Precious metals prices rallied Tuesday with gains ranging from 1.5% for gold to 7.1% for platinum. The former closed at a near nine-year high. Silver, meanwhile, scored its highest finish in more than six years.
Gold for August delivery advanced $26.50 to settle at $1,843.90 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The settlement was the highest since Sept. 9, 2011 when gold ended at $1,859.50 an ounce.
"Clearly, the passage of the EU recovery fund combined with the beginning of negotiations on another U.S. stimulus package provides a solid backdrop for the bull camp," analysts a Zaner Metals wrote in a daily note according to MarketWatch, adding that the dollar, overnight, broke down to the lowest level since March 10. "Currency forces should be poised to add to the bull track."
Gold futures ranged from a low of $1,817.20 to a high of $1,844.90. They gained 0.4% on Monday.
Silver for September delivery soared $1.37, or 6.8%, to end at $21.557 an ounce. The settlement was the highest since March 6, 2014, when silver finished at $21.57 an ounce. Silver futures traded between $20.31 and $21.66. They rose 2.2% on Monday.
In other precious metals futures Tuesday:
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October platinum tacked on $61 to $918.90 an ounce, ranging from $960.90 to $921.
- Palladium for September delivery jumped $78.80, or 3.7%, to $2,188.20 an ounce, trading between $2,092.70 and $2,237.90.
London Precious Metals Prices (LBMA)
In comparing earlier fixed London gold and silver prices from Monday PM to Tuesday PM:
- Gold rose $26.90, or 1.5%, to $1,842.55 an ounce.
- Silver added $1.115, or 5.7%, to $20.555 an ounce.
US Mint Bullion Sales in 2020
United States Mint bullion sales jumped Tuesday with gains reaching a combined 60,500 ounce in gold coins and 623,500 ounces in silver coins.
Below is a sales breakdown of U.S. Mint bullion products with columns listing the number of coins sold during varying periods.
| US Mint Bullion Sales (# of coins) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday / This Week | Last Week | May | June | July | 2020 Sales | |
| $50 American Eagle 1 Oz Gold Coin | 44,500 | 5,000 | 5,500 | 42,500 | 58,000 | 385,500 |
| $25 American Eagle 1/2 Oz Gold Coin | 4,000 | 0 | 6,000 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 45,000 |
| $10 American Eagle 1/4 Oz Gold Coin | 8,000 | 0 | 12,000 | 2,000 | 10,000 | 64,000 |
| $5 American Eagle 1/10 Oz Gold Coin | 25,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25,000 | 200,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo 1 Oz Gold Coin | 9,500 | 0 | 2,500 | 7,500 | 14,500 | 140,500 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Silver Coin | 623,500 | 0 | 490,000 | 1,378,000 | 623,500 | 13,220,000 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Platinum Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56,500 |
In terms of 5-ounce silver bullion sales for 2020, the U.S. Mint is working on getting them automated and reported. Initial U.S. Mint-provided figures have the first two 2020-dated pieces at 45,000 produced and sold per issue. These amounts are being verified.
