The price for U.S. Gold Coins And Bullion Bars dipped modestly on January 6, 2012 breaking its four session winning streak. However, the yellow metal still managed to advance its score by 3.2%, or by $50, for the week providing a robust start to 2012 for US gold coins and other bullion items. Reuters quoted Fred Schoenstein, a metals trader at the Heraeus Precious Metals Management, as saying, “Gold came under pressure because people are a bit more comfortable with the recovery of the economy, but it is going to remain range bound until we get some significant news to push it into either direction.”

First fall in gold prices was seen in the February Futures contract on ‘Comex’ in New York. This decline was of $3.30, or 0.2%, taking the price of gold to $1,616.80 an ounce. However, gold managed to recover from an intraday low of $1,609 to a high of $1,632.30. Schoenstein added to this saying, “Gold went up after a lot of year-end liquidation last week. Money managers have to put their (gold) position back if they want to have it in their portfolio to show it to their clients.”
In 2011, gold prices rose by 10.2%, marking the eleventh annual gain, although the final week saw a decline in prices. However, expectations in terms of gold prices for the last week of 2011 were mixed mainly because precious metal surveys were not moving in a specific direction. Predictions for the second week of 2012 are mixed as well, if one is to believe the weekly surveys conducted by Kitco News and Bloomberg.

US Gold Coins and Bullion Items Good for Investing

Gold is highly sought after as an purchase option and a collector’s item. A few of the bullion items that you can consider for investing are:

1. Gold Bullion Bars

Owning bullion bars is one of the best ways to possess gold for investment purposes. Such bars are usually available at a lower premium to the spot price of gold than what is available for gold bullion coins. Some famous profit earning bullion bars are:

• Credit Suisse Gold Bullion Bars: This 99%, 24 karat, one troy ounce gold bar is backed by the famous Credit Suisse Bank of Switzerland. They are available in sizes from 1 to 10 grams.

• Pamp Suisse Gold Bullion Bars: The pamp hallmark stamped gold bars are recognized by gold traders all over the world. This 24 karat, 99% pure gold bar is made by the Artistiques de Metaux Precieux gold refining and manufacturing company located at Castel San Pietro, Switzerland.

• 1 Gram Gold Bar: These are perfect purchases for small investors and collectors. Some of the most popular refiners producing these gold bars are Credit Suisse, Sunshine Minting and Pamp Suisse. Dimensions of a typical 1 gram gold bar are:

 15 mm in length

 1 gram in weight

 8 mm in width

 0.4mm in depth

2. American Eagle Gold Coins

These US gold coins were introduced in 1986 and, since then, are the most widely traded gold bullion coins of the world. This is one of the only bullion coin whose purity, weight and content are guaranteed by the US government. These 22 karat US gold coins are made of gold that is mined from the Unites States mines. Some copper and silver is also added to the coins during production to make them wear and scratch resistant. The American Eagle Gold Bullion coins are produced every year in four denominations and sizes, which are:

 $50 one ounce coins

 $25 ½ ounce coins

 $10 ¼ ounce coins

 $5 1/10 ounce coins

These are the among the many bullion items considered best for purchases. The gold market is known to see a lot of fluctuations and so it is advised that you consult experienced professionals like ITM Trading, Inc. and understand your investing needs thoroughly to help you in making the appropriate purchases of U.S. gold coins and bullioin bars.