What You Need to Know Before Buying Gold Coins

If you believe those late-night infomercials, radio-talk-show hosts or even those stunning sales figures for Gold Eagles, buying gold coins is a slam-dunk strategy for lasting wealth. Just last month, for instance, U.S. Mint buyers ordered 107,000 ounces of bullion Gold Eagles - the third-best May in the series' 25-year history. And this soaring interest in yellow-metal coinage isn't limited to the U.S. market. Take India, where the State Bank of Travancore announced in late April that a program to sell gold coins through five of its branches would be expanded to 60 branches in a single months' time. In fact, as one bullion-dealer executive said in reference to India's fifth-largest city: "In Chennai, even the poor buy [some] gold." So does this mean you should run out and stock up on gold coins? Not necessarily. In fact, I'm going to let you in on a secret: If you're looking at gold coins as a true "investment," there's only one kind to consider. The rest are a waste of your time. The Only Gold Coins Investors Should Buy With gold having doubled in price over the last four years - not to mention a U.S. dollar that continues to weaken - it's no surprise at all that the world coin markets are attracting buyers like moths to a flame. First timers often arrive and are confused by all that's available - including rare and antique coins, and a numbing array of "collector" and "commemorative" coins. But here's a rule of thumb that will make things simple: If you're an investor looking to bolster your portfolio with a modest helping of " hard assets ," there's really only one category of gold coins to consider. I'm talking about bullion-based gold coins. To continue reading, please click here ...