If you've been paying any attention to the precious metals market lately, you probably already know that US bullion is more popular than ever. Both gold and silver prices are up and there's been a spike in the prices of coins. While the US mint has had trouble keeping up with supply, you can still buy American bullion coins.
The two most popular coins are the gold eagle and the silver eagle. The silver eagle is available in one ounce sizes and the gold eagle has been available over the years in variety of fractional sizes. Usually the US mint also makes these coins in proof versions for collectors, but in a rather unprecedented move they have canceled the proof program for 2009.
Since the Mint is required by law to keep up production of the uncirculated bullion coins, they have not had the blanks available to produce the proof versions so there won't be a proof edition of either the gold or silver eagle during 2009.
If you are an investor rather than a collector though, this just won't matter. Both silver and gold eagles are easy enough to find out in the market, whether you choose to buy online or deal with local coin stores, it's up to you. The best way to approach buying bullion coins is to look for them in bulk. You can save money on bulk purchases by bringing down the cost of the individual coins, as well as saving on shipping fees if you are buying online or through mail order.
You may also be able to save money by not restricting yourself to 2009 issues. When it comes to bullion, any year's issue is worth exactly the same amount as any other year. While there may be some exceptions for collectors, those are coins you will want to avoid as an investor because there is no way of knowing whether a coin that is hugely popular with collectors right now will sustain that popularity.
If you are new to precious metals, my articles about gold eagle coins and my personal favorite, the US silver eagle dollars, can help you get started with an introduction to the history of the coins and some good tips for buying them.
Author: Jennifer Connolly
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Import duty tariff
