US Mint Gold Coins: Types to Choose From

According to a World Gold Council report published in November, 2011, Central Banks purchased twice the amount of gold in the third quarter than they had in the second quarter. This figure was almost seven times more than gold purchases by Central Banks a year earlier. Central banks purchased 148.4 metric tons of gold in the third quarter of 2011, as compared to 66.5 tons of gold purchased in the second quarter of 2011 and 22.6 tons purchased in the third quarter of 2010. The demand for US Mint gold coins has also surged in 2011. The global demand for the yellow metal is 1,053.9 metric tons, which is worth a whopping $57.7 billion!

US Mint Gold Coins: Some Recent Developments

Through the years, the US Mint gold coins have been a popular investment choice. The demand has always been substantially high. In May 2010, the US Mint reportedly sold 190,000 gold coins of 1 oz. This was the highest number of the coins it had ever sold since January of 2009. The economic uncertainties prevailing in the European continent and the volatile trends in the US dollar had pushed the sale of American Eagle coins by almost 214%, as of April 2010. May 2010 recorded the value of gold at that time to an all time high of $1.248.95 per oz. The trends have been pretty much the same across all major continents of the globe.

US Mint Gold Coins: Types to Consider

Before you decide to invest in US gold coins, it is recomended that you read up a bit on the types of gold coins offered. Some of the major variants of gold coins available include:

The Liberty $20 Gold Coin: These coins were originally designed by James Longacre. If you wish to buy these, there would be three further "types" to choose from. The first type would be the ones manufactured from 1849 to 1866, second type includes those produced between 1866 and 1876 and the third type would be those made during 1877 to 1907. All through their history of production, these coins were minted in San Francisco, Carson City, Denver, New Orleans and Philadelphia.

The question occasionally come up "Does the $20 gold coin sell for $20? The short answer is "No!" During its manufacturing era, gold was officially sold at $20.67 per ounce. The content of gold was fixed as 0.9657 per every ounce. This totals the $20 value when calculated on the basis of real gold. Hence, it has been termed as the $20 coin. The coin weighs around 33.43 grams with a composition of 90% gold. They are considered scarce and are therefore a highly preferred choice for coin collectors and investors alike.

The St. Gaudens $20 Gold Coin: These coins were designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The weight of these coins equaled 33.43 grams, and the gold content is around 0.9675 oz. It is composed of about 90% pure gold. These St. Gaudens gold coins have huge historical significance as well, which makes them even more desirable. These were reportedly the most coveted gold bullions during the times of the Industrial Revolution of the 19th and 20th century. In fact, they are often considered as the most valuable gold coins to be sold across the globe. The official minting of this coin took place in three different mints located in San Francisco, Philadelphia and Denver.

American Eagle Gold Bullion: This coin is the official gold bullion coin of the United States and was formally released by the United States Mint in 1986. The "fractionals" available for you to choose from include 1/10th, 1/4th, ½ and 1 oz. When you buy these American Eagle Coins, you would be completely assured of its quality. They are guaranteed for their gold content by the United States Congress as well as the Treasury Department of America.