Congress Approves .9999 Fine Gold Coins

By Bill Haynes

New .9999 fine (24 karat) 1-oz legal tender $50 gold coins will be added to the U.S. Mint's line of gold bullion coins in 2006 when President Bush signs into law a bill that Congress passed in December. The legislation calls for the Mint to have the coins ready to distribute by June 2006, but the coins may be ready before then.

The legislation authorizing the new .9999 fine gold coins was quite specific, mandating the design and even the method of packaging. For the first year of issuance, the coins 'shall bear the original designs by James Earle Fraser, 'which appear on the 5-cent coin commonly referred to as the 'Buffalo nickel' or the '1913 Type 1'.' This wording, without specifically saying it, calls for the obverse (front) of the coins to carry the famed Indian Head design by Fraser. The reverse will carry the equally-famed buffalo design.

Each Indian Head-Buffalo coin is to be encased in a protective capsule, possibly such as the capsules used by Australia's Perth Mint to protect its .9999 fine gold bullion coins, including the popular limited edition Lunar Series Gold Bullion Coins. The protective cases 'shall be readily distinguishable' from the packaging for proof coins, which are also authorized by the bill.

For years, proof coins have been individually encapsulated in protective cases. Individually encapsulating bullion coins will be new to the U.S. Mint. The Mint's 22-karat (.9167 fine) American Gold Eagles, which are the world's best-selling gold bullion coins, are packaged twenty to a tube and are not individually encapsulated.

Production of the Indian Head-Buffalo coins will be unlimited, and they will be marketed toward gold investors who prefer .9999 fine (24-karat) gold coins. The U.S. Mint already has the world's best-selling gold bullion coins with its 22-karat (.9176 fine) Gold Eagles. Still, there is a huge market for pure gold coins, and the new Indian Head-Buffalo coins will give the U.S. Mint a product for that market. The Asian and Indian markets clearly prefer pure gold coins, while alloyed gold coins are more popular in the Western World.

Presently, the Royal Canadian Mint's .9999 fine Gold Maple Leafs are the world's best selling pure gold coins. However, the Gold Maple Leafs have fallen into disfavor with investors because of the ease with which they are damaged. To counter this, the Royal Canadian Mint recently introduced new packaging for the 1-oz Gold Maple Leafs.

The new packaging for the 1-oz Gold Maple Leafs will put the coins individually in capsules that are suspended in credit card sizes cards, twenty-five coins to a box. It is too early to gauge market acceptance of the new packaging for the Gold Maple Leafs.

Considering the popularity of the of Indian Head-Buffalo design, the U.S. Mint's new .9999 fine gold coins could provide stiff competition for the Gold Maple Leafs. Fraser's designs proved to be a winner in 2001 when the U.S. Mint produced a limited number of Indian Head-Buffalo $1 silver coins sets. The sets sold out immediately and today carry prices several times their initial offering prices.

The new Indian Head-Buffalo .9999 fine gold coins, however, will not be limited edition, at least not the first year. The bill permits the Mint to 'change the maximum number of coins issued' in subsequent years. Further, the bill authorizes the Mint to change the designs on either the obverse or the reverse after the first year's production.

Although the U.S. Mint produces its popular American Gold Eagles in four sizes, 1-oz, �-oz, �-oz, and 1/10-oz, the new Indian Head-Buffalo pure gold coins will be minted in only one size: 1-ounce. With the popular Indian Head and Buffalo designs, the Mint's new .9999 fine gold coins could quickly become favorites with gold coin investors.

About The Author

Bill Haynes heads CMI Gold & Silver Inc, one of America's oldest precious metals dealers. See CMIGS� website for more information about investing in gold and silver.

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Tom Denly identified 7 main areas of interest of paper money collecting in a recent issue of Bank Note Reporter. I've [Bruce] split area 5 into 5a and 5b, because I consider them to be somewhat separate, and 7 into 7a and 7b because the world consists of more than just the USA. Alan Herbert added category 8. Steven Edelson added 9.
1) large-size US type notes
2) US national bank notes (issued by local banks chartered by the US)
3) US fractional currency (notes from the 1800s of less than 1 dollar)
4) pre-US colonial currency
5a) US obsolete notes (from private banks of the 1880s)
5b) Confederate States of America notes
6) small-size US type notes (the size we're familiar with now)
7a) recent and general world paper money
7b) older and rare world paper money
8) error notes, including printing, paper and cutting errors
9) Souvenir Cards
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Tell everyone you know that you are a paper money collector, many people will give you specimens they have collected on trips to foreign countries. Some people may have friends or relatives from other countries coming to visit who will bring you representative banknotes from their country in exchange for US dollars when they arrive. You'll never get anything if you don't ask, it's always worth asking.
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South Africa minted its first gold coin called the Krugerrand in 1967. This coin has no face value but merely stands as a symbol. It is made of 1 ounce of gold and can be purchased for investment purposes. Since then other countries also minted bullion coins. Canada made the Gold Maple Leaf in 1979 and Australia made the Nugget in 1981. These two are much more popular than the South African coin because of its 24 carat purity.
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As collectors' items, banknotes have distinct advantages over stamps and coins: They have a much larger surface area, creating more room for interesting information and attractive artwork. Compared to a coin, a banknote is extremely lightweight and thin, making a large collection much easier to store and transport. Over the postage stamp, the banknote has the advantage of having two sides, and again, a much larger surface area.
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Whether you are buying or selling coins, you can increase your advantage when dealing with coin dealers by understanding how things work behind the scenes. One of the biggest problems I see, as an observer of the coin collecting marketplace, is the wide gulf between what the average consumer expects from a coin dealer, and what the average coin dealer believes he should provide to the consumer. The majority of these differences boil down to trust. The average consumer thinks he can trust the coin dealer to give him an honest appraisal and pay a fair price for the coins he is selling. The average dealer feels it is right to pay the lowest price he can for the coins, to maximize his profit, and that it is up to the consumer to do his homework.
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