There are several countries that mint Gold coins presently, however, the most widely accepted and demanded are the American Gold Eagles. These coins are guaranteed as to gold purity and weight content by the U.S. Central Authority. It has not always been this way the South African Krugerrand was the coin of choice for investor for many years, that was until 1985 when the U.S. started minting their own coins
The American Eagles is 22 Karats and is minted with two other metals to make it firmer and last longer. The other metals Silver and Copper are mixed in very small amounts, that is the coins is 23 parts gold and 2 parts of the other materials.
These coins are widely accessible from dealers and the U.S. Mint, although there have been period when the mint has stopped producing them due to high demand and shortage of metal. In small quantities they are easily to store and transport making them a great investment. As gold has gone up substantially in the past decade the coins have become even more popular. These coins are highly liquid and marketable and buying and selling these coins are relatively easy and can be down quickly.
The coins are minted in different a size, which makes them affordable to most. They come in 1 ounce or $50 denomination, ½ ounce or $25 denomination, ¼ ounce or $10 denomination and 1/10 of an ounce or $5 denominations. The different size has also made them appealing since several coins from other countries are not available in all sizes and one can begin investing in gold in small amounts.
These coins are considered bullion coins and are priced for their gold content not rarity or age as numismatic coins are. Earlier United States coins are considered numismatic and are priced based on several factors including age, grade and rarity. The gold Eagle have their counterpart in silver or the Silver American eagles that are also available in the same sizes and denominations. If you is going to invest in gold in this manner they must take in consideration that when you have a large quantity you have the appropriate safe storage location. Also in larger quantities it becomes more difficult to transport.
It comes down to matter of personal preference. If you would like to invest in gold and silver, but prefer to have the actual bullion in your possession. Then the American Eagles are a very good and logical choice.