Where in the United States can you buy gold bars or coins?

I would like to know what is the best way to buy gold coins or bullion in the U.S. I am not a coin collector; I don't care about that stuff. I want legit, recognized, gold coins that I can purchase from a reputable place with their certificate and KEEP with me - not have a piece of paper saying I own them and they are locked in some vault somewhere. Just as a form of security and piece of mind for me, I guess. I also thought about giving them as gifts to my small nieces and nephews rather than toys etc. once in a while. Does anyone know what is the best way to go about doing this? I don't really care where the coins are from as long as they are authentic, certified, etc. It is legal too, right? To buy coins from here or anywhere else? I'm obviously very ignorant about the subject. I had thought about doing this about 4 years ago when the price was like $400 per ounce, now I check and it is like $1000 and I want to kick myself for not buying then. Thanks! By the way, I realize that the price of gold is ridiculously high right now, so I probably won't be buying very soon, but I would like to buy when it is reasonable again.

Public Comments

1. Just like you would buy anything else. You buy from a coin dealer/reputable bullion dealer. Let's say you want to buy a 1oz gold bar. OK the price should be about US$1000. Give or take the dealers commission/profit. It will be hallmarked to show it is pure gold and you can weigh it to check that it is 1oz. Coins may be slightly different; A. they are not always 1oz and not pure gold. B. They are not hallmarked. Their value can easily be worked out by finding the actual weight of gold in the coin. And , again make sure you buy from a reputable/registered dealer. If you buy anything else rather than coins and bullion you have lots of other factors. A gold chain, may have design value for example so I would avoid jewellery for investment purposes, unless you know what you are doing. Have a look at my website for an article on buying gold. http://www.shareworld.co.uk/articles/gold.htm
2. Do not worry gold will still go up more because of the reasons below .also a good web sight to tell you how to buy gold . http://www.monex.com/prods/gold.html Reasons Why Gold Will Rise in 2008 1980 High On January 21, 1980, gold closed at $825.50. Today, it takes $2,200.00 to buy what $825.50 bought in January 1980. Therefore, gold still has a long way to go before it reaches and surpasses its all-time high. 1. The Dollar Slide Over the past five years, the dollar has lost 50% of its value versus the euro. Large institutions and central banks are moving their dollar-based assets into non-dollar-based assets. This is coming at a time when the U.S. economy is slowing to a crawl. In order to stop the U.S. economy from slipping into a recession, the Federal Reserve has no choice but to reduce interest rates in order to stimulate the economy. As rates decrease, the dollar collapses. As the dollar falls, investors are moving their dollar-based assets into assets such as gold – increasing demand and pushing the price even higher. 2. Flight to Quality The sub-prime mortgage crisis was the catalyst that pushed gold to 28-year highs, and now we’re seeing investors make a flight to quality as fundamentals are supporting strong prices. In 2007, gold produced a return just below 30% while the S%26P 500 increased less than 8%. The uncertainty in the U.S. stock market, stemming from the sub-prime crisis, has caused investors to move their assets into stable assets. These assets, such as gold, have provided portfolios with much needed protection and, at the same time, have increased the value of portfolios at a rate of 4 to 1 over the stock market during the past few years. 3. Oil Versus Gold Ratio Historically, the average oil/gold ratio has been around 15:1, meaning that the price of fifteen barrels of oils equals the price of one ounce of gold. That ratio has recently dropped to around 9:1. To return to average levels, the price of gold would have to increase to around $1400 (or there would have to be a drop of similar magnitude in the price of a barrel of oil). In the near future, $1400 gold is more likely than $50 per barrel oil. 4. Central Bank Sales and Purchases Central bank sales which served to depress the price of gold throughout the 90s have come to a screeching halt, with most central banks having already liquidated their gold reserves to a bare minimum. Instead of selling, central banks are becoming buyers. For instance, China’s gold reserves account for only one percent of its total reserves. With those reserves piling up rapidly, it seems inevitable that China will diversify part of its foreign exchange reserves into gold. 5. Investment Demand In recent years, there has been a tremendous increase in institutional demand for gold. In addition, although investment demand has been relatively muted in the U.S., there is plenty of demand from the flourishing middle classes in China and India and from central banks in countries that have enjoyed gains from foreign trade, such as Russia, the Persian Gulf oil producing states, and China. The possible events that could drive down the gold price seem highly unlikely. 1. India could slow its consumption; 2. The U.S. stock market could boom, taking the attention away from gold; 3. Peace could break out in the world; 4. There could be a huge gold discovery; 5. Oil prices could collapse; 6. The dollar could rise. 6. Commodities Super-Cycle We concur with the strategists at Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs who are among the new generation of “super-cycle” proponents who believe that supply shortages in growing economies in China and India will send commodity prices and gold higher for another 15 to 20 years. The forces that have driven commodity prices higher in the past couple of years remain largely in place: global economic growth is strong; liquidity is plentiful and is increasing; and the demand for commodities will continue to grow in emerging Asia as the region industrializes and wealth grows. 7. Gold Mania Mine production is falling at the same time that demand is rising. Worldwide investment demand for gold will remain at historically high levels, significantly exceeding 40 million ounces. Don’t rule out the possibility of a full-blooded mania in gold within the next couple of years, particularly given the fact that the flight from the dollar is picking up speed and momentum
3. Probably from an investments broker. Another easy way to own gold bullion is through the StreetTracks Gold ETF. It is an exchange-traded mutual fund that invests strictly in gold bullion. The ticker symbol is GLD. Each share of the fund is approximately worth one tenth of an ounce of gold.