Gold and Silver Bullion Mints

Mints are facilities that manufacture legal tender coinage, as well as bullion bars, rounds and collectors coins. There are both government owned and privately run mints which have been producing coins and bullion, as well as other types of metals for some time. The earliest money that was composed of metal did not come in the form of coins, but rather simple pieces of metal that took the form of rings or ornaments. Metals were in the past as they are today; symbolic of strength and stability. In addition, precious metals have been popular in representing wealth for many reasons including their scarcity, durability and ease of exchange. Physical metals are also heavily purchased today as an investment vehicle.

When investors are buying precious metals today, they often look for a product which has been sourced from or produced by a trusted mint that has been in business for a reasonable amount of time. This can give the investor peace of mind knowing that their bullion is the correct weight and purity and has been put out by a company with a good reputation. Many of today's most popular mints also have a reputation for product quality which is factored into many physical metal investors' purchases. Below we will talk about the major types of gold and silver bullion and which types of mints produce them.

Government Minted Coins

A coin is a metallic object, usually round in shape that has been produced by a sovereign entity to be used as currency. Coins have a face value, meaning that they are considered good, legal tender. Proof coins, even though they may be more appealing to collectors and not used as money, are still considered to be coins because they do carry a face value. If a coin does not carry a face value, it is then referred to as a round. The generally accepted definition of a coin simply states that a coin must have been produced by a sovereign or government entity to be used as money or currency. That being said, coins do come in several different types.

Precious Metal/Bullion Coins

Coins are also made from precious metals and are purchased by private investors and coin collectors. These types of coins carry a face value but the majority of their value lies within their metal content. For example, an American Gold Eagle coin has a face value of $50. The value of the coin, however, is tied to the price of gold. A one ounce American gold eagle contains one troy ounce of fine gold. With the price of gold currently trading at about $1220 per ounce, the gold eagle has an approximate value of $1276. In other words, the coin is worth far more than its $50 face value.

Collectible Coins

Certain types of coins are also coveted by collectors. These coins have a value that may be far beyond the face value and bullion content. Coins that have a degree of rarity, have errors, or are otherwise in limited supply may be bought by collectors. Collectible coin values can reach dramatic heights, and the sky is the limit. The rarer a particular coin is the greater value that it may have to collectors.

Privately Minted Bullion

On top of precious metal coins, investors can purchase bullion which is available in the shape of bars or rounds. Bullion is minted in all metals, including gold, silver, platinum, palladium and even copper. There are tons of private minting companies who produce medallions, rounds, bars and other types of bullion so it can be important to buy a quality product made by a trusted mint to ensure you are getting the best value. It also makes it easier to sell bullion when it is from a reliable and well-recognized brand if you ever decided to liquidate your investment.

In addition to privately minted bullion, there is government manufactured bullion. There are a few government owned mints that also offer bullion products on top of their investment coins. Such mints include the Royal Canadian Mint, Perth Mint and Austrian Mint among a few others. While government bullion is made with the same purity and weight standards as privately minted items, some investors like to buy these types of metal because they are backed by the government.

Choosing the Right Mint

When you are looking to buy coins, whether they are circulation, bullion or collectible, you will likely want to buy coins produced by a trusted source. The U.S. mint, for example, has a reputation of producing the highest quality bullion bars and coins. In purchasing bullion made from a trusted source, you can feel comfortable knowing that you are purchasing a quality product that contains the appropriate amount of metal. In addition, buying from a trusted source can give you more peace of mind.

Here at JM Bullion, we buy coins and bullion only from trusted mints with track records of quality. The U.S. Mint, the Royal Canadian Mint and PAMP Suisse are just a few of the many mints we purchase from. We inspect all of our inventory thoroughly to make sure our customers are receiving only the highest quality bullion and coins.

Customer satisfaction is priority number one, and we take it very seriously. In addition to providing our customers with only the highest quality bullion and coin products, we offer free shipping and generous volume discounts. We think you will find that when purchasing from JM Bullion, you are getting the highest quality products at the best possible pricing. We strive to make our entire customer experience flawless, and it all starts with quality products from trusted sources.