The average price of 9 carat scrap gold for the month is £9.95 per gram.  The 14 carat scrap average is £15.53 per gram, the 18 carat scrap average is £19.91 per gram and the 22 carat scrap average is £24.31 per gram.

Let’s take a look at the prices that gold bullion, gold coins and gold scrap was sold for on eBay this month:

Krugerrands

The South African Krugerrand is a 1 ounce gold bullion coin.

On the 27^th November, a 1974 Krugerrand sold for £890 after receiving 3 bids.

Also on 27^th November a set of three Krugerrands sold for £2,600 after receiving 6 bids, making the price just under £867 each.

In eBay shops a buy-it-now price of £925 was achieved for a Krugerrand in immaculate condition

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Gold sovereign coins

Gold sovereign coins are always popular on eBay, and this month is no exception.  The full gold sovereign weighs a fraction under 8g of 22 carat gold.

The common George V full gold sovereign has been selling for around £210-220 this month, although a 1917 sovereign from the Melbourne Mint sold for £266 on 28^th November.

A high price was achieved for a rare 1817 George III sovereign in uncirculated condition, which went for £1,295 on 2^nd November.

The cheapest price paid for a full sovereign was £185 for a 1974 sovereign on 20^th November. The description and picture of this coin was so bad that the buyer had to take a risk with what they were getting.

Someone was lucky enough to pick up a real bargain with a 1906 half sovereign going for just £75. At that price you could buy one of the new quarter sovereigns.

Scrap Gold

Scrap gold is something else that continues to sell well on eBay with the prices achieved being close to what you would get by taking your scrap gold direct to a dealer.  On 28^th November 29.4g of 9 carat scrap gold sold for £310.85 which at just over £10.57 per gram is a little above market price.

Victorian Gold Sovereign

Are you confused about where to start when it comes to collecting gold coins? When you are now simply starting a collection of British gold coins or if you have been collecting Sovereigns and/or Britannias for years, the following information could be somewhat helpful.

Throughout history, almost every country has produced or still makes gold coins. In earlier times a number of these coins were essentially employed in the course of daily life for cash. Nowadays these gold coins are usually being made specifically designed for coin collectors or gold investors. Should you aspire to invest in gold plus would also enjoy something lovely to exhibit or have as a pursuit; nothing beats collecting rare gold coins.

You can build a collection of up to date gold coins or gather old and rare gold coins or a combination of both. Gold coins come in diverse sizes and weight; so as a result, any person could invest even if you are on a budget. A number of net stores or good coin retailers will offer to choose a variety of these coins from several countries and will mail them to you. The cost of these packs may be from around £500 to over £3,000. The quantity of coins you are sent will depend on numerous things including: The current value of gold; the weight and size of the included coins; their age together with their fineness.

British gold coins are minted at accurate weights; Full Sovereigns are 7.98g of 22 carat gold and Britannias are 34.050g or the equivalent of one ounce of gold.

A large number of countries these days issue a gold bullion coin to rival the South African Krugerrand. Many countries also produce special commemorative gold coins to celebrate the milestone of a special incident or a special incident itself. Sometimes, these special commemorative gold coins are made as boxed sets, and will probably be a limited edition, so only a precise quantity will be produced. This raises the future exclusivity value and collectability of the commemorative coins.

One other great benefit to amassing rare gold coins will be the fact that in a lot of countries it will be a free of tax way of investing your money as at the present many places won’t place taxes on gold coins as they can technically still be employed as legal tender. Although in reality, anybody would need to be insane to hand over a single gold sovereign coin to buy some things for one pound when it is worth over a hundred times that in gold scrap value.

Should you start with collecting British gold coins you will soon notice that you pay more for gold coins in fine condition. As a rule, these coins are already graded for quality and the price of the British gold coins depends on the grade of the coin. Your rare gold coins will probably have to be graded by an expert when you want to relinquish your coin collection. You can frequently acquire proof versions of a lot of modern gold coins and even though you will certainly spend extra for this choice, they will be pristine and should prove a useful purchase.

Nearly every country in the world has produced or is still producing gold coins. At one time most of these coins were in fact employed in the course of daily life for currency. Today these gold coins are widely being produced particularly intended for coin collectors or investors in gold. If you aspire to invest in gold plus would like something striking to put on show or have as a hobby; there is nothing better than a gold coin collection.

You can have a collection of present gold coins or alternatively accumulate old gold coins or a combination of both. Gold coins come in diverse sizes and weight; as a consequence anybody can invest on a budget. A number of internet sites or gold coin dealers can make up a selection of gold coins from diverse countries and will be able to post them to you. These packs can range from about £500 to about £3,000. The amount of coins you get will depend on quite a few things such as: the gold price; size and weight of the included coins; and how rare they are together with their fineness.

Sovereigns are produced at certain weights; in this case a full sovereign weighs 7.98g. Their carat value is 22 carat or 916.6 fineness.

2010 Gold Proof Sovereign

A large number of countries have started to make a gold bullion coin to rival the South African Krugerrand gold coins. Countries also issue commemorative gold coins to celebrate the observance of an event or an event itself. Often, these commemorative gold coins come in presentation sets, plus in some cases may well be made in limited numbers, consequently no more than a specific amount will be minted. This process increases their rarity worth together with the collectability of the gold coins.

One other advantage to collecting gold coins can be the fact that in nearly all countries it can be a tax-free method of investing your money since currently most places do not place any tax on gold coins as they can still be utilised as legal tender. However, somebody would be mad to use a gold sovereign to purchase an item for a pound because it is worth many times that in gold scrap value.

When you get started collecting full sovereigns you will also pay more for gold coins in fine condition. Typically, gold coins should be graded and the worth of the sovereign depends on what grade your gold coin is. Your gold coins will eventually have to be graded by a professional grader if you wish to get rid of your coins. You can more often than not acquire proof versions of nearly all contemporary gold coins and even though you will of course shell out more for these options, they will be faultless and could prove a valuable investment.

The modern gold sovereign coin was first minted in 1817 during the reign of George III.  The iconic Saint George and The Dragon reverse as we recognise it today first appeared in this format in 1821 for the reign of George IV.

At times during its history, the shield back has replaced St. George, notably during the Georgian era and also in the reign of Queen Victoria.

The modern sovereign and half sovereign are made of 22 carat gold.  The full sovereign weighs just under 8 grammes making its scrap value today around £140 with the scrap value of the half gold sovereign being half of that.  Of course, other than some very poor examples of the more common George V gold sovereign they are in general worth far above their scrap value.

For collectors and investors a general rule is that the older the sovereign the more valuable it is, although there are exceptions to this.  Some investors do prefer to buy new mint condition encapsulated gold sovereigns so that they remain in newly minted condition.

If you are collecting, it is worthwhile investing in a case or box which are readily available to house your collection.  This will retain the condition and value of your gold coins and is especially a good idea for the small half sovereigns, only about the size of 1p, to prevent loss or damage.

Recently on eBay 20^th century gold half sovereigns are selling for between £75 and £100 depending on condition.  Some of the more modern full sovereigns are selling for as little as £150 to over £200.  A George III 1817 sovereign sold for £500.

According to Spink (the bible for coin collectors) 2008 issue, the book value for an 1817 full sovereign is between £275 and £1650 depending on condition.  If you are lucky enough to find the much rarer 1819 issue, you could expect it to be worth a minimum of £22,500!

For those collectors who prefer a shiny new gold coin, the Royal Mint is currently selling the 2010 issue of the full gold sovereign, bullion quality in a presentation case for £199.  Imagine what a fabulous gift this would make for a birth, wedding, special birthday or graduation during the year.

Over the years, many people have had their gold sovereigns mounted in pendants or rings to show them off.  This can affect the value, either in a good or a negative way depending on the quality of the mount and whether it has caused any damage to the coin.  Buying these can sometimes result in a mistake, however, as there have been times when gold rings and pendants have been made with fake sovereigns that are of lower quality 9 carat gold and are of much lower value.  If in doubt, don’t buy.