Gold Coins vs. One Gram Gold Bars: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Purchasing Expe-rience (Online vs. In-store)
Have you ever been to a gold exhibit, either on PC or the local store, and were stunned like a deer in headlights? The options are lit with glitter and choosing between bars of one gram gold bars for sale items and coins is not that easy as it may sound. Then there is the issue of how, one buys, either you click your way to a gold store or you trek into a brick-and-mortar store, the heart pounding and your wallet ready. Now then, we might as well open the treasure-chest and identify with greed.
The Comparison between 1g Gold Bars and Coins
Put your piggy bank away and run to that nearest dealer later, now here is what we are going to discuss, the two competitors 1g gold bars and gold coins. The same in weight, and rankly different in character.
1g Gold Bars: The Little Giants
The size of one gram may not appear that big, but these mini bars pack heavy. They are clearly a gold investment: small and easy to stash in the sock drawer, they make a nice introductory piece.
Affordability. You do not need to sell the farm as gold prices are floating around 60 per gram (it is subject to day to day changes). They make good gift items, well diversifying risk, or as a dabbling option in gold.
Lower Premiums. In most cases, gold bars premiums are lower compared to the ones of their coin counterparts. That is you will pay less than even the true market price or spot price per gram.
Cleanliness and Tattooing. These brands should be reputable, such as PAMP Suisse or Valcambi that stamp their bars with their weight, level of purity (normally .9999 fine gold) and a serial number.
There is a trade-off however. One gram bars are easy to hold in the hand, but not so easy to be marveled at when you feel their weight in your hand: well, a tad anticlimactic. Others prefer feeling the weight—why not dissimulating used car salesmen?
Gold Coins: Art and Metal
Pirates are not the only ones that have gold coins. They are historical fragments, small artworks and worldwide known.
Collectibility. Governments also mint coins such as the Canadian Maple Leaf or the American Gold Eagle and it may enjoy legal status as coin money. That can make them more readily resold and even put a bit of collector value into them.
Recognition. The world easily becomes familiar with coins. Show unfriendly almost anywhere a Krugerrand, and your buyer will nod.
Aesthetics. Such coins are usually in elaborate designs, which are national symbols or types of commemoration. It is pride of ownership.
However, here is a catch: That art and awareness comes at an additional price. They should anticipate high premiums, which might go as high as 10-15 percent over spot gold. Occasionally even more so on collectibles or commemoratives. And this is no joking matter—when you scratch up an artistic coin it leaves a scar which hurts much more than a scar at a bare bar.
Counting the Pros and Cons
When you are out to make the most of gold on your green dollar, here is a speedy comparison right by side:
Gold Bars (1g)
Advantages: Cheap, easy, small budgets fit, easier to keep, perfect in small investments.
Cons: Not so collectible, occasionally more challenging to resell at auction or on the individual basis, not visually alluring.
One g of Gold Coins (Loser to the Iron Man)
Advantages: Very well known, frequently a legal currency, a collectible, a work of art.
Negatives: More expensive cost to go with, is prone to nicks and scratches, and value decrease, more appealing to counterfeits in popularity.
Cart Anxiety and Clicks Online Gold Buying
First the Convenience
Purchase gold bars online? It is as easy as pie. Look, shop, tap. The ease of shopping in your recliner is provided by such websites as APMEX, JM Bullion or local stores. A lot of them have got broad range, price comparison and delivery to your door.
Transparency. You are able to access current prices, compare brands and sniff out the best.
Bulk Discounts. Other dealers will cut down the prices per gram in case you are purchasing more bars or sets.
However, just as any Internet shopper can tell you, there is fine print. You do surrender personal details. Ship delays occur. And afterwards the anxiety: will your petty fortune come safe?
Shipping Risk. Shipping covered helps in mitigating the risk but porch pirates and postal failure can take away more than your sanity.
Authenticity. Major in legal trade. Dark places of the internet may leave you up with maggots or with nothing.
TRUTH: Customer Service
Web sites usually feature instant messaging and piles of Frequently Asked Questions. But there is no substitute to meeting someone that eats and sleeps precious metals and having with them a face to face conversation. In case you are a newbie or you are scared of authenticity or process, a real individual has helped you to step down.
In store Gold Shopping: Old School but Gold
The Haptic Geography
Any visit to a high-end coin shop or bullion dealer will exercise your senses: the cold touch of gold, the luxurious swish of velvet bags, the crisp drop of scales.
Immediate Satisfaction. PAY, receive and walk away with your gold. No waiting on post vans.
Personal Service. Any question? Fire away. The dealers can present you with actual bars and can explain the differences and possibly give a discount when you purchase more.
Local Reputation. Established stores bet their lives on credibility. Brewing canards of counterfeit gold? They would go out of business in a blink of an eye.
Never everything in it is flawless. There is a tendency that local premiums are more, particularly if in the city it consumes profits in the form of rent and security. They may only be able to conduct selection of what is available that day. And not to mention, the cash payment may have a reporting limit, and credit card surcharges are not unusual.
