Gold ended lower Wednesday, logging a loss in four of the last five sessions. Gold for February delivery dipped $6.70, or 0.4%, to $1,655.50 an ounce on the Comex in New York. Prices ranged from $1,651.30 to $1,666.00.
"The precious yellow metal was pressured by a stronger U.S. dollar index and by the present weak near-term technical posture for gold," noted Jim Wyckoff in the PM Kitco Metals Roundup.
"Traders and investors are wondering what the next moves will be by U.S. lawmakers and the Obama administration regarding taxing and spending measures. Most look for a big fight among the politicians, which is keeping a lot of speculative and investment money on the sidelines at present," Wyckoff wrote.
Falling for the first time in three days, March silver lost 21.6 cents, or 0.7%, to $30.249 an ounce. Silver traded from an intraday low of $30.065 to a high of $30.575.
PGM’s turned higher Wednesday:
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Platinum for April delivery advanced $16.80, or 1.1%, to $1,600.00 an ounce. Platinum prices ranged from $1,578.30 to $1,603.60.
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March palladium surged $20.35, or 3.1%, to $688.20 an ounce. It traded between $673.10 and $693.50.
London Bullion Prices
Precious metals in London gained. In contrasting the latest PM fixings:
- Gold added $1.75, or 0.1%, to $1,657.75 an ounce,
- Silver was unchanged at $30.39 an ounce,
- Platinum rose $26.00, or 1.7%, to $1,593.00 an ounce, and
- Palladium ended up $8.00, or 1.2%, to $681.00 an ounce
Sales of US Mint Bullion Coins
Sales levels for U.S. Mint bullion coins remained unchanged Wednesday. The following grid offers the latest bullion sales figures.
| Sales of US Mint American Eagle and Buffalo Bullion Coins | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday Sales | Last Week | Week-To-Date Sales | 2013 Sales | |
| $50 American Eagle Gold Bullion Coins | 0 | 59,500 | 5,500 | 58,500 |
| $25 American Eagle Gold Bullion Coins | 0 | 9,000 | 1,000 | 10,000 |
| $10 American Eagle Gold Bullion Coins | 0 | 12,000 | 2,000 | 14,000 |
| $5 American Eagle Gold Bullion Coins | 0 | 50,000 | 10,000 | 60,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coins | 0 | 14,500 | 12,500 | 27,000 |
| American Eagle Silver Coin* | 0 | N/A | 4,287,000 | 4,287,000 |
| America the Beautiful 5 Oz. Silver Bullion Coin Sales | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday Sales | Last Week | Week-To-Date Sales | All-Time Sales | |
| 2012 El Yunque National Forest 5 oz. Silver Bullion Coins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21,900 |
| 2012 Chaco Culture National Historical Park 5 oz. Silver Bullion Coins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 |
| 2012 Acadia National Park 5 oz. Silver Bullion Coins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25,400 |
| 2012 Hawai’i Volcanoes 5 oz. Silver Bullion Coins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 |
| 2012 Denali National Park 5 oz. Silver Bullion Coins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 |
| 2011 Olympic National Park 5 oz. Silver Bullion Coins | 0 | 0 | 5,500 | 91,400 |
| 2011 Vicksburg National Military Park 5 oz. Silver Bullion Coins | 0 | 0 | 1,500 | 41,000 |
| 2011 Chickasaw Park 5 oz. Silver Bullion Coins | 0 | 0 | 1,500 | 31,200 |
| TOTAL | 0 | 0 | 8,500 | 270,900 |
Coin sales figures shown above are in the number of coins sold. Calculate total ounces by using the bullion coin’s weight.
