Since money began, virtually every country will have made or still produces gold coinage. In the past many of these valuable gold coins were actually used during every day lives as everyday cash. Now most of these coins are produced especially for collectors of coins or investors. When you choose to make gold part of your portfolio and you would love a collection that is desirable to show-off or enjoy as a fascinating pastime; what could be better than collecting gold coins.

You might like to construct your collection based on contemporary coins or else collect older coins or a mixture of both types. Gold coins are made in assorted values and weights; this means that everybody will be able to collect even on a strict budget. Certain online websites or coin sellers will compile an assortment of coins originating from various countries and will then send this selection to you. The price of these packages could vary from between £500 to £3,000. Within them, the number of gold coins you receive will be dependent upon a number of factors for example: The market price of gold; sizes and weights of the gold coins; how rare they are and also their carat value.

The Chinese lunar calendar series of gold coins are made in definite weights; in this instance 1oz or 31.162g. Their fineness is 24 carat or 0.9999 so virtually pure gold. For 2010 it’s the year of the Tiger.

Certain of the other types of coins you possibly will find to collect are: Full Sovereigns; 100 Coronas; Philharmonikas and Chinese Pandas.

Many places endeavour to produce their own bullion gold coin to compete with the original Krugerrands. Some countries also make special coins to record the anniversary of a specific occurrence or a specific occurrence itself. Commonly, these special coins are produced as presentation boxes, and not surprisingly may be a limited issue, thus just a selected number are issued. This action adds to the scarcity assessment and also the desirability of these coins.

One more benefit to building a collection of these coins is that in a large number of places this is a tax free means for investment because nowadays a lot of countries don’t put tax on these coins whilst they could continue to be made use of as money. However in fact, anyone would have to be unhinged to spend any sovereign in order to get anything costing £1 since they are worth around £150 at today’s gold scrap value.

If you get going investing in the Chinese lunar calendar series of gold coins you will need to pay more for coins in extra fine condition. Generally, coins for sale are graded for condition and the value of your lunar calendar series of gold coins varies dependent on the grading. Your coins will possibly need to be graded for condition by a professional anytime you decide to sell the gold coins. It is possible to regularly obtain uncirculated issues of just about any recently produced coins and although you will naturally pay out on top for this quality of coin, they should be untouched and will probably be a very valuable strategy.

Nearly every country on the planet will have made or is still producing gold coins. In the past a variety of these valuable gold coins were in fact used during every day lives as money. But today these types of coins are made especially for collectors of coins or investors in gold. If you choose to make gold part of your portfolio and would love a collection that is striking to flaunt or enjoy as a fascinating pastime; nothing can beat building a gold coin collection.

You might like to start your collection based on present coins or alternatively hoard older coins or a mixture of both types. Gold coins are made in assorted values and weights, so everyone may collect even on a strict budget. Certain internet websites or coin dealers can make up a collection of gold coins originating from various countries and will then send this selection to you. The amount you will pay for these packages will range between £500 and £3,000. Within them, the amount of gold coins you get will be dependent upon a number of factors for instance: The value of gold today; the weight and size of the gold coins; their rarity and also their carat value.

Austrian gold coins are produced in accurate weights; in this case the 100 Coronas are 33.8753g. The gold content of this coin is 0.900 fineness.

Many places these days produce their own bullion gold coin to compete with the ever popular Krugerrand. Some countries also make commemorative coins to record the observance of an event or a specific event itself. Usually, these commemorative coins are issued as presentation packs, plus in some cases will likely be of a limited number, in order that no more than a certain amount are issued. This idea promotes their scarcity appraisal together with the desirability of these gold coins.

A number of the other gold coins you could like to gather are: Gold Sovereigns; Austrian Ducats; Philharmonicas and Australian Kangaroos.

One more advantage to investing in these coins may be that in many places this can be a free of taxes method for investment since today most countries don’t put tax on these coins whilst they could continue to be used as money. Realistically though, anybody would be crazy to use a sovereign in order to purchase some things costing a pound since they are worth many times that at today’s gold scrap value.

If you begin investing in Austrian 100 Coronas gold coins you will need to pay more for coins in extra fine condition. In most cases, coins are graded and the value of your Austrian 100 Coronas gold coins varies dependent on the grade of the coin. Your ungraded coins will probably need to be graded for condition by a professional grader anytime you decide to sell the gold coins. It is possible to more often than not obtain uncirculated issues of many modern coins and although you will of course pay out a premium for these, they should be in pristine condition and should be a useful purchase.

Nearly every region of the world will have made gold coins at some time in their history. In the past many of these valuable gold coins were actually used during every day lives as money. Now these coins are produced mainly for collectors of coins or investors. When you choose to make gold part of your portfolio and you would love a collection that is stunning to flaunt or enjoy as a fascinating pastime; what could be better than collecting gold coins.

You might like to start your collection based on brand new coins or else collect older coins or a mixture of both types. Gold coins are made in assorted values and weights, so everybody will be able to collect even on a strict budget. Certain online websites or coin sellers will compile an assortment of coins originating from various countries and will then send this selection to you. The price of these packages could vary between £500 and £3,000. Within them, the number of gold coins you receive will be dependent upon a number of factors for example: Today’s gold value; weights of the gold coins; their rarity and also their carat value.

The one ounce Australian Kangaroo gold coins have a different design on the reverse each year, which makes them particularly interesting to investors and collectors alike. Their fineness is 0.9999 or, in other words, virtually pure gold.

Many places strive to produce their own bullion gold coin to compete with the popular Krugerrand. Some countries also make special coins to record the anniversary of a specific occurrence or a specific occurrence itself. Usually, these special coins are produced as presentation boxes, and not surprisingly may be a limited issue, thus just a selected number are issued. This action adds to the scarcity assessment and also the desirability of these coins.

One more financial advantage to investing in these coins is that in many places this is a tax free means for investment because nowadays a lot of countries don’t put tax on these coins whilst they could continue to be made use of as money. Realistically though, you would have to be crazy to spend for example, a gold sovereign in order to get an object costing £1 since they are worth in the region of £150 at today’s gold scrap value.

If you get going investing in Australian Kangaroo gold coins you will need to pay more for coins in extra fine condition. Frequently, coins are graded for condition and the value of your Kangaroos will vary dependent on the grade. Your coins will need to be graded for condition by a professional anytime you decide to sell the gold coins. It is possible to normally obtain uncirculated issues of many recently issued coins and although you will pay out on top for these, they should be in perfect condition and will likely be a profitable investment strategy.

Throughout history, almost every country will have made or still makes their own gold coinage. In the past a lot of these valuable gold coins were essentially used during every day lives as cash. At present these coins are more likely to be minted especially for collectors of coins or gold investors. Should you choose to make gold part of your portfolio and would also love a collection that is lovely to show-off or enjoy as a fascinating pastime; look no further than starting to collect gold coins.

You might like to construct your collection based on up to date coins or amass older coins or a mixture of both types. Gold coins are made in assorted values and weights, this means that you might collect even on a strict budget. Certain net websites or coin retailers will offer to choose a package of these coins originating from various countries and will then send this selection to you. The charge for these packages might be £500-£3,000. Within them, the quantity of gold coins you are sent will be dependent upon a number of factors as in: Today’s gold price; the weight and size of the gold coins; how rare they are and also their carat value.

Krugerrands are minted in accurate weights; for the full Krugerrand this is 33.9305g. Their fineness (gold content) is 0.917 which is a fraction over 22 carat.

Many places these days produce their own bullion gold coin to compete with the original gold bullion coin – the South African Krugerrand. Some countries also make special commemorative coins to record the milestone of a special incident or the incident itself. Commonly, these special commemorative coins can be bought as proof sets, and can be a limited edition, which means that only specified quantities are issued. This concept enhances the future scarcity appreciation and desirability of these commemorative coins.

One more great benefit to building a collection of these coins ought to be that in a large number of places this will be a “no tax” way for investment as, at this point, many countries don’t put tax on these coins whilst they could continue to be paid out as money. However in fact, anybody would need to be unhinged to hand over a single gold sovereign in order to buy some things costing one pound since they are worth over a hundred times that at today’s gold scrap value.

If you commence investing in Krugerrands you will need to pay more for coins in extra fine condition. In most cases, coins for sale are graded for quality and the value of your Krugerrands varies dependent on the grade of the coin. Your collection of gold coins will probably need to be graded for condition by an expert anytime you decide to sell them. It is possible to obtain uncirculated issues of just about any modern coins and although you will certainly pay out a little more for this quality of coin, they should be perfect and should be a useful purchase.

The gold quality of the coin is 0.9999 which is equal to the Canadian Maple which is the finest quality coin in production.
On one side of the coin is the Great organ which is situated in the Great Hall of the Vienna concert hall which is called the Musikverein, Republik Ostereich, one unze gold 999.9 the year and value 100 Euro.

The other side has Weider Philharmoniker and various harmonious instruments depicting the world famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. As with all other Gold bullion coins the Philharmonics are available in different sizes, one ounce, half, quarter and one tenth.

All coins before 2002 the face value is in Austrian Schillings, and all coins from 2002 to present are in Euros. Unlike the Krugrrand the Austrian Philharmoniker is a very pretty coin and very well minted with crisp clear designs on both sides of the gold coin.

You can also buy old gold coins from Austria such as the one ducat gold coin which is approximately 23 and ¾ carat gold and weighed 3.5 grams these were first in circulation from 1598 they were used in various European countries as legal tender and more modern versions of the coin ie 20th century versions are easily obtainable.

There is also a Four Ducat gold coin which is bigger and heavier weighing about 14 grams and first produced in 1612. As the Ducats were 23 and ¾ carat gold they were the highest purity gold coins ever issued for general circulation.

Long before krugrrands were ever thought of Austria was producing its own large gold coin this was the 100 Corona. These coins were 0.900 fineness and weighed nearly 34 grams and were produced between 1908 and 1914 although you can get commemorative coins with the date 1915 commemorating the death of Franz Joseph in 1916.

There is also a 20 Corona gold coin which again is 0.900 fineness and weighs nearly 7 grams these coins were produced between 1892 and 1916. Another older gold coin is the 25 Schilling which was produced between 1926 to 1938 again was 0.900 fineness and weighed just under 6 grams.

You can also get commemorative 1,000 schilling gold coins which were issued in 1976, 1993 and 1995. The 1976 coin had a fineness of 0.900 and weighed 13.5 grams and celebrated the 1000 year Babenberger dynasty. Bothe the 1993 and 1995 gold coins were of 0.9860 fineness and weighed just over 16 grams the 1993 depicted mother theresia and the1995 the 50th anniversary of the second republic.

They also produce a 50 Euro commemorative coin of 0.9869 fineness weighing about 10 grams. The only years they have produced this gold coin so far is 2002, 2003 and 2004. These coins are quite attractive and would also make a great addition to any gold coin collection.

When Chinese gold pandas were first introduced they were very successful and were in great demand from coin collectors, people buying coins just for gold value were not interested due to their high price panda mania continued until about 1987 and some coins were selling for over £2000, however the demand for pandas has decreased in recent years, making it hard to get hold of coins minted in certain years. These years make the value of coins produced a lot more than other gold coins of similar weight and size.

Chinese Pandas are available in the same sizes and weights as other gold bullion coins in 1/20, 1/101/4, ½ and1 ounce sizes. They are all made from 24ct gold or .999 fineness and have face values on them in Yauns. One side of the coin has The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, Chinese characters saying Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo which means Peoples Republic of China and the year. If the theme is a commemorative issue this will also be marked on this side. The other side of the coin has different portraits of Pandas depending on the year, except 2001/2002 which shared the same design.

These Chinese panda gold coins are a great addition to any coin collection but if you are just collecting gold coins for their gold content then Chinese Pandas may be a bit too expensive. However due to Pandas becoming harder to buy or find there market price has increased making the panda one of the rare gold coins to collect.

As with other gold coins they do have a face value on the coin but this if far lower than the actual cost and selling price of the coin. As an example the 1 ounce coin has a value of Canadian $50, but in fact is worth over $1200 American at the current Gold price.

The Canadian Maple design has on one side the Maple Leaf which is the national emblem of Canada the weight of the coin and the fineness ie 9999 and on the other side it has the queens head ie Elizabeth II, the value of the coin ie 50 dollars and the date.

In 2007 the Canadian mint unveiled a Gold maple leaf coin with a face value of $1 million this had a weight of 100kg, 50cm in diameter and 3 cm thick at the time had a gold value of over $2 million and was a promotional piece only. However the mint had several interested buyers come forward wishing to purchase the coin and so it announced that it would produce the coins if they were ordered and sell them between $2.5 million and $3 million making them very valuable, at this time there are only 5 confirmed orders making them very rare gold coins.

In certain years they have produced special gold maples such as Hologramed versions and in 1999 a coloured version to celebrate its 20th anniversary. In 2001 they also produced a maple with a Viking privy mark on them making them rare coins and so increase the value of the maples with the Viking privy making under the maple leaf. The finish quality of the maple is rather disappointing compared to other gold coins with striation marks from either the blanks or dies or both have been polished prior to striking; however it would still make a great addition to any gold coin collection.

Canada also produces other commemorative gold coins as well as $50 Mounties, $100, $200, $350 and .9999 Flowers coins, which all have a fineness of .9999. The $50 Mounties coin has a weight of 1 ounce on one side has the queens head and on the other has a Mountie riding holding a pennant, it was only produced in 1997, it is also an unusual gold coin as its decagonal(10 sided). The $100 proofs vary in weight and fineness but each year have a different theme on one side for example 1988 had a bowhead whale and calf on it.

In 1990 the Canadian mint started to issue commemorative $200 dollar proof gold coins thes are in 22ct gold and contain slightly over half a troy ounce of fine gold and again each year has a different theme on the reverse. In 1998 the mint started to produce a $350 proof flower coins of 99.9999 fineness making it the worlds purest gold coin it weights 1.2233 troy grams and again each year has a flower theme on the reverse such as the dogwood flower on the 2000 edition.

The American eagle is a 22ct gold coin which as detailed above comes in four sizes. The front of each coin depicts a graceful striding Liberty design which was inspired by the original design of the $20 Double-Eagle gold coins minted from 1907-1933. The reverse of the gold coin depicts a nest of American eagles, which is a symbolic sign of American family values and traditions.

Gold coins are a popular way to save and even though more gold is still being mined the price remains high for this rare and precious metal. If you gathered all the gold ever mined in the world you would fit into a block of gold which measures 20 yards on each side, so the value of coins made from gold will always remain high and increase as the demand for gold increases the so the value of gold coins will increase.

The only version of the American gold eagle available from the US mint is the proof version of the coin, if you require a normal gold eagle then you will have to go to a coin dealer or buy from the internet.

If you would like a 24ct American gold coin then you want a Buffalo, these coins first became available in 2006 and were only available in a one ounce size, so were one of the more expensive gold coins to collect. The US mint indicated it might start producing fractional sizes of the gold coin and in 2008 the normal fractional sizes of half, quarter and tenth ounce gold coins became available. The design of the Buffalo has on one side James Earie Fraser’s design of an Indian head and on the other side is an American bison or buffalo hence the name for the coin.

The gold coin was introduced to compete with other countries 24ct gold coins as the eagle is only 22ct and the sale of 24ct gold coins makes up for about 60 per cent of all gold sales in a year. In 2008 the US treasury announced a temporary halt to producing 24ct gold buffalo coins as it could not keep up with demand of people investing in gold coins during the current economic climate which had an effect on the gold price and so affected the value of the coins.

If you want to collect rare gold coins such as the pre 1933 gold coins produced in America then you will probably have to purchase the coins from a coin dealer. The price of these gold coins will depend on the quality of the coin and how rare it is, the value of the coins differ greatly and this is due to the availability of the coins ie more were produced in some years than others and the quality of the coin ie the condition of the coin, the better condition then the value of the coins increases.

As well as buying the gold coins from coin dealers or the US mint you can also purchase the gold coins from sellers on the internet, such as eBay. If you do purchase coins over the internet you will have to take care not to buy forgeries or replica coins. The best way is to check on the seller’s feedback and if it’s all ok then it should be safe to buy from them.

Early Gold Coins

The Romans mainly used silver coins because the metal was freely available, and could be made into a durable alloy by adding a small amount of copper. They regarded gold primarily as being primarily for jewellery and rarely used it for coins.

From the 6th century BC, coins were struck in relative weights, so that one gold coin was worth 20 of the same weight in silver. Something along these lines survived in Britain until the outbreak of World War I, with one gold sovereign being worth 20 silver shillings.

The fineness or quality of gold was, and still is based on a unit known as the carat which, as well as being a weight, represents a 24th part. Using this measurement, pure gold is described as 24 carat. The purest gold used for medieval coins was 23 carat 3 ½ grains (.997 fine), which was the highest quality that could be produced at the time. English gold was reduced to 20 carat by 1545, but was eventually set at 22 carat (.9167 fine). This was originally known as ‘crown gold’ due to its initially being used for the crown series of coins. The remaining percentage was made up of copper, added to produce a long-lasting alloy with a reddish lustre and this 22 carat gold continues to be used for sovereigns today.

The USA eventually settled on .900 gold fineness. Mexico opted for .875, while France and Germany preferred .900 fine. The first major bullion coin of recent times, the Krugerrand, was also minted to .9167 standard (22 carat; the most practical and hard-wearing quality), but later bullion coins were made for the highest purity. Canada achieved .999 pure gold for the Maple Leaf (from 1979), but improving refining techniques brought the famous ‘four nines’ gold introduced in 1983. Bullion coins now have both the weight and fineness of the metal inscribed on them.

British Gold Coins

Gold Guineas – The gold guinea was first issued in 1663 under Charles II and was named this because most of the gold came from Guinea in Africa. It was valued at 20 shillings, but this increased as the price of gold climbed. The very last guinea was issued in 1813, as the ‘Great Recoinage’ of 1816 replaced it with the pound, though it continued in common parlance valued at 21 shillings, until 1971 when the move towards decimal coinage made it obsolete.

It is important to remember the different finenesses of gold used when thinking of investing in or collecting old coins 22 carat was used for the sovereign (20 shillings), half sovereign (10 shillings) and crown (5 shillings), but 23.5 carat for the noble (6s 8d) and its sub-divisions. The gold guinea (21 shillings) was replaced by the sovereign in 1816.

The Isle of Man Manx Angels were first issued for Edward IV in 1464 and continued to be issued until Charles I in 1642, on the reverse of the coin is the archangel Michael killing a dragon the modern version of the Angel is a copy of this design with the current queens head on the reverse of the gold coin. The coins are available in various sizes and weights from the largest which is a 25 ounce or 777.5 grams to a twenty fifth which weighs 0.0400 ounce or 1.2441 grams. The new Manx angels have been issued every year since 1985 to present day. The value of gold coins will depend on size, weight, year and whether it is a proof coin or not.

The Manx cat crowns are a copy of the original Isle of Man crowns which were produced for Henry VIII in 1544. The Manx cat crowns were first produced in 1988 and are available in the same sizes as the Manx Angels above. Each year the Manx cat crowns are produced with a different cat on the reverse. Although these gold coins are not old coins they are still very collectable and a lot of the early years ie 1988 to 1998 are not readily available to buy, so have become rare coins even though they are not old coins. To collect a set of Manx cat crowns from 1988 to present would make a nice collection to any cat lover and also a fine investment in unusual gold coins.

The Isle of Man gold Sovereign is very similar in design to the British gold sovereign coins. Instead of George and the Dragon on the reverse the Manx gold sovereign has a Norse warrior on horseback. You can also get a half gold sovereign. Unlike most countries the Isle of Man did produce gold sovereigns and half gold sovereigns in 1973. The Isle of Man also produces gold crowns with the following denominations Five pounds, two pounds, half sovereign and sovereign these are available in proof sets and make an excellent present and a great addition to any gold coin collection. In summary the Isle of Man gold coins are a great investment and make a great addition to any gold coin collection.