Gold Investing - Other Gold Markings

In my article on Gold Weights and Measures, I mention the Karatage system for determining the purity of a gold item such as jewelry. If an item is marked 24K, it is pure gold. If you see 12K, it is 50 % gold mixed with some other metal(s).

If you have gone through your items that may contain gold, you may have seen other markings that are not as well known. Let me explain a few of the more common ones you may see.

R. G. P. - These initials stand for Rolled Gold Plate

H. G. E. - This means Heavy Gold Electroplated

G. F. - Means Gold Filled

Unfortunately, items containing these markings contain very little gold as they indicate a thin sheet of gold covering some sort of cheap metal. You would be lucky to find a dealer interested in these types of items. If you are thinking of purchasing an item with one of the above markings, be aware of the tiny amount of gold they actually contain.

Happy investing.

Investing In Gold Bars (and Ingots)

Gold investors in the U.S. tend to favor gold coins over gold bars and ingots which differs from gold investors in other parts of the world. Gold bars are highly prized elsewhere as an investment and maybe you want to look at a modest investment in them.

Gold bars come in various sizes to fit most any investing budget. The smallest size is just one gram followed by 2.5 grams, 5 grams, 10 grams, 20 grams, 31.103 grams (1 Troy ounce), 50 grams and 100 grams. Gold bars have a hallmark stamped on them which states the producer, size and purity of the gold bar - typically 999.9 fine gold.

If you are looking for a variety in your gold investments, gold bars may be right for you.

Happy investing.

Gold Coins and Bag Marks

You would think that gold coins that have never been in circulation would have no marks on them. It is true they wouldn't have wear marks like circulated coins do. But, unless they have received special handling at the mint, there is a good chance they will have bag marks otherwise known as contact marks.

So just what are bag marks? They are marks mainly caused by the coins being dropped in sacks (along with several other coins) at the mint and the handling of these bags as they transported to one or more destinations. The coins coming into contact with other coins can cause minor nicks or other flaws that mar the surface of the coin. Large gold coins are especially prone to bag marks since gold is such a soft metal.

There are several grades of uncirculated coins. An MS-70 coin (a perfect coin) would have no bag marks - probably due to special handling of the coin. Any grade below that would have some sort of flaw with the lowest uncirculated grade of MS-60 having the most serious of the bag marks.

Happy investing.