Gold In Our World

By Jack Wogan

When thinking about investments, we can't help but think of gold as the most popular out of all the metals on earth. This metal is usually chosen by investors to be bought as a hedge or safe haven against crises around the world. Speculators buy gold at a smaller price, waiting for the right moment to sell it at a higher price.

Throughout history, gold has been used as money or as a medium of exchange, and it had been used as a means of transaction, particularly because of its high value and because it is in very limited supply. We can call this financial gold. Being a desirable, useful and rare metal makes it a long term value. It is also durable, portable, precious and it is easily devisable. Gold standards had been implemented in many European countries in the later part of the 19th century but they have been dismantled because of the crises which occurred after World War I. It is easy to understand the desire to buy gold and also the appeal of owning gold as a tangible and physical investment. This precious metal can be bought in different forms: bars, bullion, coins or even jewelry.

If wanting to buy such a precious metal just for personal entertainment or enjoyment, it would be best to buy gold in the form of collectible coins or jewelry. This last form is the most available form of buyable gold on the market but, it is also to less liquid one. If you ever consider selling it, the customer might not like the style and the probability to obtain the same money invested in it is quite small. On the other hand, collectible coins have content and quality which are absolutely guaranteed. Furthermore, you may be surprised of the fact that the price might even rise if they are really old or if the buyer is a true collector.

If buying gold as a form of investment, you can chose from gold bullion, bars or even gold coins. Yet, if you do not live in an area where gold is thoroughly sought by jewelers to turn into jewelry, you might actually sell coins more easily than gold bars. Also, your gold bars might not be 100% percent pure gold, unlike gold bullion, which has a governmental guarantee of quality and quantity.

Investing your time and money in gold can turn out to be quite tricky this is why you should do some research first.

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