Gold as Essential Diversification and Financial Insurance
Gold bullion remains an essential diversification and essential financial insurance to have in all properly diversified portfolios. Besides the ever more important factors of inflation hedging and financial insurance, gold is likely to continue to outperform other asset classes and to provide significant returns to gold buyers. Many of the world’s major investment banks are in agreement that gold is again in a long term multiyear bull market. Many believe gold will surpass its inflation adjusted 1980 high of $2,400/oz in the coming years. Citigroup’s former head of technical research and managing director of Yamada Technical Research Advisors LLC., Louise Yamada sees gold on its way to $3,000 within a decade. "Gold is the purest play against the dollar,” said Louise Yamada, Yamada is highly respected and was voted Wall Street’s best technical analyst from 2001 to 2004. Credit Agricole’s (France’s largest bank and the fourth largest bank in the world) brokerage, Cheuvreux see the possibility of a rise to $2,000/oz or higher.
How to Invest in Gold in Preparation for 2,000/oz Gold?
Gold and Silver Investments Limited agree and believe gold will surpass its inflation adjusted high of $2,400 per ounce in the next 5 years. This is why we continue to advocate investors continue to diversify and increase their gold holdings. So, how should one invest in gold? There are many different ways to invest in gold and one’s motivation for buying gold should dictate how one buys gold. Are you a speculator, investor or saver? Are you buying to make a capital gain or as a hedge against systemic risk and using your gold as financial insurance? Is your motivation a little of each? ETFs, mining funds, digital gold, Perth Mint certificates, gold bullion coins and bars in one’s possession and or semi numismatic gold coins are good ways to buy gold. Given the extent of current macroeconomic and systemic risk a diversified precious metals holding makes sense and it should not be a question of “either or” rather a combination of these various ways. Having eggs in various gold baskets so to speak is the most sensible and prudent strategy. As part of this mix, older gold coins should be looked at. Classic European and world gold coinage is an often overlooked but extremely important sector in today’s gold market. Pre 1933 and 19th Century European and world gold coins are an intelligent alternative to modern gold bullion coins or bars as there is often more room for appreciation with these beautiful old coins due to their rarity and yet they can often be bought at bullion prices.
The British Sovereign (originally the one pound coin) is the most widely traded semi-numismatic gold coin in the world. There is constant and excellent liquidity in most countries in the world. For the investor looking for slight leverage to the gold price with the potential for the premium (numismatic value) to rise, British Sovereigns are a good way to invest in gold.
History of the British Sovereign – From Henry VII to James Bond
The first British Sovereigns were minted more than 500 years ago. They were minted under Tudor King Henry VII in 1489. The coin got its name from that first mintage which depicts the monarch seated majestically on the throne facing outward. Sovereigns were then struck for Henry VIII from 1509. Henry VIII needed to raise revenue as he was engaged in George Bush style over spending which led to a flow of gold and silver to Europe (equivalent of dollars to Russia, OPEC nations and China today). The current design type with St. George slaying a dragon on the reverse and the monarch on the front was introduced nearly 200 years ago in 1816 under George III. The sovereign was minted almost continuously from that date until 1932 when Britain went off the gold standard.