Whether as an investment or simply as a hobby, many people like to collect gold coins. Becoming a collector can be an interesting and lucrative undertaking. There are many gold coins available for collectors to purchase, and it is important to gain a basic understanding of them before making any investments.
The best gold coins to buy are the UK Sovereign, Canadian Maple Leaf, American Eagle, Australian Sovereign, South African Kruggerand, Chinese Panda, Austrian 24k Philharmonic, 22k Saint Gaudens Double Eagle, Lady Liberty Double Eagle, and Australian Gold Nugget. As some of their names imply, these coins hail from different countries and have different attributes that make them valuable. Would-be collectors should learn more about each of these coins in order to determine which one is the proper investment.
The UK Sovereign is particularly prized by American collectors because this coin can be rather difficult to find in the United States. The first gold sovereign in the United Kingdom has been traced back to King Henry VII’s reign in 1489. The sovereign continued to be issued for the next 115 years until it was discontinued by the ruler James I. There were no more gold sovereigns issued until the modern version was made in 1817.
The year 1816 represented a major change in the process of making British coins. The Tower of London purchased steam-powered coining presses and began making the modern sovereign. The design on the reverse of the coin featured Saint George slaying a dragon. This design is still on the gold sovereigns made today, making this coin one of the most widely recognized in the world.
In 1917, the Royal Mint’s production of gold sovereign ceased due to Britain’s introduction of paper money. In 1957, production restarted and since 1979, these coins have been struck every year and offered for sale to collectors. Anyone making a decision to buy gold coins should invest in the UK Sovereign due to its rich history and rarity in the United States.