Gold Demand

Gold’s characteristics make it a great investment vehicle determine. The demand and supply dynamics of its market, make its functionality and appeal very extensive. This commodity’s demand has been attributed to Turkey, USA, China and India and is driven by the differing cultural and socio-economic factors of these countries. New patterns of demand can be brought about by the socio-economic and demographic changes of these nations, which happen to be the key gold consumers of the world.

The demand to buy gold coins can be categorized into three main categories: jewelry, industrial and investment demands.

Jewelry demand

Over two thirds of the demand for gold consists of jewelry. This is one of the largest industries making consumer goods. The gold jewelry market is widespread across the USA and India with the latter controlling the volume while the former controls the retail value. India’s demand for gold is determined by religious and cultural values, which have a direct impact on economic trends globally.

The combination of desirability and affordability plays a great role in jewelry demand. This rises when the prices are stable and declines during the times when prices are volatile. The value of gold jewelry rises steadily with these patterns making them very desirable.

Investment demand

Physical gold demand has considerably grown over recent years allowing for the increase in gold prices. The fact that the demand for this precious commodity continues to outstrip its supply has made many individuals, as well as institutions, interested in investing in it. The commodity’s ability to insure investors against instability and uncertainties has also contributed to the demand, and most investors seek protection against a number of risks. Gold demand growth has brought about the development of different ways of accommodating both institutional and private investors.

Industrial demand

The dental and medical uses of gold are the two main characteristics in the industrial demand for gold. The commodity’s corrosion resistance nature and its electoral and thermal conductivity have made it very popular thus increasing its demand in these two fields. Research has proven that gold can also act in fuel cells as a catalyst and also in chemical processes, as well as pollution control. Gold particles have great value in cancer treatment and its role in glazing coating also makes it very valuable.

The above are some of the reasons for the increase of gold demand over the years. In the next few years, look for this trend to continue.

Gold Prices through the Years

Gold has been used as a way to barter and trade for centuries. It is only in modern time that the value of gold has been associated with the US dollar.

Before the evolution of the modern paper currency, gold was the trusted form of money for buying goods and services.

One the first true statements on the value or price of gold was in 1944. Where representatives from dozens of countries met in New Hampshire and created what was know as the gold standard. The original price of gold was $35 an ounce.

The price of $35 an ounce would stay flat for many years until high inflation in the 1960's changed the gold market. Late in the 1960's the price of gold was starting to be quoted higher than the gold standard of $35 an ounce.

In 1974 President Ford signed into law a bill that gave American citizens the right to own gold. This new bill increased the demand for gold which created a supply and demand that affects the spot price of gold today.

Within 1 year from signing this bill gold had reached $160 an ounce.

Gold which is now known as a safe haven showed this as in example in the financial issues late in the 1970's where gold reached $300 per ounce. Gold at one point at the end of the decade exceed $800 an ounce though quickly dropped in price by early 1980.

Again during economic turmoil like the stock market crash of 1987 gold hit higher prices to $500 per ounce.

The economic stress that Americans live in today has seen record gold prices. With the current record recorded in June of 2010. Gold prices have had an increase in value for 9 years in a row. If 2010 holds up the way it began the number will reach 10 years in a row.

Fears of an uncertain economic future have some experts predicting that the price of gold will stay strong into 2011 though there is not guarantee that this will occur.

Numismatic Gold Coins

Numismatic gold coins are rare gold coins. These coins are treasured for their beautiful design and their historical significance and are extremely popular among coin collectors. These coins are valued on the basis of their rarity, age, condition, and the number of coins originally minted. Let us look at 2 such coins in more detail.

1853-O $10 Gold Coin (1853-O Eagle)

This coin is rare because of its unique texture and characteristics. It is the only Liberty Head Eagle from the 19th century series to earn a Specimen designation from the Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC). Walter Breen, the foremost US coin expert, declared this coin a “Branch Mint Proof” in two of his books, published in 1977 and 1988. This coin has clear reflective surfaces with slightly frosted devices. Several design elements of this coin are in higher relief. The rims are unusually broad at certain places. The obverse of the coin features the head of Lady Liberty and the reverse portrays an eagle. The coin is sharply struck and exhibits a soft glossy texture. The overall strike of the coin is exceptional. When kept under a light source, the surfaces of the coin glow beautifully. The physical characteristics of this coin offer it a distinguished presence among other coins of the same era.

Duckor-Price 1893-O Half Dollar

This attractive coin is a part of the famous Duckor collection and is yet to be fully recognized. It has been assigned a grade of MS-66 by the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). This is the highest grade ever assigned to a coin of this series. In fact, only three 1893-O halves have been assigned a similar grade by the PCGS. The Duckor-Price 1893-O has an interesting history. Initially, this coin was a part of the James A. Stack Sr. collection, which ranks among the top fifteen greatest collections of US coins. After that, it became a part of the Thaine Price Collection, and then it was finally bought by Dr. Duckor.
In the early 1990s, when the grading standards were tough, this coin was graded MS-65 by the Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC). However, when Dr. Duckor submitted this coin to the PCGS for grading in June 1998, it was assigned a grade MS-66. This coin has also been approved by the Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC).

Why Rare Gold Coins are Popular

Collecting old items is a popular hobby, be it statues, paintings or rare gold coins. Collectors don’t mind traveling long distances to obtain the desired rare items and expand their collection. Rare gold coins are among those collectibles that attract both collectors and investors alike.

Gold coins were initially used as legal currency. Since the introduction of paper currency, the use of gold coins as currency has diminished considerably. The value of gold almost doubled between 2005 and 2010. However, the value of rare gold coins is significantly more than the gold content of such coins.

The 1795 $5 half eagle was the first gold coin to be minted in the US and is highly sought after. Another example of an extremely valuable rare gold coin is the 1933 St. Gaudens $20 gold coin. These coins fetch astronomical amounts of money at auctions. In July 2002, a rare $20 Double Eagle fetched more than $7 million, creating history. However, it is not easy to get hold of such a coin, but many people like to own rare gold coins.

Mr. Louis Eliasberg, Sr. was known to have successfully collected every date, mint and denomination of the highest quality US coins. The value of his purchase from the 1920s till the 1950s was $400,000. In 1996-97, his collection was sold at a public auction for more than $44 million. This represents a 200% annual return.

Why ‘Rare Gold Coins’ are referred so?
In the numismatic industry, the word “rare” is not synonymous with scarce or unusual. In other words, the rarity of a coin is relative. A coin may fall under the category of rare coin even if there are over 100,000 specimens in existence. For instance, the 1909s VDB Lincoln Cent is a much sought after rare coin even though 484,000 specimens of it were minted.

A coin may be referred to as rare because it is not easily available, people don’t want to sell it, it is highly desired or its mintage was relatively low.

Mintage of Rare Gold Coins
For almost 100 years from 1838 to 1933, millions of gold coins were minted by the government for use in the US and international trading. The US Mint melted most of these coins and many of them were lost. It is estimated that nearly 5% of the original minted gold coins are still in existence and in demand by traders. Many rare gold coins have been hoarded by collectors to enhance their personal portfolio.

The Rare Gold Coins Industry
The rare coin industry is managed, tracked and regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. Rare gold coins are graded by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC). The cost of grading a coin ranges from $25.00 to $50.00. If you are considering buying rare gold coins from a dealer, ensure that the dealer is registered with either of these organizations.

It must be noted that gold coins were minted in many countries. However, the ones that were minted in the United States are the most famous and considered of high quality.

How to Buy Rare Gold Coins

Buying gold coins requires preparation and learning. Before you buy your first coin, you should commit yourself to learning as much as you can about coins, so that you can make an informed buying decision.

This won't guarantee that you will make a profit from your investment in rare gold coins, but it will increase your chances greatly.

There are many resources available in print and online to help you educate yourself about rare gold coins.

You should start with The Guidebook of United States Coins, popularly referred to in the industry as the "Redbook." This book lists every coin ever minted by the U.S. mint which will enable you to know what's out there. It also gives brief histories and descriptions of the coins and lists their original mintages.

A couple of notes of caution are in order, however.

First of all, original mintages are not always indicative of current rarity. The key to current rarity is the number of surviving specimens believed to be around today. In some cases, issues with small original mintages have high survival rates, making them relatively less scarce today. Conversely, some issues with very high original mintages have experienced huge attrition rates, primarily due to meltings, and thus are very rare today.

Second, the Redbook lists prices which are not at all reflective of current market value. This is because the Redbook is published annually and the coin market trades actively throughout an entire year. There is simply no way for an annual guidebook to accurately indicate the current price of a rare gold coin.

We will let you in on an important fact now, before you embark on your education process (you will discover this on your own later anyway): you should only buy rare gold coins which have been graded and certified by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC). PCGS and NGC are the two leading independent coin grading firms whose standards have been accepted industry-wide for many years. Buying rare gold coins which have been graded by lesser services creates too much risk and should be avoided.

Just as is the case with any major purchase, you need to know what you are acquiring. Make sure that you are getting advice based upon your goals and objectives. There are many ways to acquire gold across that asset class. Therefore you need to make sure you are applying the right tool to the right job. Lower graded, higher population type coins will tend to perform more like asset protection, whereas higher graded rarer issues will tend to grow more over time.

In addition to buying the right coins for you, you should also compare coin dealers. You will want to buy coins from a dealer who is reliable and can provide you with the level of service and education that you desire. Not all dealers provide ongoing client education in the form of newsletters, special reports and periodic, complimentary portfolio updates. Before you decide to buy a rare gold coin from a coin dealer, you may wish to know what your relationship with that dealer is going to be like.

One final note in comparing dealers: you should check to see what each dealer's rating with the Better Business Bureau is before making your final buying decision.

ITM Trading offer expert advice on how to buy gold coins including rare gold coins.

Going green - how do you know if a product is green?

If you want to help the environment and go green, here are some tips to get you started. Why go green at all? What exactly is green? How do you know which items to purchase? There are many people out there looking to cash in on the green fad. How to shop safely.

So, do you really want to do your part? Do you want to help the environment, the economy and future generations? Everyone is going green these days and it's a good thing. It shows that people are becoming more conscious of their impact on the world around them. There are so many things that our society wastes. We waste food, water, building materials such as wood from trees and many many more. It's disgusting when you think about all of that money wasted. Think of the time that's wasted too. If you don't change the way you live and shop - you will be leaving the world in a terrible state for future generations.

Do you want to go green? What exactly is going green? What exactly makes a product a green product? If you check the label or item description from the manufacturer - you should see no harmful chemical. All of the ingredients and materials should be easily found in the earth. They should be made using natural processes. Don't buy products that were made in a lab using all kinds of nasty substances. Going green means saying no to harmful toxins and unsafe chemicals in your home or workplace.

Green products must be made using methods that are environmentally friendly. There's more to going green than just leaving out toxic chemicals. We must use methods to produce our goods and services that are sustainable. Think about some of the factories you have seen. They produce a lot of items. They also produce a lot of waste material. It seems like madness when you really think about it. There is absolutely no reason to be spending more just to produce less. Don't let the big guys at the top play with your future, just so they can make a few quick dollars. Green products are products that are good for the earth, the economy and everyone on it. If this isn't true about a product that a manufacturer is offering - it's not green. Don't buy it!

Go green and do your part for our environment.

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How Do Antioxidants Work?

In this contemporary world no one has spare time to spend some enjoyable moments with family and friends. Every one has a busy schedule which many times lead to disturbance of health. It is a fact that health needs proper care. But due to lack of time and business we fail to provide complete nutrition to our body. As we all know that our body requires proper amount of vitamins and minerals to work properly. Vitamins and minerals help in making thousands of hormones, enzymes and other chemicals which helps in proper functioning of our body. These vitamins and minerals also have another role to play in our body. They act as antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants are those which help in improving health and in addition also protect the body from several chronic diseases like cancer, HIV etc. Some of the foods which are rich in antioxidants are pomegranates, blueberries, dark chocolate, Green tea etc. Many people ask the question about how antioxidants work.

If you also want to know that how do antioxidants work, then read on this article till the end as it can give you some useful information about the question "how do antioxidants work". Antioxidants are the substances which capture the free radicals in our body thus protect our body from several diseases. Antioxidants are vital for our body as lack of antioxidants in the body can make us more prone to diseases. Before studying that how do antioxidants work, first let us learn that what free radicals are. Free radicals are basically unstable oxygen atoms which are generally produced by several natural processes of our body or by the adverse effects of several toxins like smoke of cigarette. Free radicals are very harmful for our body cells as they are very reactive but they are also being used by our immune system to fight against various harmful bacteria. Free radicals can also cause cancer in our body and can also lead to several heart diseases. So, it is very essential that we should have plenty of antioxidants in our body so that all the free radicals can be captured.

Basically there are three vitamins that can be considered as antioxidants. They include vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A (beta-carotene). However, there are some more substances which have antioxidant properties. These substances can include flavonoids (fruits and vegetables), trace mineral etc. Antioxidants works as body's natural defense against the free radicals present inside our body. Let us learn something more about how do antioxidants work. Basically antioxidants are the enzymes that move around our body cells in search of free radicals. Whenever they find any free radical in the body, they capture it and neutralize it. In this process of neutralizing the free radicals, the antioxidants do not damage themselves. After neutralizing the free radical, the antioxidant removes the radical from the circulation.

Now you must have learned that how do antioxidants work. But the major thing which you have to keep in mind is that in order to capture all the free radicals in your body you should have plenty of antioxidants that is vitamin A, C, E and several fruits and vegetables. The reason of this is that because if your body will not have proper amount of minerals and vitamins, then your body will not be able to produce sufficient amount of antioxidants because of which you will become more prone to diseases. This will also allow the free radicals to damage your body from inside which can lead to several chronic diseases. So, it is recommended that one should take in those food stuffs which have plenty of antioxidants as it helps us in fighting various diseases and also helps us in maintaining a good health.

Now you have completely learned that how do antioxidants work. But taking in antioxidants in right amount is not enough for maintaining a proper health. You should also perform regular workouts so that you can increase your rate of metabolism which ultimately helps in keeping yourself fit. You should also avoid fatty foods as it leads to obesity. You can also take help of physiotherapist or dietitians to maintain a proper amount of antioxidants in your body.

If you still have any doubt that how do antioxidants work then you can take help of several books that can provide you a detail study about antioxidants.

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