Rising Gold Prices Has Americans Flocking to U.S. Mint Gold

With gold now trading at well over $1,300 per ounce, more and more Americans are buying gold coins, particularly U.S. Mint gold coins, such as the American Eagle and the gold Buffalo.

Gold has been one of the few asset classes that Americans have been able to depend upon in recent years. Just about every other asset class has experienced serious trouble over that time period.

Low interest rates have made bond yields unattractive and corporate bonds in particular have lost their luster as the economy has deteriorated.

The stock market, after falling sharply in 2008 in a vicious bear market, has been on a roller coaster ride ever since.

Real estate has probably had the roughest time of all. The real estate market was directly impacted by the subprime mortgage crisis and the past two years have been miserable for real estate investors.

In this scenario, gold has emerged as a mainstream investment once again as Americans have sought safe havens.

As Americans have flocked to gold to take advantage of rising prices, they have especially moved to acquire the gold bullion products offered by the U.S. Mint.

U.S. Mint Gold Coins

The U.S. Mint offers two gold bullion products, and both are outstanding ways to own gold.

The most well known U.S. Mint gold product is the American Eagle gold bullion coin. This is the most widely owned gold product in America—and it has held that title for 20 years or more.

American Eagle

The Gold American Eagle is minted to the same standards that the U.S. Mint historically used for its gold coinage going back to the 19th century. This means that a small amount of base metal alloy is combined with the gold to provide a harder and more durable coin.

The obverse design for the American Eagle was inspired by the original Saint-Gaudens $20 Double Eagle gold piece that was minted by the U.S. Mint for circulation in America from 1907 to 1933. The reverse design depicting a nest of eagles was a new creation done for the U.S. Mint for the Gold American Eagle’s introduction back in 1986.

The American Eagle is available in a variety of sizes to fit virtually any budget: 1/10, ¼, ½ and 1 ounce sizes.

American Buffalo

The other U.S. Mint product available for gold buyers is the American Buffalo Gold Bullion Coin. The American Buffalo was first minted in 2006 and differs from the American Eagle in that it has a much higher level of purity in line with modern minting techniques used by other world mints to manufacture their bullion coins. The Buffalo has the same level of purity (.9999 gold) as the Canadian Maple Leaf, the Austrian Vienna Philharmonic, the Chinese Panda and other world gold bullion coins.

The breathtaking design of the Gold American Buffalo came directly from the Indian Head/Buffalo nickel that was minted between 1913 and 1938.

Unlike the American Eagle, however, the Gold American Buffalo is available only in 1 ounce size.

These two U.S. Mint gold bullion products have an inherent advantage over competitive gold bullion products because they are legal tender in the United States of America and they are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury for weight, content and purity. No other gold bullion coin is legal tender in the U.S.A. and no other gold bullion coin has a U.S. government guarantee.

Couple this with the fact that these U.S. Mint gold products are by far the most widely owned gold bullion products in the United States, and probably the world, and they are a great choice for Americans who are seeking the safety and security that only gold can provide.