Monthly Archives: January 2012
US Mint Sets 2012 Product Prices for Collector Silver Eagles and...
The United States Mint on Wednesday officially set prices for the 2012 Proof Silver Eagle and major annual sets after having revealed several other significant product changes on Friday, including reduced quarter product prices and new Presidential $1 coin products.
While a nice sampling of United States Mint products will see lower prices this year, the expected cost for the upcoming proof Silver Eagle is perhaps most disappointing. The Mint news statement said it will reduce the price on this year's proof Silver Eagle from $68.45 to $61.95. Last year's 2011 Proof Silver Eagle was indeed [...]
US Mint Sales: Numismatic Products Cool as Bullion Coins Take Limelight
A lack of new U.S. Mint releases and disappearing older coins and sets weighed down sales of most numismatic products last week, but freshly issued 2012-dated American Eagles kept sales of bullion coins burning.
For numismatic products, a scant 10 improved over their prior weekly sales as compared to the 56 out-performers noted previously. Leading U.S. Mint sales were uncirculated Silver Eagles and annual sets.
Numismatic products are getting a much needed boost this week. On Tuesday, the U.S. Mint released its 2012 ATB Quarters Silver Proof Set and on Thursday it will [...]
In The Lead – Eskom, I Need More Power!
Tuesday's rallies in commodities and equities did not appear to be following through very convincingly judging by the early patterns manifest this morning. Much of yesterday's surge was due to perceptions that it was okay to take some investing risk based on the reading of Chinese economic fortune cookies...
Gold prices traded with muted gains ranging from almost unchanged to roughly seven dollars and with bids coming in mainly around $1,635 to $1,645 in early action. Yesterday's rally was in part helped by robust Chinese gold import data ahead of [...]
US Mint Likely to Raise Prices on Numismatic Gold Coins
American Eagle Gold Coins, First Spouse Gold Coins, and the American Buffalo Gold Proof Coin should see price increases Wednesday, due to the United States Mint's policy of adjusting its numismatic gold coin prices based on a weekly average of the precious metal.
The current pricing threshold for U.S. Mint numismatic gold products is between $1,550.00 and $1,599.99 an ounce. But the current market value of the yellow metal has [...]
Gold Prices Advance $23, Silver Eagle Sales Top 4.2M
Gold prices jumped more than $23 Tuesday, snapping a two-session losing streak, as weakness in the U.S. dollar appealed to precious metals traders.
"The dollar is selling off, benefiting gold and commodities," Scott Gardner, the chief investment officer at Verdmont Capital SA in Panama, said in an e-mail that was relayed on Bloomberg. "Risky assets have been well bid in 2012 on the heels of relatively solid economic news in the U.S. and the belief that much of the bad news out of Europe has been priced in."
Gold prices surged $23.40, or 1.5%, to $1,631.50 an ounce in the February futures contract on the Comex in [...]
2012 ATB Quarters Silver Proof Set Available
Marking its first numismatic product of the year, the United States Mint today, January 10, launched the 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters Silver Proof Set for a price of $41.95.
The offering includes five America the Beautiful Quarters® with unique reverse designs honoring El Yunque National Forest of Puerto Rico, Chaco Culture National Historical Park of New Mexico, Acadia National Park of Maine, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park of Hawaii and Denali National Park of Alaska [...]
Looking at 2012 Numismatically
Although coin production increased in 2011, the dominant conversation was what to do with the overproduction of one-dollar coins.
Passionate arguments on both sides of this issue found that eight different bills were introduced in congress to try to fix the problem. As with a lot of bills in congress, none were acted upon. In December, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner ordered their production be limited to what was needed to supply the collector community [...]
Gold Prices Ease 0.5%, Silver Gains 0.3%
While other precious metals advanced Monday, gold prices dipped for a second straight session despite weakness in the U.S. dollar.
"There is so much bearishness in the market that gold prices would be much lower if it weren't for the Eurozone debt crisis and rising tensions between Iran and the western nations," Reuters quoted Carlos Perez-Santalla, precious metals broker at PVM Futures.
Gold prices declined $8.70, or 0.5%, to $1,608.10 an ounce in the February futures contract on the [...]
US Mint Cuts Product Prices on 2012 ATB Quarters, Releases Images
The United States Mint released images of the 2012 America the Beautiful Quarters on Thursday, and lower prices for related products were published on Friday.
America the Beautiful Quarters include five new coins featuring reverse designs emblematic of selected sites of national interest. The five sites to be honored in 2012 include El Yunque National Forest of Puerto Rico, Chaco Culture National Historical Park of New Mexico, Acadia National Park of Maine, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park of Hawaii and Denali National Park of Alaska [...]
In The Lead – Moving Violations
Spot New York precious metals dealings opened on the weak side across the board on Monday. Gold started the session unchanged at $1,616 and change, silver climbed 14 cents to $28.89 but platinum was down $2 at $1,401 while palladium gained $1 at $614 the ounce.
Crude oil hovered near $101.50 per barrel still reflecting Iran-related supply jitters while copper lost almost 1%. The US dollar gave up almost half a percent on the trade-weighted index as short-covering and positive comments coming from the Merkel-Sarkozy meeting lifted the battered euro from under the $1.27 level back towards the midway point to $1.28 level against it [...]