USA Gold

This write up of USA Gold explains who USA Gold actually are and what they deal in and is well worth reading before you decide to buy gold from their website www.usagold.com

Who Are USA Gold
USA GOLD Centennial Precious Metals are a Gold, Silver & Platinum Dealers based in Denver, Colorado USA. The original starting date is credited by the Better Business Bureau as being 1973.

The business went online as www.usagold.com in 1998 with a couple of pages and a very few gold coins and a order form. Since then it has steadily grown to be one of the biggest gold dealers in the US. The President, Michael Kosares is well known as a prolific author and gold commentator expounding the virtues of owning gold and other precious metals. They are also expanding into the European market with facilities and sales available to most European countries.

USA Gold Customer Service
You can place small orders online and there is a shopping cart that can be used.

You can also place a call 4:00am - 7:00pm (U.S. Mountain Time) Monday - Friday and maybe speak to either Michael Kosares, the President himself, or to four other consultants about what you would like to order. The consultants are generally very helpful and will guide you through to a purchase painlessly and with a minimum of fuss.

Usagold.com place a lot of emphasis on gold information and education and there is plenty on the usagold.com site to help a new person buying gold or buying silver.

They state on the site:

"… we are a Better Business Bureau accredited business with a flawless international record. During our 35 years in business, we have never failed to honor a price commitment or to deliver per the client's order."

"Our professional and knowledgeable staff is dedicated to friendly customer service.
You will benefit from a unique, personal consultation to develop an investment strategy tailored to your goals."

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) rates them as 'Satisfactory' and gives them one gold star. This is a very good ranking from the BBB

USA Gold Product Range
USAGold have a very extensive and prolific product range of gold coins, silver coins, gold and silver bars. The range includes all the usual American, Australian, Canadian, South African gold coins as well as China, Mexico, Argentina and many other countries.

Here is a list of the precious metal coins currently available.

American Buffalo gold bullion coins
Australia Kangaroo gold bullion coins
Austria Philharmonic gold bullion coins
Canada Maple Leaf gold bullion coins
South Africa Krugerrand gold bullion coins
United States Eagle gold bullion coins
Chinese Panda gold bullion coins
Mexico 50 pesos gold bullion coins
Argentina 5 pesos gold coin (Argentino)
Austria trade ducat gold coin
Belgium 20 francs gold coin (Leopold)
Brazil 10000 reis gold coin (Pedro II)
Brazil 20000 reis gold coin (Pedro II)
Chile gold coin (100 pesos)
Colombian 5 pesos gold coin (Simon Bolivar)
Denmark 20 kroner gold coin ('Mermaid')
Finland 20 markkaa gold coin
France 20 francs gold coin (Louis Philippe)
France 20 francs gold coin (Ceres)
France 20 francs gold coin (Napoleon III)
France 20 francs gold coin (Angel)
France 20 francs gold coin (Rooster)
Germany 20 marks gold coin (Wilhelm I)
Germany 20 marks gold coin (Wilhelm II)
Hungary 20 korona gold coin (Franz Joseph)
Great Britain Sovereign gold coin (Young Victoria)
Great Britain Sovereign gold coin (Jubilee)
Great Britain Sovereign gold coin (Veil Victoria)
Great Britain Sovereign gold coin (Edward, George)
Italy 20 lira gold coin (Vittorio Emanuele II)
Italy 20 lira gold coin (Umberto I)
Mexico 5 pesos gold coin
Mexico 10 pesos gold coin (Miguel Hidalgo)
Mexico 20 pesos gold coin
Mexico 50 pesos gold coin
the Netherlands trade ducat gold coin
the Netherlands 10 guilders gold coin (Willem)
the Netherlands 10 guilders gold coin (Young Wilhelmina)
the Netherlands 10 guilders gold coin (Wilhelmina)
the Netherlands 10 guilders gold coin (Elder Wilhelmina)
Peruvian One Libra gold coin
Russia 10 roubles gold coin (Nicholas II)
Sweden 20 kronor gold coin (Oscar II)
Switzerland 20 francs gold coin (Confederation Helvetica)
Switzerland 20 francs gold coin (Helvetia)
Tunisia 20 francs gold coin
Uruguay 5 pesos gold coin
United States $5 gold coin (Liberty)
United States $5 gold coin (Indian)
United States $10 gold coin (Liberty)
United States $10 gold coin (Indian)
United States $20 gold coin (Liberty)
United States $20 gold coin (St. Gaudens)
Graded U.S. $20 gold pieces, U.S. silver dollars
Graded U.S. Liberty $20 gold piece
Graded U.S. St. Gaudens $20 gold piece

In addition usagold.com carries a range of Gold Bullion Bars of various types and sizes including.

1 oz. Metalor and PAMP
10 oz. Metalor and PAMP (with cert)
KILO Bars (32.15 oz.) (w/o cert)
0.98 oz. Austrian/Hungarian 100 Corona
1.2056 oz. Mexican 50 Peso

The gold bars size range include: 1 troy ounce, 10 oz., 1 kilo, 100 oz., 400 oz., etc. Bars originate from such refineries as: PAMP, Credit Suisse, Johnson Matthey and the fineness of all gold bars ranges from .995 to .9999 pure gold

The gold prices of usagold.com gold coins and gold bars is quite reasonable compared to many other dealers. The bars are particularly well priced.

USAGold Payment Options
USAGold accepts the usual credit card, Visa, Amex, MasterCard and Discover. However there is, understandably a maximum that can be purchased with a credit card and that is $10,000 USD. And that is for US orders only.

For larger orders other payment arrangements would be made, including bank wires and bank to bank transfers.

All payments would need to clear before delivery of the gold is begun.

USAGold also pay shipping and insurance expenses for online coin orders larger than $2000. For coin orders totaling less than $2000, a $35 shipping and handling fee will be charged to the customer.

Gold bullion is available by phone only and is not eligible for free shipping.

Delivery is usually 15-20 business days by US Postal Service or FedEx, insured and with a signature required.

USAGold also offer discount pricing available on volume orders and on payment by check or bank wire. This has to be arranged by phone however.

There is no return policy, all sales are final.

USA Gold Security
www.usagold.com use a shopping cart which is fully secured by a 128bit Secure Server. They have a privacy statement also.

USA Gold Options and Features
USAGold offer U.S. gold depository accounts for clients who prefer secure, fully-insured storage in the United States. This mostly applies to overseas transactions and customers.

USAGold is expanding to serve clients in the following counties, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

The Last Word on USA Gold
Michael Kosares, Founder and President of USAGold, is the guiding force behind USAGold and takes the subject of gold very seriously. He spends a lot of time writing about and promoting the concepts of owning gold in these uncertain times, as well as running the business of www.usagold.com. It is evident that this is not just a business with Kosares, but a vocation as well.

If you have bought any gold coins or gold bullion from www.usagold.com, please feel free to leave your feedback on the quality of service and products including any www.usagold.com online complaints and special attention or service given by www.usagold.com online.

Perth Mint

You can find out who the Perth Mint are in this write up on the Perth mint. Find out what gold bullion they have and how safe they are.

In all transactions with gold or other precious metal with any gold dealer or mint, it is always a wise thing to do your own due diligence and find out as much about them as possible.

Who are the Perth Mint
The Perth Mint opened in 1899 and was Australia's third branch of Britain's Royal Mint - the others being the Sydney Mint and the Melbourne Mint at that time but since closed.

Sir John Forrest, The visionary leader and first Premier of Western Australia, is regarded as the founding father of The Perth Mint. 'Big John', as he was known, could foresee the importance of gold in the development of Western Australia's economy, and successfully lobbied the British Government to establish a branch in Perth, Western Australia.

Currently the Western Australia State Government owns the Western Australian Mint through the wholey owned Gold Corporation, (established under the Gold Corporation Act 1987) one of the Perth State Government enterprises who, in turn, own the Perth Mint 100 percent. They also have share ownership associations with AGR Matthey, Johnson Matthey and Newmont Australia who are concerned with the manufacture and refining of bullion bars and industrial products.

In 1988 the Government of Western Australia merged The Perth Mint (also known as Western Australian Mint) and Gold Corporation Australia under a new entity called Gold Corporation. Gold Corporation was formally created by the Gold Corporation Act 1987 on 30 June 1988 and it and all of its subsidiaries are wholly-owned by the Government of Western Australia. In Australia each state has its own government as well as Australia having a federal government. the Government Guarantee was included in the Gold Corporation Act 1987.

The mint, in effect then is not just a dealer in gold coins. The Perth Mint is also a manufacturer and, through its associations above, a refiner and caster of its own bullion and manufactures it’s own coins.

The current Chairman of the Perth mint is P J Unsworth Chairman. The executive officer is Ed Harbuz. Their Registered Office is the Perth Mint Building in Hay Street East Perth. Western Australia.

Perth Mint Customer Service
You can call the Perth Mint and talk to someone on the phone. Also email is available and they usually get back to you within 24 hours depending on when you call. Perth, the capital of Western Australia, is around 12 hours ahead of the US and so phone calls should be in Western Australia business hours.

Placing an order online is relatively simple. You will need to open a free account with the Perth Mint and provide your basic details but then you can easily choose gold or silver coins or any other of the many and varied products the Mint sells and add them to your shopping cart.

When you order a product, such as a gold coin or silver coin or bullion, from the perthmint.com then the process is very straight forward and clear. The shipping times are given depending on where you are and how you would like your purchase shipped.

With investment products one can call a specific phone number and to call for any trades such as buying and selling allocated and unallocated gold or silver. The service here is brisk and professional. The consultants are helpful without being chatty.

The Perth Mint has a formal complaints procedure where any complaints can be emailed and a response given notifying the complainant of what action is being taken and when it will be resolved.

Something should be said about the "Government Guarantee".

There is no other dealer, or mint for that matter, in the word that advertises they have a government guarantee.

Perth Mint's Government Guarantee
According to the Perth mint website, "The Perth Mint operates under a Government Guarantee, which is enshrined in Section 22 of the Gold Corporation Act 1987. Clause 22(1) of the Gold Corporation Act 1987 explicitly states that "The payment of the cash equivalent of gold due, payable and deliverable by Gold Corporation, the Mint or GoldCorp under this Act and all moneys due and payable by Gold Corporation ... is guaranteed by the Treasurer, in the name and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State."

This guarantee is particularly important when it comes to investments and pooled gold.

Although the guarantee is applied to gold it is also indicated on the perthmint.com site that it applies to other precious metals such as silver and platinum also.

Perth Mint Products Range
The perthmint.com product range is very extensive and diverse. Along with the usual gold and silver bullion there are commemorative issues, theme issues, peripheral products such as jewelry, gifts and watches.

To give a complete list of products would be beyond the scope of this review but here is a small list of examples of what you can find on site available to the public.

This list applies mostly to gold coins and silver coins. There are other sets in other precious metals available also.

Discover Australia Fauna
Australian Lunar series

Year of the Mouse
Year of the Pig
Year of the Dog
Year of the Dragon
Year of the Goat
Year of the Horse
Year of the Monkey
Year of the Ox
Year of the Rabbit
Year of the Rooster
Year of the Snake
Year of the Tiger

Chinese Astrological Series
Sovereigns
Themed Coins

Australia
Australian Treasures
Historic Replicas
People
Indigenous Culture
Lucky Symbols
Royalty
Sports
United Kingdom
War (Military)
Wildlife

The above is generally available in silver and platinum coins also. In addition there are such items as:

Chinese Astrological Series
Jewelery
Kailis Pearl Jewelery
Gold Jewelery Collection
Australian Lunar Coin Pendants
Coin Watches
Baby Gifts
Wedding Gifts
Executive Gifts
Gold Bars
Coin Watches

Interestingly, the Perth Mint are one of the few pleases where one can buy natural gold nuggets. Natural gold nuggets are almost always found on the surface and never underground. They can be found in river beads and buried in earth. Each often has a story to it which also includes the name of the finder. The size can range from fractions of an ounce up to many ounces although sizes are very rare. The premium on natural gold nuggets is very high however. Usually about two to four times the spot value of gold depending on the weight. For example, with gold at 900 dollars an ounce, a 1.23 ounce nugget will cost around 1855USD. A nugget just over two ounces would be 3060USD. They do not have a lot of investment value due to the high premium, but are a great, if expensive, curiosity.

Gold Services of the Perth Mint
Other services and products include allocated & un-allocated storage, certificate programs, depository services and private minting.

The Perth mint operates allocated and unallocated gold and silver bullion accounts. With the allocated accounts the account holder owns specific physical gold and or silver in coin or bar form and that is stored within the Perth Mint Vaults. If a person owns unallocated bullion then they are simply sharing in a pooled account and no one part of that shared bullion can be said to belong to any one particular individual.

So with unallocated (unsegregated) bullion you have title to unspecified precious metal deposited in a metal account. You pay the precious metal cost at the time of your purchase as well as a certificate fee. There is no storage fees on unallocated bullion. You pay NO storage fees on this option.

With allocated (segregated) Coins or Bars (Gold and Silver only), You own title to specific coins and/or bars, which are placed in a physical form in the PMCP storage facility. Here you must pay the quoted precious metal cost, fabrication charges and storage fees at the time of your purchase. The storage fee is based upon the value of the bullion at the time of purchase so does not rise even if the value of your purchase subsequently rises.

The above comes under the certificate program and when you buy gold or silver bullion under this program you will get a non transferable certificate to indicate your holding.

To do this, an account has to be opened to utilize all but the last of these services. In this case opening the account is similar to opening a bank account, substantiated proof of identity is required. Once this is done, one calls the mint and asks for a "trade". It can be done by email, phone call or fax. Once the gold price for that trade is established one then forwards the funds, usually by bank to bank transfer or bank wire, to the Mint and they will send a certificate outlining the trade.

A Depository service is also available for those wishing to deposit bullion in the Perth Mint. These naturally incur storage fees which will be dependent on the bullion, quantity and time of storage.

The Perth Mint Depository stores bullion in a high security environment which includes physical security (such as vaults and security staff), electronic security (such as surveillance and alarms), and an impressive level of procedural security for receiving, releasing and accounting for precious metal deposits. As a result, The Perth Mint offers one of the world's most secure locations for hard asset storage.
In addition a client can also hold funds in AUD and USD (interest is not paid).

Deposit and withdraw funds in currencies other than AUD or USD. Place market orders monitored 24 hours a day (100oz minimum for gold and platinum, 10,000oz minimum for silver) and even purchase European style put and call options over gold (in lots of 500oz) and silver (in lots of 250,000oz);

Private Minting is also available where an individual, company or other entity can have gold or silver coins and small bars fabricated to specific requirements.

Perth Mint Payment Options
All the usual payment options are available including credit cards, bank to bank transfer, bank wires and checks. Basically for consumer products such as gold bullion, gold and silver coins, credit card is the norm.

For larger ticket items and investment products then bank to bank transfer, or bank wires, are preferred. Credit cards cannot be used to purchase investment products

Perth Mint Guarantee Refund Policy
The Perth mint have a refund policy whereby, if you are unhappy with your purchase from the Perth Mint online shop, the Perth Mint will refund the full purchase price, not including shipping costs, within 30 days.

However this guarantee is applicable only to website and Mail Orders. The Perth mint must be contacted and approval obtained before returning the good.

Perth Mint Security
The Perth Mint has a secure shopping cart for credit card transactions. For investments, when you have an account all transactions require a password to be quoted and applied.

The Perth Mint has extensive terms and conditions and a strict privacy policy. In fact it is stated on site that "Under Section 74 of the Gold Corporation Act 1987 employees of the Mint face imprisonment of 1 year if they divulge any information concerning clients' transactions and 2 years imprisonment if they destroy or falsify the Mint's records."

Last Word on the Perth Mint
The Perth Mint is not a dealer per se but is an actual Mint. You can go there and be taken on a tour of the mint and see coins being manufactured. A fascinating activity.

The Perth Mint is geared more towards a consumer and to some degree, a collectors frame of mind than the serious bullion investor. Most of the products are not particularly suitable as investment vehicles due to the high premium the Perth Mint sets, except perhaps allocated bullion.

Never the less it can be a fun experience buying and collecting "theme" gold coins provided one is not worried about increasing the value of ones collections in the short term.

If you have bought any gold coins or gold bullion from the Perth Mint, please feel free to leave your feedback on the quality of service and products including any perthmint.com online complaints and special attention or service given by perthmint.com online.

Ampex

It is a good idea to read this write up to find out who Apmex are and what they are like before you deal with them.

In all transactions with gold or any other precious metal with any gold dealer, it is always a wise thing to do your own due diligence and find out as much about them as possible.

Who are Apmex
Apmex is an acronym for “American Precious Metal Exchange” and principally deal in gold coins, silver coins, gold and silver bullion and other peripheral products. According to BBB (Better Business bureau) ampex.com has been in business since 11/01/1999 but their website, under the name of apmex.com, was started around May/June 2004.

Their President and CEO is Chris Thomas and he is approachable online through the various emails on the site. He also posts regularly on the goldismoney forum giving updates of apmex.com and answering questions.

Apmex have an address in Edmond, Oklahoma, USA and can be visited personally as well as dealt with online.

Apmex Customer Service
Apmex are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week and can be contacted anytime.

Apmex claim they only buy the highest quality precious metals available. Each gold and silver coin and bar is inspected to ensure it meets with Apmex’s standards.

Processing and shipping of orders is swift, provided the payment is confirmed then the bullion is usually shipped within 1-3 days. It is fully insured by Apmex but that insurance ceases the moment it is left with you or your representative.

A good point is that all products are wrapped so as not to give any indication of the contents. The return address is simply given as APMEX and the actual address. All deliveries require a signature also.

One point is that Apmex only ship to the US. There is no International or overseas shipping.

As far as ordering online is concerned, Apmex state their site is compatible with the standard Microsoft products and browser and Netscape browser.

However it appears this information may be out of date and Vista is not included and Firefox, not Netscape is the second most used browser after MSIE.

Apmex Products
Apmex have an extensive rang of products including gold coins of many types including the standard and also many unusual overseas gold coins. They also do a brisk trade in silver coins and rounds as well as a diverse range of foreign coins of various precious and other metals. Some examples are:

2008 & Prior Gold American Eagles & Gold Buffalo Coins
2007 First Spouse $10.00 Gold Coins
Gold Bars .999+ Fine 1 Gram - Kilo - 32.15 oz
Pre-1933 US Gold
2008 & Prior Gold Canadian Maple Leafs, South Africa Krugerrands and Gold European Coins
1996 - 2007 Australian Gold Lunar Series 1
2008 Australian Gold Lunar Series 2
2008 & Prior Gold Australian Kangaroos
Perth Mint Items 2008 & Prior Gold
Chinese Panda's
2007 & Prior Austrian Philharmonics
2007 & Prior Gold Mexican Coins
Many Chinese Gold Items
Many other Unique Gold Products
Also Pre-1933 US Gold
Dollars
Half Dollars
Quarters
Dimes
Half Dimes
Nickels
2, 3 and 20 Cents
Cents
1/2 & Large Cents
Proof & Mint Sets
Commemoratives
Civil War Tokens
Tokens & Medals
Foreign Coins
Coin Supplies

The price for each product listed includes all charges except shipping which is extra depending on the shipping method, the quantity of products and where shipped to. Apmex only ships to the USA and not overseas.

The prices are pretty much average and can be easily compared to other major gold coin and gold bullion dealers.

Apmex Payment Options
The minimum order you can place with Apmex is 50 USD regardless of payment method.

Payment options include, credit card, bank wire, certified checks, cashier checks, money orders and personal checks. Most option clear with a few days but personal checks and money orders are held for 10 banking days before any order is shipped.

Credit Card Orders over 5,000 US dollars are only accepted by phone and Apmex will carry out additional checks that can add additional delays to an order and Apmex recommend that such orders are paid for by such options as bank wires, certified check etc.

Once an order is confirmed you will get a confirmation number and it is important that you retain this number and quote it in all communication regarding your order. When you order a price is “fixed” and there can be penalties for subsequent returns or cancellations. See below.

Apmex are very strict on payments and have a set policy on the receipt of funds which must be adhered to so it is a good idea to send payment immediately you place the order.

If a payment is not received within an appropriate time then Apmex are liable to cancel the account and refuse to trade with you in the future.

Paying by any option other than credit card can give you discounts off the shipping and handling charges also.

Apmex Market Loss and Returns Policy
Apmex have what they call a Market Loss Policy. Many dealers in volatile precious metals have similar policies.

In their words, "When purchasing from APMEX, once we have issued a confirmation number, the price is locked in for you and the transaction may not be canceled, but only offset at our current ask price. Any deficit between the price at which we sold to you and the offsetting purchase price and/or prices, is your responsibility only if your item(s) is canceled or returned. That amount will be charged to you, plus a $35.00 cancellation fee. That is our Market Loss Policy. Any market gain on cancellations shall remain the property of APMEX."

In other words, if you order a gold coin shall we say. Get a fixed price and then a day later cancel and the price has gone down then you are up for the difference as that is what it has cost Apmex plus a possible 35 dollar penalty.

Apmex also offer customers a refund return or exchange on all products sold including all bullion and certified coins. They limit this refund/return/exchange to three (3) days from the date on which the customer receives their items and notifies them and, provided they are kept in their original packaging, will accept the product back. However, in keeping with the market loss policy above the customer may be charges for any market loss if the value of the product drops since purchase..

Note that a 5% restocking fee is charged for all credit card orders returned.

If you have purchased a gold or silver coin or coins from Apmex and want to return them you will have to call during business hours and get Return Authorization Number.

This is when the market loss, if any, will be calculated.

Selling to Apmex
Apmex will buy gold and silver bullion. Pretty much the same products as they sell. The gold price and silver price they pay will be less of course as they want to make a profit on the resale.

They have selling prices on the apmex.com site so you can compare this will other buyers of gold and silver bullion.

The minimum transaction when you sell to Apmex is 1000 dollars. To sell to Apmex you simply call their trading desk, tell them what you have to sell and get a confirmation number. Keep a note of the number, the time and date of the call and who you spoke to. Ship the product to Apmex, putting your details in the package including your name address, contact number and email and, most important, the confirmation number, and then call them with the Registered Mail number or UPS/Fed-Ex tracking number so they can locate your package.

You will usually get payment sent within 3 to 5 days.

Be warned that if you do not send the product you intend to sell or even if you do NOT call with the Registered Mail number or UPS/Fed-Ex tracking number then Apmex may cancel the transaction and even ban you from buying and selling with Apmex.

It will pay to fully read and understand all the details and terms of agreement with Apmex before you set about doing a transaction with them to be sure that you fully understand the terms under which they operate.

Security at Apmex
Apmex.com have a very detailed privacy policy and extensive user agreement and disclaimer. As there can be penalties for misusing the Apmex service it would be wise to read these and ensure one fully understands them. Also reading the Frequently Asked Questions is a good move.

Their shopping cart is standardly secure for credit card facilities provided the purchase adopts the usual standard security measures.

Apmex, the Last Word
Apmex are members of the Better Business Bureau. They are also active members of The American Numismatic Association and ICTA, The Industry Council on Tangible Assets. Both organizations help to protect the rights and serve the members of the numismatic profession and investing public for coins and tangible assets. Apmex are also a member dealer of PCGS & NGC Grading services.

If you have bought any gold coins or gold bullion from apmex.com online, please feel free to leave your feedback on the quality of service and products including any apmex.com on line complaints and special attention or service given by apmex.com online.

Boston Bullion

Who are bostonbullion.com? Before you buy gold from bostonbullion.com it will pay to read this review and find out more about them and what their gold price is.

Who Are Boston Bullion
Boston Bullion are a gold and silver coin dealer resident at 22 Mill St Ste 108 Arlington, MA 02476 USA. They are open from 9:00am to 5:00pm ET all trading days.

Boston Bullion Customer Service
Boston Bullion state that orders paid with wire transfer are shipped within 2 days and would be expected to arrive within a week. Any orders paid for by check or money order will be held for 10 days before shipment. Once the check has cleared, the order is shipped directly.

All their products are sold as bullion so they do not expect returns. They state, "All of our products are sold as bullion so there should be no reason for returns. If for some reason you are unhappy with your order please call us within three days of receipt and we will do everything we can to make it right. Otherwise all sales are final." So there is no 30 day returns policy.

Boston Bullion Product Range
Bostonbullion.com has an extensive range of products including silver and platinum as well as gold. The prices are quite comparable to other gold dealers in the market place.

Some of their products include:

Silver Bar 100 oz
Silver Eagle 1 oz
Silver Coins (90%) Bag
Silver Round 1 oz
Palladium
1 oz Palladium Bar
1 oz Gold Coins
Buffalo Gold 1 oz
Eagle Gold 1 oz
Maple Gold 1 oz
Krugerrand Gold 1 oz
Philharmonic Gold 1 oz
Kangaroo Gold 1 oz
Panda Gold 1 oz
Sovereign Gold .2354 oz
French Franc Gold .1867 oz
Swiss Franc Gold .1867 oz
50 Peso Gold 1.2 oz
Eagle Gold 1/2 oz
Eagle Gold 1/4 oz
Eagle Gold 1/10 oz
Pamp Suisse Gold Bars
1 oz Gold Bar
10 oz Gold Bar
100 gram Gold Bar

Special mention should also be made of the Australian Perth Mint Lunar Gold Coin Series. Bostonbullion.com feature a full range of the Australian Lunar gold coins The gold prices will vary of course, depending on the spot price of gold on the day.

Few US dealers sell these, so for collectors of the series this is an excellent source of the Lunar Gold Coin Series.

They sell the series in full.

1996 Mouse Gold 1 oz
1997 Ox Gold 1 oz
1998 Tiger Gold 1 oz
1999 Rabbit Gold 1 oz
2000 Dragon Gold 1 oz
2001 Snake Gold 1 oz
2002 Horse Gold 1 oz
2003 Goat Gold 1 oz
2004 Monkey Gold 1 oz
2005 Rooster Gold 1 oz
2006 Dog Gold 1 oz
2007 Pig Gold 1 oz
2008 Mouse Gold 1 oz

Boston Bullion Payment Options
Due to the changing value of precious metals on a day by day basis the gold prices shown are an indication only and not the final gold price when ordering.

A Brokerage fee of 0.5% to 3.0% is added to orders depending on quantity but shipping for US orders of 5 ounces gold or more is free.

Boston Bullion will accept credit card orders for orders up to $5,000. but will then charge an additional fee of 3% when using this payment method.

Ordering is a simple matter of phoning and place an order with the consultant and getting the details to pay by bank wire.

It is recommended when you get the bank wire instruction that it is sent in writing, either by post or email rather than accept over the phone so you have a written record.

The price paid for the gold is that price set when the order is placed by phone. The price is then "fixed" and will not change regardless of any subsequent market fluctuations. It is a prudent idea to write down all the details when you make the call including the time and date of the call and the price fixed.

All payments must be postmarked within 24 hours of order confirmation. All orders are shipped registered priority mail, fully insured with a signature required from the recipient.

There are, incidentally, NO sales taxes on out of state orders or Massachusetts bullion purchases larger than $1,000.

It is well worth noting that if payment is not received in a timely fashion (postmarked in 24 hours, received in 5 days), Boston bullion state that the order will be offset with an identical buy. They will "re-buy your items from you at our then current buy price". This means that if the price of the gold or bullion has dropped during the intervening period the person ordering is billed the difference or "will be required to pay any discrepancy from market losses" but "You will not be entitled to any proceeds from market gains." This prevents people abusing the system by buying low and selling high to Boston bullion without actually spending any funds.

Last Word on Boston Bullion
Boston Bullion will also buy gold. Usually at around 3 percent below the spot price at the time of purchase. Coins must be in original mint packaging with no tampering.

Boston Bullion do not offer any storage or finance arrangements.

If you have bought any gold coins or gold bullion from Boston Bullion, please feel free to leave your feedback on the quality of service and products including any Boston Bullion on line complaints and special attention or service given by Boston Bullion.

Goldinfo.net and Austin Rare Coins

When you want to buy gold coins from goldinfo.net, it pays to find out who you are really buying from.

Who are goldinfo or Austin Rare Coins
goldinfo, or Austin Gold Coins as they are also know, started in 1998 as a small company, Capitol Mint Corp., selling gold coins and using the yahoo shop as a shopping cart which they still do.

Since then Austin Rare Coins, Inc., now a privately held corporation formed in 1989 under the laws of the state of Texas, has expanded considerably building up a number of websites, as listed below, to promote and sell their products and

These sites do not overall indicate that they are the same company, so prospective and possibly existing clients are left with the impression that they are going to different companies and sites. Here are is a list of the sites actually owned by goldinfo.net. On their goldinfo.net site these are called, "associated companies".

goldinfo.net
acoins.com
accentrarecoins.com
austincoins.com
www.austincoins.com
gold-bullion.info
gold-prices.com
goldprices.com
american-eagles.com
rarecoins.com
rarecoins.org
goldcoins.org
shipwrecks.ws
silverinfo.net
silver-dollar.us
us-mint.info

According to their sites, Austin Rare Coins is also a member of the:

Professional Coin Grading Service
Numismatic Guaranty Corp,
American Numismatic Association
Texas Numismatic Association,
and support the Industry Council for Tangible Assets.

Service Quality goldinfo.net & Austin Coins
Shipping is by US Postal Service. All orders over $150 are shipped via Registered or Insured Mail and must be signed for by customer. All other orders are shipped regular mail. One is asked to allow five to seven business days for delivery.

Consultants are available by phone also. Orders over $2500 need to be handled by phone.

Product Range of goldinfo.net & Austin coins
The product range of this group of associated companies includes:

$20.00 Liberty
$10.00 Liberty
$5.00 Liberty
$3.00 Princess
$2.50 Liberty
$1.00 Gold Coin
$20.00 St. Gaudens
$10.00 Indian
$5.00 Indian
$2.50 Indian
Morgan Silver Dollars
Peace Silver Dollars
Half Dollars
Quarters - Half Dimes
Nickels - Half Pennies
Shipwrecks (or ship wreck discovered coins)
Commemoratives
Bullion Gold which includes gold bars.
Gold Bars - Credit Suisse - Swiss Pamp Gold Bars

Austin Rare Coins and Bullion offer the standard Credit Suisse Gold Bars and the Swiss PAMP Gold Bars. One can purchase up to $2,500 online by credit card for immediate shipping and delivery.

Buy Gold from goldinfo.net & Austin Rare Coins
The price of these gold coins and gold bars varies with the current or spot gold price each day. The website(s) state that,

"All orders for gold coins and gold bullion are subject to acceptance by the company. In a hot gold coin or platinum market, gold prices and platinum prices change rapidly and we reserve the right to refuse orders over the internet due to volatile gold or platinum prices. You may call for cash/quantity discounts and to confirm larger orders over $2,500. Call 1-800-668-8771 seven days a week 9am-9pm central."

The gold prices are comparable to other dealers, some coins cost slightly more, some slightly less. As with any shopping, it pays to browse and shop around to get the best price for the gold coins you want.

Payment Options to Buy Gold
goldinfo.net & Austin Rare Coins accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover card on orders up to $2,500, processed through the Yahoo shopping cart system. You can also call for cash and quantity discounts on larger orders paid by personal check or bank wire.

Their payment system is hosted by Yahoo! Store. Yahoo hosts the store pages, ordering system, and order data. It automatically collects order information but may only use this information in the aggregate. If a buyer accessed this store through Yahoo! Shopping, Yahoo! Would also automatically collect information about the buyers shopping experience.


Sell Gold to goldinfo.net & Austin Rare Coins
One can sell gold coins to Austin Rare Coins who may make a bid on them. The price they offer will depend on market forces, such as the gold price, the market for such coins offered and if they consider they can resell them.

The state, "We cannot guarantee to make a bid on every coin or that our bid will equal or exceed that from other coin dealers." So it might pay to get a price from more than one rare coin dealer of you have occasion to sell any collectible gold coins.

goldinfo.net & Austin Rare Coins Returns Policy
goldinfo.net & Austin Rare Coins offer a Triple Money Back Guarantee. A buyer has 14 days to examine the rare coins. If for any reason they are not 100% happy, they can return them for a full refund including, shipping charges paid, and costs to return your order to goldinfo.net & Austin Coins. goldinfo.net & Austin Coins state that due to the highly volatile nature of the market, all bullion sales are final once accepted by the company.

However this does not apply to coins goldinfo.net & Austin Coins categorize as "Bullion". They are not subject to return or exchange. It states in their terms and conditions that the sales of all such Bullion coins shall be final.

goldinfo.net & Austin Rare Coins Security
SECURITY - All orders are processed on a Secure Server for your safety and security. All personal information including your name, address, and phone number will be kept strictly confidential.

All online transactions at Yahoo! Stores are handled with industry-standard SSL encryption.

When you enter your credit card number into the order form, it is transmitted across the Internet in an encrypted (scrambled) form, then decoded when it gets to us.

For added security, they also encrypt the credit card number when it is stored on disk, and when it is forwarded to the merchant.

More information About goldinfo.net and Austin Gold Coins
goldinfo.net & Austin Rare Coins have lots of useful information about gold, the market place and produce a regular "Austin Report", with information about gold on a regular basis.

The official address of goldinfo.net & Austin Coins is:

Gold Information Network
A Division of Austin Rare Coins, Inc.
7200 North Mopac - Austin TX 78731

Apart from the curiosity of having so many "associated" companies, goldinfo.net & Austin Coins appear to be a standard dealer in collectible gold coins and gold bars, comparable to most dealers in gold.

If you have bought any gold coins or gold bullion from goldinfo.net & Austin Rare Coins or any other websites from this company online, please feel free to leave your feedback on the quality of service and products including any goldinfo.net & Austin Rare Coins on line complaints and special attention or service given by goldinfo.net & Austin Rare Coins online.

GoldMoney

Before you use GoldMoney it is a good idea to read this review and find out just who and what GoldMoney is.

Who are GoldMoney
GoldMoney.com, based in St Helier, Jersey Channel Islands (UK), was started up by Mr James Turk. James Turk was in international banking, finance and investments for many years after graduating in1969 from George Washington University with a B.A. degree in International Economics. Mr. Turk Founded GoldMoney, in September 1997 and it has grown and become one of the mainstays of the gold industry over the years with Mr. Turk being an acknowledged expert on gold and finance markets.

Since 1987 Mr. Turk has writing and issuing the Freemarket Gold & Money Report, an investment newsletter that publishes twenty issues annually. His innumerable articles have appeared in many financial publications. He frequently speaks at investment conferences on gold, money, and the international banking system, and often appears as a featured guest on radio and television. His latest book, "The Coming Collapse of the Dollar" was published in December 2004.

Opening an Account with GoldMoney
To use GoldMoney you need to have an account with them. GoldMoney acts as a custodian for account holders who buy, own and sell or trade with gold and silver bullion. One of the many advantages here is that there is no minimum or maximum of precious metal one can buy or trade or with another account holder. One can also buy and sell gold or silver with GoldMoney also.

Anyone can open an account and use it to accumulate and move gold around to a limited extent. However, GoldMoney has a Customer Acceptance Policy set up to ensure GoldMoney complies with anti-money laundering legislation. This requires that GoldMoney knows the identity and residential address of each of its customers. By providing the requisite information a new customer can obtain a CAP-Verified status for their Holding. This then gives them full access to the range of capabilities in GoldMoney.

Opening an account at GoldMoney is free, there is no minimum balance required and you can always sell your gold and silver back to GoldMoney anytime at the Current Spot Rate with no exchange fee required. You can also swap or exchange between precious metals with no additional fees.

You can open an account here 24 hours a day seven days a week.
GoldMoney.com

How Does GoldMoney Work
Once you have an account open, you always have 24/7 online access to your account at GoldMoney. Some of the capabilities you have with a GoldMoney account include:

buy gold online, anytime, day or night.
Easily transfer funds from and to any of your bank and brokerage accounts.
Earn interest on your funds (USD, GBP, EUR, CAD) in GoldMoney’s Customer Segregated
Funds Accounts while you wait to buy.
Adjust your gold and silver holdings by directly exchanging one metal for the other.

In addition, GoldMoney today announced that there is now a new and tax efficient way for US customers to hold their gold and silver. GoldMoney have set up a facility for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) for US customer. Further information is available on site.

GoldMoney has a patented payment system set up to add value to an account holders precious metal.

Whereas an investment portfolio may already include significant holdings in precious metal ETFs, mining stocks, or even precious metals stored personally in a vault, if an emergency situation were to occur where it was important to quickly convert "paper gold" into currency, making payments with bullion not in your physical possession or to easily convert a bullion bar could become a problem.

However, to off set this problem, GoldMoney has established a patented currency, goldgrams® (1 goldgram = 1 gram of gold), in order to give account holders the ability to make gold payments to each other electronically.

This is a unique advantage to GoldMoney over other forms of gold storage and transfer.

So although account holders with GoldMoney can send and receive funds to their GoldMoney account via traditional financial institutions, such as banks and brokerage companies, this utility by GoldMoney is not entirely dependent upon the network of such institutions.

GoldMoney Security
GoldMoney point out that, “You, not GoldMoney, are the absolute owner of your gold and silver. GoldMoney stores it securely on your behalf.”

When you buy gold from goldmoney.com, you are buying actually gold. It is not a “paper product”, so is not dependent upon a ETF, Certificate or pool operators ability to obtain or redeem gold when you want to sell. There is no fractional system here. This is very important, particularly if there was a “rush” and the program operator did not have sufficient bullion for all their customers to redeem it.

According to GoldMoney, "Nearly all of these types of "paper metal" programs work on a fractional reserve basis, so if the majority of the program's customer wanted to redeem their metal for cash, the program operator would not be able to meet all of its obligations. In other words, "paper metal" products represent merely a promise to pay metal; they are not products that give you direct ownership of metal, and therefore expose you to counterparty risk since you are dependent upon the program issuer's ability to meet all of its obligations."

"Contrary to the fractional reserve nature of "paper metal" programs, the quantity of customer metals recorded in GoldMoney's database is always equal to the quantity of metals in the vaults. GoldMoney guarantees it."

The gold, and silver bullion is all stored in two depositories. The VIA MAT vaults in London, England and Zurich, Switzerland. VIA MAT International is part of Mat Securitas Express AG, of Switzerland, one of Europe's largest and oldest armored transport and storage companies. A policy, underwritten by Lloyd's of London insures all precious metal from theft from the vaults.

GoldMoney's operational procedures include a regular audit by a Big Four accounting firm. This includes the precious metal bar inventory at the vaults and metal circulating electronically in their system. These SAS 70 Type II reports are also made available to GoldMoney account holders when requested. quarterly audits are also provided for precious metal held by account holders.

In addition GoldMoney has a clear governance policy and audit trail with such parties as VIA MAT International and Euro-Dutch Trust Company, independent third parties.

The administration of all metals is provided by an independent party (Euro-Dutch Trust Company) to safeguards the account holders metal by ensuring that any gold and silver is only removed from the vaults under the direction of its owner, i.e., GoldMoney's account holders or customers.

GoldMoney evidently set this up this way to provide assurances to account holders that their precious metal was safe.

How Much Does GoldMoney Cost
Compared to buying gold from dealers in the form of gold coins and bars, GoldMoney is relatively inexpensive. There is a small premium for buying gold from GoldMoney. This covers the purchase and fabrication costs. It is generally less than 2% of the spot price of gold.

The other cost is the account fee which includes storage and insurance for owning the gold.

If your gold is stored at the London vault the fee is a flat 1/10 of a gram of gold per month, This amount depends on the spot price of gold of course but is regardless of the amount of gold you own. In others words, you could own US$1,000 worth of gold or US$100,000 worth of gold and your storage fees would still be only 1.2 grams of gold per year.

For storing gold at the Zurich vault, the storage fee for gold is just 0.24% per year, and for silver only 0.99% per year. Again, this is regardless of the amount of precious metal stored.

These fees are less than the storage and insurance fees from most dealers and pooled accounts.

Who Owns the Gold Held by GoldMoney
The GoldMoney account holder or customer is the legal owner of the gold or silver, the value of which is reflected in the account ledger. GoldMoney is a custodian and stores the gold on the customers behalf. The gold or silver is, at all times, in the account holders name.

The gold and silver bars used all meet the standards established by the London Bullion Market Association and the Chain of Integrity requirement is designed to ensure that all forms of physical bullion in the vaults must, in all respects, meet the London Good Delivery standard established by the London Bullion Market Association.

The London Bullion Market Association "…is the trade association that acts as the coordinator for activities conducted on behalf of its members and other participants in the London bullion market...A primary function of the Association is its involvement in the promotion of refining standards by maintenance of the London Good Delivery List." (Source: LBMA website)

More Information About GoldMoney
GoldMoney has gone to great lengths to offer transparency about their operations and the safety and security of the bullion stored on behalf of their customers.

Opening an account is free and can be done by going to GoldMoney.com.

GoldMoney is a good way of accumulating gold relatively inexpensively and in safety,
Security and will a minimum of fuss.

If you have an account at goldmoney.com and have bought, sold or traded gold with another account holder online, please feel free to leave your feedback on the quality of service and products including any goldmoney.com on line complaints and special attention or service given by GoldMoney.

Blanchard Gold

Before you venture forth and buy gold from Blanchard, read this review and find out who you are buying from and how good their customer service is.

Blanchard online is one of the larger gold dealers in the US and has a comprehensive website, blanchardonline.com. However, Blanchard gold coins are almost all the rare early American gold coins in the higher price bracket.

Who are Blanchard
Founded in 1975 Blanchard has grown over 25 or so years to become a large corporation with 85 employees and over40 account executives sitting on the phone waiting to take your order for gold coins and silver coins. With a multi million dollar turnover and a very impressive corporate headquarters in downtown New Orleans, Blanchard claim to have helped over 350,000 people buy gold and silver during its life.

The current CEO and Chairman is Donald W. Doyle, Jr., with Michael E. McGoey being the President and COO

Blanchard Customer Service
Blanchard heavily lean towards customer service with over 40 account executives waiting to take calls.

All shipping is through United States Post Office Registered and Insured. Blanchard asks that one allows up to 6 weeks for delivery. Non-coin products ship separately in 5-7 working days by USPS.

Blanchard encourages people to call by phone and talk to an account representative all of which are available by phone.

How to Buy Blanchard Gold
You can call Blanchard and advise what you are looking for, They will advise if they have it and what the current market price is. If you want to buy that particular gold coin or silver coin you advise the Blanchard account executive and a price is locked in.

Credit cards are accepted. Other methods if contacted by phone. For either online or phone purchases, you can choose a “Bill me” option. This allows you the flexibility of paying by personal check, cashier’s check, money order or bank wire transfer.

If you want to pay by bank wire transfer the account executive will advise you of the information you need.

You can also order online but an account executive will still call and confirm your order before shipment. Once Blanchard have confirmed your order and funds they will ship your gold or silver by registered insured mail requiring a delivery signature upon receipt.

What Kind of Gold Can I Buy at Blanchard's?
Blanchard and Company, Inc., are mainly a dealer that deals in numismatic and collectors gold and silver coins, primarily selling Pre-1933 U.S. rare gold coins and gold bullion. This is the upper end of the market in gold coins.

Blanchard list their products even when they have been sold. So you have to look through each one individually to find something not sold. If you know what you are looking for and have a gold coin already in mind you can use the search facility to find out if they have it.

Most of their products are American gold and silver coins, early rare through to the little bit more up to date issues. There is a little information about each type of coin with some history, mint issues and strikes etc. But, as I say, you have to click on a coin and then it will show if it is available or sold. So you can end up clicking on a number of coins you want to find one available.

Blanchard and Company, Inc. also offer a comprehensive range of the standard gold and silver bullion bars, accepted in all major markets around the world. There is a choice from the 400 ounce bars through to various kilo bars, 1 oz bars, 100 gram bars and various sizes in between. However there are not many details on Blanchard's site so you have to call one of their account executives to find out more information.

Interestingly Blanchard's also has some early gold coins – $10 Liberty Eagle and Type I $20 Liberty Double Eagles, obtained from the S.S. Republic Shipwreck. The wreck of the S.S. Republic was discovered 1,700 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean approximately 100 miles off the Georgia coast. 140 years later, the Republic's cargo of rare coins was recovered. The S.S. Republic Shipwreck Coins have also been featured on the National Geographic Special on PBS. The first allocation Blanchard’s had of U.S. Gold coins recovered from the S.S. Republic included 135 gold coins, valued at more than $1,000,000.

Blanchard Returns Policy
Blanchard and Company, Inc. also offers a 10-day customer satisfaction policy after receipt of numismatic coins. Quote, "If you are displeased with your purchase for any reason whatsoever, you may return your coins to Blanchard and Company, Inc. within 10 days of receipt, in the same condition in which you received them, for a full refund, including shipping costs."

There are some conditions depending on the types of Blanchard coins, an example of which states, "If your order consists of the coins set forth below (hereinafter referred to as "Exchangeable Common Date Coins"), the 10-day customer satisfaction policy permits you to exchange your coins for other coins of the same denomination and grade but does not allow you to return the coins for a refund. Exchangeable Common Date Coins are $1.00, $2.50, $3.00, $5.00, $10.00 and $20.00 gold coins certified as Mint State 66 or lower by PCGS or NGC, as well as uncertified circulated coins. Bullion coins, those that trade at a premium of less than 15% over the value of their underlying precious metals content, are not subject to return or exchange. Sales of all such coins shall be final."

How to Sell Blanchard Gold
Blanchard and Company, Inc. is a major buyer of rare coins. If you wish to sell your coins in the future, Blanchard and Company, Inc. encourages you to offer them to Blanchard and Company, Inc. first, although Blanchard and Company, Inc. cannot guarantee to make a bid on every coin or that Blanchard and Company, Inc.'s bid will equal or exceed those from other coin dealers.

The Blanchard and Company, Inc. state they make a promise they will buy back the gold and silver coins they sell you!

They will, "buy any actively traded gold bullion product in any quantity required – and you don’t need to have an active account with us in order to sell to us."

To do this you simply ring them for a bid indication. The quotes for gold and silver bullion are offers to buy and have no hidden commissions, charges or fees of any type. A Blanchard and Company, Inc. Account Executive will give you the information you need to sell them the gold coins including how to do so. A price is fixed at the time of the call.

Blanchard Security
Blanchard and Company, Inc., utilize Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology, for transferring sensitive information over the Internet. All information is encrypted including credit card number, name and address, so that it cannot be read as the information travels over the Internet.

When you go to the shopping cart, look for the https instead of the http as the start of the link in the url field. Blanchard online accepts all the major credit cards.

Blanchard also have a Standard Privacy Policy, terms and conditions as well as a returns policy which we have covered above.

Comments on Blanchard
On the whole Blanchard have built their business over the years on trust and reliability. They primarily deal in the rare and perhaps could even be considered antique, early American gold and silver coins. Blanchard operate in the higher value collectors market with many rare coins selling for considerably more than the value of gold in the gold coin. They sell many of the higher priced gold coins, running into the many thousands, which other dealers do not deal in.

If you have bought gold or any other precious metal from Blanchard online please feel free to leave your feedback on the quality of service and products including any Blanchard on line complaints and special attention or service given by Blanchard on line.