According to trends published on April 11, 2012, commemorative US Gold Coins as well as numismatic US gold coins of other variants originating from the US Mint are well positioned for price reductions. This trend has been based upon the pricing policy of the bureau and the current direction demonstrated by the developments in the gold market. Even as the U S Mint was making use of the London Gold bracket, which ranged from $1,650 to $1,699.99 per ounce, the weekly average prices of gold hit a low of $1,635 per ounce on Tuesday, April 10, 2012, probably because of the short week on account of Easter holidays. If London’s AM price on Wednesday is below the $1,708.73 mark and the PM Price is below $1,640 per ounce, there would be a sure shot reduction in the respective prices of coins.

Reportedly, the decrease is likely to be in the range of $5 to about $92.5. The gold Uncirculated First Spouse Coins and the Proof First Spouse Coins are likely to register a reduction in price by about $25 each. Other notable likely reductions include:

•    The 2011 and 2012 edition American Buffalo by $50
•    The 2011 edition American Gold Eagle coin set by $92.5
•    The 2012 edition banner $5 commemorative star set by $12.15.

However, these price trends have been derived subject to a few considerations. First, determining the current trends in gold prices require a daily tabulation of London Fixings carried out by the US Mint from one Thursday to the next Wednesday. An average of the figures recorded over this period is arrived at, which is then compared against the Mint’s set price grid for coins. The PM fixing that is derived on Wednesday is considered to be the directional indicator that can either stop or trigger adjustments. Secondly, the likely prices of these commemorative and numismatic coins are derived considering that the gold average resides between $1,600 and $1,649.99. Thirdly, uncirculated as well as proof First Spouse Gold Coins that are currently sold by the US Mint include those honoring Julia Grant, Lucretia Garfield, Eliza Johnson and Lucy Hayes only.

The History of US Gold Coins
For those wishing to invest in US Gold Coins, getting to know its history would perhaps be of much use apart from just gathering information on the latest price trends. Up to the year 1933, America used the state minted gold coins for commercial purposes, both for domestic as well as international transactions. These coins were minted in six different denominations. Some of the prominent ones minted around this time included the $10 Eagle, the $2.5 Quarter Eagle, the $1 coin, and Half Eagles worth $5 and $3 dollars among others.

There were as many as eight major mints across the United States and the total mintage volume was no less than 100 million! However, only very few of these coins can now be found. Most have been either misplaced or mishandled. And a huge chunk of these has been subjected to collector hoarding. Some have also been melted for personal and governmental  benefits. All this has led to a heavy attrition of rare mintages that could prove to be interesting as far as investment options are concerned. Sadly, almost 95% of these coins have reportedly been lost. Naturally, the market has been flooded with fakes for creating a false sense of availability.

The Melting of Gold Coins
American history witnessed the melting of gold coins twice. These melting operations were largely responsible for transforming US gold coins from transactional money to a purchase opportunity. The first meltdown took place in 1834. This was when all coins minted during 1794 to 1834 were melted. Subsequently, there was the governmental Great Gold Confiscation of 1933.

Naturally, US Gold Coins have now become a rarity. Those planning to procure them to preserve wealth should therefore assess their purchases well in order to stay away from fakes and stick with US gold coins.