of how many were produced are not known and the current premiums on them are minimal considering their rarity and potential.

To determine which gold bullion coins are the best to buy you need to establish whether you are an investor or collector. If you truly appreciate the beautiful designs and images on the gold coins themselves including the way they feel in your hand and the feeling of achievement upon completing full sets, then collecting gold coins would most likely be your hobby. Keep in mind that you are still able to purchase with an attitude that it will make a profit someday since a good number of enthusiastic collectors have this type of goal in the back of their minds. Nevertheless, if your main purpose is to simply store up gold bullion for that rainy day, or you are hoping that gold coin prices will go up in value and you will be able to sell for a hefty profit someday, then buying bullion for gold coin investing purposes would be your best bet. When choosing this route a good tip is to try to avoid paying the premium commissions that collectible gold bullion coins inherently carry.

Whichever type of gold bullion coins you decide to buy you need to make absolutely sure that you take delivery of your purchases immediately. At no time should you allow companies to store your bullion in their vaults for you. If these companies become bankrupt or emerge as victims of corruption, you will be left holding a note that is not worth the paper it is printed on. Take delivery of your gold coin investments and safely store it in a location which is completely under your own control. The best place would not be under your mattress but preferably at a financial institutions safety deposit box.