Bullion and Ingot

Gold and silver ingot or bullion

• TV Gold and coin purchasing is for the rich.
  
  Average people cannot make money doing this.
  Some of these deals are a type of monthly membership.
  Many of these sorts of items are often misrepresented in value.
  

• Get to know your local coin shop!
  
  Ask Questions, and visit more than one shop.
  Try to talk to multiple people, and talk about buying and selling all precious metals including coin, ingot, and bullion.
  If you’re not comfortable. Recognize that and leave.
  

• Try not to spend money on “Fluff”.
  
  Gold plated silver coins, and other plated items (things that have very little precious metal content)
  Things that have overly fancy packaging.
  Enameled or painted coins
  

• Margins should be small!
  
  “Big city” margins on bulk precious metals should be around 3-5% on average.
  Smaller deals will have somewhat higher margins of 5-20% on average. (Single coins and small batches)
  

• Pay attention to market swings!
  
  Prices of metals are constantly moving, very much like the stock market.
  Precious metals can be used as protection against government controlled rates and markets.
  Gold and silver are universal currencies and can be traded in most every country.
  Markets can often be easier on silver buyers and harder on gold buyers due to the price per ounce.

• When you invest in physical gold you own it outright. You are not reliant on banks or other financial institutions.
  

• Gold has a history of holding its value. It is an ideal way of preserving wealth from one generation to another.
  

• Checkout out kitco.com to keep an eye on the spot price of gold and silver!

Bullion is non-ferrous metal that has been refined to a high standard of elemental purity. The term is ordinarily applied to bulk metal used in the production of coins and especially to precious metals such as gold and silver. It comes from the Anglo-Norman term for a melting-house where metal was refined, and earlier from French bouillon, "boiling". Although precious metal bullion is no longer used to make coins for general circulation, it continues to be held as an investment with a reputation for stability in periods of economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

The standard gold bar held as gold reserves by central banks and traded among bullion dealers is the 400-troy-ounce (438.9-ounce; 27.4-pound; 12.4-kilogram) Good Delivery gold bar. The kilobar, which is 1,000 grams (32.15 troy ounces) in mass, and a 100 troy ounce gold bar are the bars that are more manageable and are used extensively for trading and investment.

**The premium on these bars when traded is very low over the spot value of the gold, making it ideal for small transfers between banks and traders.**

To prevent bars from being counterfeit or stolen, manufacturers have developed ways to verify genuine bars, with the most common way being to brand bars with registered serial numbers or providing a certificate of authenticity. In a recent trend, many refineries would stamp serial numbers even on the smallest bars, and the number on the bar should match the number on its accompanying certificate. Recent serial numbers often use QR codes that can be verified directly on the website of the minting company.

In contrast to cast bars (which are often handled directly), minted bars are generally sealed in protective packaging or tamper-evident technology to prevent tampering and keep them from becoming damaged. A hologram security feature known as a Kinegram can also be embossed directly on a gold bar. Bars that contain these are called Kinebars.

• The world's largest gold bar weighs in at 250 kg (8,038 ozt), with physical dimensions equal to size of the average house-cat. Manufactured by the Mitsubishi Materials Corp, on the 11th July 2005. Its gold content was valued in 2005 at 400 million yen or US$3.6M at the time. As of January 2023, it is worth approximately US$15.1 million.

• Gold and silver are measured in troy ounces. One troy ounce is equivalent to 31.1034768 grams. The troy ounce is heavier than the avoirdupois ounce, the United States system used with food and other goods. One avoirdupois ounce equals 28.349523125 grams.

• Diversification of assets outside of issued currencies. Precious metals can be exchanged for the native currency in every country of the world.

• The premium on gold and ingot and bullion should be a low percentage over the spot value of the gold, making it ideal for small transfers between banks and traders. This is something seasoned and competent traders know.

• Spot prices can be found at kitco.com, prices of which are derived from the London Bullion Market Association

• The first gold coins were produced in Lydia between 700 - 650 BC. They were made from electrum, which is a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver.

• Almost all of the gold discovered today did not originate on Earth. Instead, it came from meteorites that hit our planet 200 million years after it was formed.

• Australian scientists discovered that Eucalyptus leaves contain gold.

• Traces of gold can be found in human body in several different places. These include heart, brain, blood, and our joints.

• A one-ounce nugget of gold is more difficult to find than a five-carat diamond.

• Even at only 10 parts of gold per quadrillion, the world’s oceans are estimated to hold up to 15,000 tonnes of gold.

• One gram of gold can be flattened down to a square meter sheet, which is so thin that light passes through, and because of this it has been used as a protective film on visors in space suits.

• Odorless and tasteless, gold is not toxic - and flakes may be eaten in foods or drinks.

• Gold is far rarer than diamonds but is only the 58th rarest earth element.