Best Gold Bullion Coins to buy
Investors looking to diversify their investment portfolio should look to buy gold bullion coins. Gold is uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. Bullion coins are investment grade coins that are valued by their weight and fineness of gold. Proof and uncirculated coins are not the same as bullion gold coins.
Proof and uncirculated coins or commemorative or numismatic coins are valued by their limited mintage, rarity, condition and age. Bullion coins give the buyer a tangible means to own and invest in gold.
The following gold bullion coins are recommended for your investment portfolio:
- American Eagle Gold Bullion Coins
- American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins
- Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Bullion Coins
- South African Krugerrand Gold Bullion Coins
- Austrian Philharmonic Gold Bullion Coins
- British Britannia Gold Bullion Coins
- Australian Kangaroo Gold Bullion Coins
The gold bullion coins come in various weights viz: one ounce, one-half ounce, one quarter ounce and one-tenth ounce.
The gold bullion coins are guaranteed by their respective governments for weight, content and purity.
The daily value of these gold bullion coins is based on the spot price of gold as well as a small premium for production and handling. The best size to buy is the one ounce size as the premium is lowest above spot.
The table below shows the purity of each gold bullion coin.
| Gold coin name | Purity | |
|---|---|---|
| American Eagle Gold Bullion Coin | 91.67% gold (22 karats) 5.33 % copper |  |
| American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coin | 0.9999 fine gold or 24 karat gold |  |
| Canadian Gold Maple Leaf Gold Bullion Coin | 0.9999 fine gold |  |
| South African Krugerrand Gold Bullion Coin | 91.67% gold + 8.33% copper |  |
| Austrian Philharmonic Gold Bullion Coin | 0.9999 fine gold |  |
| British Britannia Gold Bullion Coin | 91.7% fine gold + copper |  |
| Australian Kangaroo Gold Bullion Coin | 0.9999 fine gold |  |
Coin fineness:
Fineness refers to the actual gold content in a coin or bar expressed as a “per mikl” or thousandths. A coin identified as .999 fine means that it has 999/1000 of pure gold with the balance being other metals or impurities.
Karat weight is used to denote the fineness of gold. One karat is equal 1/24 part of pure gold.
The table below shows the correlation between karats and fineness.
| Karats | Fine gold equivalency |
|---|---|
| 24 karats | .999 fine gold |
| 23 karats | .958 fine gold |
| 22 karats | .917 fine gold UK gold coin standard |
| 21 karats | .875 fine gold |
| 20 karats | .833 fine gold |
| 18 karats | .750 fine gold |
| 16 karats | .667 fine gold |
| 14 karats | .583 fine gold |
Buying gold bullion coins means that the investor does not have any counter party risk of bankruptcy or default. Gold bullion coins are mobile and the owner can move it to any part of the world.
To buy gold bullion coins outside of continental America please go to Goldbroker.com to get the latest spot prices.