Because of the sound nature of silver as an investment, there are many people, both long time investors in precious metals as well as those just now exploring the possibilities represented by investing in silver who are taking a great deal of interest in the 2011 1 Ounce Silver Eagle bullion coin. This is a coin with a lot to recommend it, both in terms of its artistic value and its value as an investment quality piece of this precious metal.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the coin, the 2011 1 ounce American Eagle silver coin is a collector’s version of the official American Eagle silver bullion coin produced by the US Mint. While this is not the official coin, collectors and investors who are concerned about the quality of this collector coin will be pleased to hear that it is actually produced by the US Mint at West Point; this fact is attested to by the “W” mint mark on each American Eagle coin (though proof American Eagles also minted at the West Point Mint bear no mint mark), as well as the certificate of authenticity which is included with every one of these coins.

Each American Eagle 1 ounce Silver Bullion coin measures 40.6 millimeters in diameter and weighs 31.101 grams; the coins contain one troy ounce of .999 fine silver and have a face value of one dollar. The high quality and artistic appeal of these coins have made them highly sought after by collectors and investors alike. Although they’ve only been available since mid July, they’re rapidly becoming one of the hottest items of the year among coin collectors.

1. What is the coin?

Buffalo Gold Coins are also known as Gold Buffaloes. They’re 24-karat gold bullion coins that the United States began selling in 2006. The design of the coin is quite similar to the Indian Head nickel, which the United States produced from 1913-1938.

2. Why was the coin created?

The goal was to compete with foreign 24-karat gold bullion coins. Many investors were choosing foreign 99.99% pure gold coins, instead of the American Gold Eagle Coins (which were about 92% pure gold).

3. Who designed the coin?

The coin is actually a version of the Indian Head nickel that James Earle Fraser designed. Throughout his sculpting career, he received several public commissions. Fraser was born in Minnesota, but grew up in South Dakota. While living on the American Plains, he observed the hardships of the Native Americans living there. Fraser began sculpting at an early age, when he learned that he could shape clay from a local quarry, into various figures. While Fraser created many famous sculptures during his life, his most popular one was “The End of the Trail.” A San Francisco art exhibition featured it.

4. Why is the coin named after the buffalo?

Buffalo Gold Coins are named for the American Bison that’s featured on the tail of the coin. Technically, the American Bison is a distant relative of true Buffalos, which include the Asian Buffalo and African Buffalo. In fact, the American Bison is closer relative of the European Bison. Still, French fur trappers called the Bison that they trapped “boefus,” which refers to an ox. So linguistically speaking, the meaning of the terms “Bison” and “Buffalo” is similar.

5. Who is featured on the coin’s head?

On the head of the coin, one can see the picture of a Native American. According to Fraser, the original sculpture was a blend of three different American Indian chiefs from three different tribes. The names of the chiefs were Big Tree, Iron Tail, and Two Moons.

6. How much is the coin worth?

The “face value” of the coin is $50 USD. However, the initial price of the coin has increased substantially since the U.S. first produced it in 2006. While the initial price of the 2006 Buffalo Gold Coin was $800, the cost of the 2010 coin was over $1400. This is due to the value of gold when the coin is available on the market.

7. Are there replica coins?

Yes, and it’s important to note that such coins are not legal tender. That’s because the U.S. Government mint does not issue the coins. The copycat coins only contain a gold coat, and are sold for approximately $20. Thee replica coins also lack certain marks found on the genuine coins. That includes the words “$50″ and “FINE GOLD.”

U.S. Buffalo Gold Coins are certainly a worthwhile investment for serious coin collectors. The coin’s top-notch materials and craftsmanship provides you with a golden opportunity.

1. Know how to spot fake coins

When shopping for American Eagle Silver Coins, make sure to buy the real deal. The key is to know when a coin is fake or not. The coin’s surface is one of the main features to examine. This includes the metal used to produce the coin, and the various details on it. Many purchasers of collectible coins have a sixth sense that a particular coin doesn’t look genuine. But without knowing exactly what to look for, it’s impossible to know whether a coin is indeed a copycat.

Besides the appearance of the coin’s surface, you should also examine other features as well. Sometimes coins should have reeded edges or seams. Another key feature is the coin’s weight. The use of inferior alloys will impact the weight of the coin. You can also use a second coin to tap the coin in question. This should result in a “ring” of a particular pitch. If you don’t hear that ring, then the coin is quite likely an imposter.

2. Be wary of online shopping

Yes, the Internet has revolutionized the way that we do our shopping. But when making investments such as silver coins, it’s highly advisable that you examine the coin in person. Many fake American Eagle Silver Coins are flooding the market. But that’s not all! Many imitation coins are so similar to the genuine ones that you’d literally need a magnifying glass to verify whether or not they’re original or fake coins. If you do decide to buy online, make sure you purchase your coins from a reputable online coin dealer such as APMEX.

3. Shop around

As when buying any other collectible coin (or collectible, for that matter), it’s important to shop around. That will allow you to purchase the best quality coins, at the best prices. Shopping online is much easier than shopping offline. On the other hand, shopping via the Internet also makes it more difficult to verify the authenticity of the coin. Whether you shop online or offline, it’s possible to find sales and specials on American Eagle Silver Coins. As a word of caution, if the price for such coins seems too-good-to-be-true, then it likely is. That’s why it’s so crucial to verify the authenticity of a particular American Eagle Silver Coin, before purchasing it. Otherwise, you could end up spending a rock-bottom low price for a coin that isn’t worth a hill of beans.

The American Eagle Silver Coin is definitely one of the most attractive collectible coins on the market. These above tips will help you to find the right coin at the right price.

A popular coin in 2011 is the Canadian Maple Leaf Gold Bullion Coin, as this coin is legal tender all over the world and is known for its quality. The Canadian government guarantees that these coins are made from 99.99% pure gold, making them the first ever investment coins to reach this level of purity. This means that these coins will likely increase in value at a faster pace than many other coins, due to their higher gold content. In addition, these coins look great, as they have been masterfully designed and will make a great centerpiece to your investment portfolio.

Australia also has the 2011 Australian Kangaroo Gold Coin, which is a legal tender in Australia, despite being extremely limited in production. This means that this is an extremely valuable coin to have, especially when you factor in the fact that it changes in appearance every year. Since each year features a once in a lifetime coin, these coins hold a great deal of value. The Australian government guarantees that these coins are 99.99% pure gold, putting them on par with many other gold coins. What puts these coins on a different level is that each year is different and if you happen to resell to a collector who missed a year, you could be looking at a rather substantial resale value.

Silver coins are also very popular, starting with the 2011 Silver Maple Leaf coin. These coins are some of the more popular in the world and have increase in popularity as silver prices have gone up. All of these coins are crafted at the Royal Canadian Mint and are made from 99.9% pure silver. In addition, these coins are legal tender, so they are easy to trade anywhere in the world. These coins even have a higher face value than any other silver coins, as they are worth $5 guaranteed. Of course, the coin will end up being worth much more than that, but it is nice to know that its value can never drop below that level.

The 2011 Australian Silver Koala are made from 99.9%  pure silver and have a larger surface area than many silver coins. These coins are extremely high in quality and the mint has done a great job of putting a great deal of detail into the actual picture on the coin. These coins are redesigned very year, so you will find that the 2011 is unique.

Any of these coins would be a great gift for the coin collector in your family, as they will likely not depreciate in value and will give that person a solid investment in the future. Now is the time to invest in precious metals because they keep their value during economic downturns, since they are not linked to the face value on the coin.

I have personally bought some of these coins (Silver American Eagles and Canadian Maple Leaf Coins) from APMEX along with holiday season gift coin holders to use as stocking stuffers this Christmas.

US junk silver coins are usually sold as 40% or 90% silver content, as well as the “wartime” nickles with 35% silver. Some of the most popular are the pre-1965 Morgan and Peace dollars, Jefferson “wartime” nickels, Franklin and Kennedy half dollars, Roosevelt dimes, and Washington quarters.

There are several reasons to buy junk silver coins. One is that they are easily recognizable around the world and are easily traded. This makes them very popular among survivalists as “doomsday” currency. In addition, small trades could be done with the silver dimes and nickles. Silver bullion is almost always made in 1 ounce coins only, and therefore not as suitable for small trades as junk silver. Another reason to buy junk silver is that they have legal tender and real face falue…..althought the silver market would have to crash spectacularly for this to be a real benefit. These coins also sell for little or no premium over silver spot prices.

Junk silver coins are commonly sold as “junk silver bags” of different sizes and price. Typically these are sold as containing a “face value” of between $100 and $10,000. Of course the actually purchase price is much higher as dictated by silver spot prices. They are also commonly sold as junk silver rolls as well, containg 20-50 coins each.

Other popular junk silver coins come from the UK (50% and 92.5% silver), Canada (50% and 80% silver), and Australia (50% and 80% silver).

The most popular way to buy and sell these coins is through and reputable online coin retailers such as APMEX.

US Junk Silver Coins

1804 Silver Dollar. This is one of the rarest coins in existence as only 15 are known to exist. The fact that there are 15 does raise the specter that perhaps more of these rare US coins are available somewhere. Perhaps one is hiding in an old trunk? Time will eventually tell….

1849 Coronet Double Eagle. How rare is this $20 piece? Well, there is only ONE left in all of existence. Or, more accurately, there is only one that we know of in existence. If you happen by extremely rare chance to find one of these coins, you could place the coin up for auction and easily procure a multimillion dollar sale.

1913 Liberty Head Nickel. The tale of this nickel is somewhat unique and surprising. The Liberty Head nickel was originally discontinued in 1912 but five were produced in 1913. All five ended up in the ownership of one collector. Needless to say, the collector was able to amass a valuable equity on these coins since he was the only person in possession of them. Today, these coins would still be considered the prize jewel of any coin collection due to their immense rarity. Due to this rareness, their value is well into the millions of dollars.

1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. Because The Great Depression had devastated the nation, President Roosevelt needed to remove the US from the gold standard. That involved the recalling of numerous gold coins so they could be melted down. This particular coin was worth $20 in 1933 and was recalled for melting. A few did survive and one private collector sold it at an auction in 1992 for…$7 million!

1943 Copper Penny. What makes this copper penny is not its copper but the inclusion of a bronze alloy within it. Bronze was essentially rationed during World War II so this penny should not have included bronze within its components. However, a number were produced with bronze and that makes them highly collectible and valuable.

1970 Lincoln Penny Doubled Die Obverse. Who would ever have thought a penny would eventually be worth $3,000? The minting “double die obverse” error created the foundation for such a valuable penny and it remains one of the most prized collectible pennies of all.

Of course, the sheer number of rare US coins can go on for many pages. The five listed herein are among the rarest and most prized of all US coins. Hence, they deserve a special place in the history of collecting rare US coins.

These days, the general public is starting to awaken to a fact that those in the know have realized for years: precious metals are quickly becoming the perfect hedge investment for those looking to safeguard their portfolios. The reason why more and more people are tuning into this approach is due to their disillusionment with investing in the stock market. The rapid ups and downs of the market have soured many people on it.  Worst of all, the previously safe market of real estate is certainly no longer the sage investment it once was. So, where does are more and more people turning to so they may hedge their investments? They are headed to the precious metals market.

Another reason why some may not be so keen on using silver dollar coins as a hedge is because, well, they are coins. Most people consider precious metal purchasing and trading to consist solely of gold and silver bars. Really, there is absolutely nothing wrong with procuring silver bars…unless you are procuring them in a myopic fashion. In other words, if you have not explored other options available for hedging with silver then you may be limiting your chances for success.

Silver dollar coins were first minted in the 19th Century and since that time many excellent coins have been produced. Among the most popular – and collectible — are the 1878 Morgan Silver Dollar which was produced at the legendary Carson City Mint; the extremely rare and uncirculated 1996 Silver Eagle; and the 2000 Silver American Eagle.

Yes, silver dollar coins remain an excellent venture for those looking to acquire a solid investment. In fact, silver dollar coins growing increasingly popular alongside dollar coins as excellent investment options for even conservative investors. This is because in addition to the market value of silver, coins also have a rare collectible value to them as well. This further enhances their value and makes them quite attractive to those looking for a solid investment hedge.

As the stock market and real estate realm continue on the path of instability, precious metals still remain valuable. This is one major reason why there is such additional interest in silver dollar coins and definitely a reason why it is wise to look into using them as a portfolio hedge.

While we are all familiar with the silver dollar for a time there was a gold one dollar coin produced by the US mint and it remained in production from 1849 to 1889. The notion of a dollar produced in the form of a gold coin was considered somewhat obtuse as a dollar was hardly a monetary figure that came to mind when one thought of gold. Then, in the 1840′s something incredible happened that greatly impacted life in the United States: the California Gold Rush.

The Gold Rush came completely unexpectedly and it led to a huge increase in the gold reserves of the United States. Because of this it became smart business to expand the use of gold for currency purposes. This is why gold coins as low as one dollar in value were produced with the first being the “Liberty Head” gold dollar that first appeared in 1849. In time, more United States gold coins were produced with many of them sporting unique “Indian Head” designs.

5 Dollar Gold Coin

United States gold coin production as with all good things must come to an end at some point and in 1889 the gold dollar coin was discontinued although it remained in circulation until the 1930′s when the United States departed from using the gold standard as a method of currency.

Then, in the late 20th Century the United States gold coin made a comeback of sorts. By 1986, the United States had been out of the world gold currency market for quite some time and feeling the time was right to re-enter the gold currency realm and re-issue coins in denominations such as $5, $10, $25 and $50. Of course, as the price of gold rises these coins are worth far more than their face value and this makes them quite attractive in collector’s circles. These coins are quite striking to look at thanks to the presence of a beautifully drawn American Eagle. Unfortunately, it is not easy to acquire these gold coins as many are not circulated and many that are, are produced in rare limited edition coin sets.

Of course, these United States gold coins make excellent editions to one’s personal collection. They are truly novel and unique items and truly standout among many the vast seas of coins out there in the collector’s market. Adding such coins to a collection would enhance a collection far beyond what many would even think possible.

It has been said most people take money for granted except for when they notice they are running short of funds. A similar notion can be said about US coin history because we can not perceive of a time when the United States did not issue currency. Perhaps this is because no one is old enough to remember when the colonies issued “continental scripts”. Perhaps this is a good thing because those scripts were barely worth the paper they were printed on! Thankfully, the United States did eventually gain its independence and when it issued its own currency the currency had legitimate value. But sometimes we neglect the history of the United States’ issuing of it own currency particularly the first instances of issuing coins.

It was the Coinage Act of 1792 which started the proverbial ball rolling for minting coins in the United States. This act established the silver dollar as a legitimate currency unit and was quickly followed by Congress’ authorization of the establishment of the US Mint to produce the various coins. The first Mint was in Philadelphia and it was followed over the years by Mints in Denver, West Point and San Francisco. These Mints are all in operation today and remain the origination point of all the historic coins that have been produced over the years.

Various incarnations of the silver dollar coin were produced throughout the years, but the dollar coin along with its compatriot the half dollar (fifty cent piece) coin have seen their popularity and numbers swindle significantly. The most widely used coins that still exist to this very day are the penny, nickel, dime and quarter. Yes, there were a number of other coins produced over the years such as the ten dollar gold piece but they have long since been discontinued.

The penny first debuted in 1793 and was made of traditional copper until 1853 when it was then minted in bronze before switching back to copper several years later. The coin would be briefly minted in metal during World War Two due to copper shortages but returned once again to copper after 1944. While there have been a number of images on the penny, modern version of the coin feature Abraham Lincoln on the front and the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse of the coin.

Buffalo Nickels

Prior to the Civil War, five cent pieces were made of silver and were called “half dimes”. Due to silver shortages the copper nickel alloy debuted and it remains in existence today with the modern version of the coin featuring the image of Thomas Jefferson with the old discontinued “Buffalo Nickel” still being fondly remembered to this day. The dime has been around since 1792 being one of the first coins ever minted and the modern version of the coin featuring the image of the iconic president Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Quarter debuted in 1796 and its nickname derives from twenty five cents being one quarter (1/4) of a dollar. It has been colloquially called “two bits” which derives from Spanish slang but this colloquialism has fallen out the vernacular in recent years.

This is a basic history of US coins and one should never lose sight of the fact that it is a living history. In other words, the future may bring new coins and new designs. Time will eventually reveal what these new spins actually will be.

Some of the most collectible coins are those that are no longer in circulation, especially those that came in denominations that are no longer used. The smallest denomination of gold currency was the gold dollar coin, which was produced between 1849 and 1889. The five dollar gold coin, also known as the half eagle or Indian head coin was produced between 1795 and 1929. Some commemoratives are still available, but this was the first gold coin ever minted by the United States. The double eagle, a 20 dollar gold coin, was given its name since it was worth twice the value of a typical eagle. A 50 dollar gold coin, also called a half-union, was only minted as a commemorative coin, and weight over 2 ounces of almost pure gold. The US Gold Eagle coin was considered the base unit for gold coinage, which determined the name for many of the gold coins that are no longer in circulation. The California gold coin collection is one of the most highly collected collections in the world, due mostly to the fact that many of the denominations are no longer in circulation.

50 Dollar Gold Coin

A silver coin collection is also a very popular coin collection in the United States, and also consists of many United States coins that are no longer in circulation. The half dime coin, which is now called a nickel, was a silver coin valued at five cents that was about half the size of a dime at the time. Another popular US silver coin is the silver dollar coin, which was minted between 1794 and 1803. It was then replaced by the 1804 silver dollar, which is one of the rarest United States coins in the entire world. The Morgan dollar, a silver coin minted between 1878 and 1921, is a silver coin named after its creator, George T. Morgan. It is one of the most collected silver coins, especially those minted in the year 1921.

A Buffalo nickel, also called Indian head nickel, was a five cent piece minted between 1913 and 1938. It was designed by James Earle Fraser, and many mistakes were spotted soon after it went into circulation. The words FIVE CENTS were the highest spot on the coin, and wore away fairly easily with normal wear and tear. Finding a Buffalo nickel in decent condition is a very rare opportunity. A liberty nickel is another popular collecting piece, and was minted between 1883 and 1912. They were quickly copied by con artists, because they contains a roman number V on the back without the word CENTS. It was later added, but replaced in 1913 with the Buffalo nickel mentioned above.

The Presidential coin collection is a fairly new collection, which many hope will be as popular as the recently minted states quarters. The plan is to mint dollar coins honoring past United States Presidents. No coins can be issued for living presidents or presidents who passed then less than two years earlier, but the U.S. Mint plans on releasing four new dollar pieces each year until 2016.