Purity is one of the bedrock elements in precious metals investing. Purity affects the pricing of silver, along with its authenticity and recognition by the consumer public. To be clear, the purity of a silver object refers to the amount of pure silver as a percentage of its total mass. Because silver is an element,…

Purity is a major consideration in precious metals because it is a primary driver of value. The intrinsic value of bars and rounds is a function of their weight and purity. All things equal, a purer piece is worth more than a less pure piece. Purity is the percentage of the pure metal itself that…

Even if you don’t immediately know what it means to debase a currency, you probably think it doesn’t sound very good. You’d be right – it’s not a good thing. Currency debasement is the intentional reduction in the value or purchasing power of a currency. Historically, it meant a reduction in the precious metal content…

Even if you don’t immediately know what it means to debase a currency, you probably think it doesn’t sound very good. You’d be right – it’s not a good thing. Currency debasement is the intentional reduction in the value or purchasing power of a currency. Historically, it actually meant a reduction in the precious metal…

All of us regular folks know that gold is a great asset for hedging against economic downturns and diversifying one’s portfolio. Turns out, governments and central banks know the same thing and they are scrambling to buy more of it as time goes on. In fact, Reuters and World Gold Council data show that central…

If you’re searching for the next bullion coin to purchase, you may see a strange label on some of the listings— “BU.” You might simply think that it’s just “bullion” for short, but you’d be wrong. Instead, BU stands for “Brilliant Uncirculated.” It is an extremely common term in the bullion world because most modern…

If you hang around the coin-collecting world for any length of time, you’ll hear discussions about the various marks that coins may have on their surfaces. Some of them are straightforward, but you may hear references to two different types of marks that seem quite similar. Those two types of marks are mint marks and…

The 2026 Winter Olympics are just around the corner. Athletes from more than 90 countries are expected to compete on behalf of their homelands in a variety of winter-themed sports and activities. Hundreds of them will travel to Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in the northern portion of Italy. The winners of those events, of course,…

  Palladium is likely the least-known of the four major precious metals. Although the top online precious metals dealers offer it and, in some cases, keep its pricing continuously updated at the top of each page, it often gets overlooked in favor of gold, silver, and platinum. In fact, palladium is part of the platinum…

Key Takeaways Executive Order 6102, issued by FDR in 1933, made it illegal for Americans to own most forms of gold. The order aimed to combat the Great Depression by expanding the money supply and ending gold hoarding. Private gold ownership was fully restored in 1974, making pre-1933 U.S. gold coins highly collectible today. We…

Key Takeaways The Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 required the U.S. Treasury to buy 4.5 million ounces of silver each month, aiming to support silver prices and appease miners. Although intended as a compromise between gold and silver supporters, it drained U.S. gold reserves and helped trigger the Panic of 1893. The Act’s repeal…

Imagine that you have a few bucks floating around your wallet or purse. You take them out to count them, but see something that looks odd on one of them.  The serial number on one of the bills has a star in it. There’s the numbers in green – then a star, printed with that…

The supply of gold and silver is not always consistent. There have been distinct periods where there just hasn’t been enough to go around. However, policymakers and investors alike might not be thrilled about a lack of available gold or silver. Additionally, silver has an additional draw in industrial demand, as industries like solar energy,…

The Bland-Allison Act became the law of the land in 1878. It reintroduced silver dollars as viable currency pieces in the United States and committed the U.S. Treasury to purchase between $2 million and $4 million of silver bullion each month. The goal of the Act was quite simple—its proponents wanted to restore the U.S….

Throughout American history, the availability or scarcity of certain metals has generated profound impacts on the coins and other minted objects produced at the same time. For instance, the California Gold Rush spurred demand for new gold coins in the 1850s, while the discovery of the Comstock Lode in Nevada later led to the creation…

Key Takeaways Gold and silver prices are set by supply and demand: prices fall when supply rises or demand falls, and rise when supply falls or demand rises. Gold is driven mainly by economic uncertainty, geopolitics, and inflation, acting as a hedge, while silver is more volatile due to its industrial uses and tends to…

Key Takeaways Gold has unique physical properties that make it ideal for trade, keepsakes, and various industries. Reputation matters, and gold has been recognized as a store of wealth, a symbol of authority and power, and an object of treasure for thousands of years. Today, gold finds extra value as a hedge against inflation and…

  Update: June 6 2025 Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has just introduced H.R. 3795, the Gold Reserve Transparency Act of 2025—landmark legislation that would direct the Comptroller General to hire an independent auditor to perform the first comprehensive assay, inventory, and audit of America’s gold reserves (including the bullion held at Fort Knox) in more…

Key Takeaways Gold reached a price of $3,814.77 per troy ounce in September 2025, which is a 44.73% increase since the same date last year. Gold has surpassed the previous inflation-adjusted high from January 1980, when the price hit $850 per ounce (roughly $3,590 when adjusted to today’s dollars) Economic instability, inflation fears, and geopolitical…

There is an intrinsic relationship between the strength of the US dollar and the spot price for an ounce of gold. The spot price for gold hit an all-time high quite recently, but it may not immediately be clear why. This article is your guide to understanding the different factors that can change the price…

  Although gold always seems to glitter to the top of the news, silver is quickly becoming the most valuable precious metal for essential industries. It is a critical resource for the electronics, medical, and—most recently—solar energy industries. Thus, countries that count major silver reserves – the amount of silver within their borders that is…

James Earle Fraser (1876 – 1953) is one of America’s premier sculptors and artists in all of its history. His works have endured far beyond his 1953 death and continue to inspire to this very day. He has, however, been the subject of controversy in recent times due to changing cultural norms about race and…

Precious metals and artistry are not often considered in the same breath with each other. However, that union is exactly what happened within the life of Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848 – 1907) was one of the most renowned sculptors of his time. The Dublin-born artist was the son of a French father and an…

  Since the introduction of the $100 as a Federal Reserve note in 1914, its obverse has featured Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. Although Franklin’s legacy is manifest in the American story, it is still a bit curious that he is one of only two non-Presidents on circulated dollars. So, let’s discuss how the eminent inventor…