This post is about the Top 10 Gold Bullion Coins. These are the very best gold bullion coins. They are the purest and most liquid gold bullion coins on the market.
Since 2019, gold has been soaring. With the global economy struggling due to the Coronavirus pandemic, more and more people are buying gold as a store of value to protect their wealth in uncertain times.
Traditionally, investors preferred to buy paper gold in the form of ETFs that track the underlying metal. But recent events in the paper gold market has shaken the confidence of some investors. As a result, more of them prefer to hold physical gold instead of the paper.
Gold bullion coins are certainly one of the most popular forms of owning physical gold. So here is my list of the top 10 Gold Bullion Coins.
Many of these coins can be purchased from my favorite source: Silver Gold Bull – Your Trusted Bullion Dealer
#1 Canadian Gold Maple Leaf
This is not simply a case of home country bias as the Gold Canadian Maple is recognized worldwide.
This was the only 24-karat pure gold bullion coin (0.999) available anywhere in the world when it first appeared in 1979. The Royal Canadian Mint has produced these each year, ever since.
Today, the coins have a purity of 0.9999 and include a variety of security features that no other gold bullion coin offers.
The security features on the 1OZ coin include radial lines and a laser engraved maple leaf that can be scanned and digitally verified. So in effect the RCM has created BitGold!
Many investors are attracted to the design which features the iconic Canadian Maple Leaf on the reverse, and the monarch’s effigy on the obverse. In addition to the standard 1 ounce coin, Canadian Maples come in a variety of fractional ounce pieces too. There is the half ounce, quarter ounce, 1/10 ounce, and the 1/20 ounce.
#2 USA Gold Buffalo
The US Mint introduced the 24-karat (0.9999) Gold Buffalo in 2006 and it remains the only pure gold bullion coin made by the USA.
The design is based on the Indian Head nickel and is absolutely beautiful. The coin has a face value of $50.
#3 American Gold Eagle
The American Gold Eagle is probably the most stacked gold coins in the world. First released in 1986, this coin is made of 22-karat (0.9167) Gold. A copper silver alloy is added to increase the coin’s durability.
The alloys add some weight to the coin, but each coin is guaranteed by the U.S. government to contain the stated amount of actual gold weight in troy ounces. So these coins tend to be slightly larger than the buffalo’s and Maples.
The Gold Eagle comes in the standard 1 OZ coin as well as a variety of half ounce, quarter ounce and 1/10 ounce sizes.
#4 UK Gold Britannia
Britannia gold bullion coins were first issued by the Royal Mint in 1987. From 1987 to 2012 the coins were 22-karat (0.917 purity) and from 2013 they are 24-karat (0.9999).
The designs feature various depictions of Britannia, a feminine personification of the United Kingdom.
In addition to the standard 1OZ coin, a variety of fractional sizes are also produced. These include the half ounce, quarter ounce, 1/10 ounce and 1/20 once. There is also a 5 ounce Britannia too!
#5 Chinese Gold Panda
The Chinese Gold Panda coin is the official gold bullion coin of the Peoples Republic of China. The coin was first introduced in 1982, and has been offered every year since. Each year features a new design of the iconic Giant Panda on the reverse side.
Chinese Pandas are popular among collectors because who doesn’t want a gold panda coin!
The coins are made of 24-karat gold (0.999) and are available in a variety of standard sizes from the 1 ounce coin to a variety of fractional pieces. Interestingly, the coins are also offered in sizes weighed by grams (ie. 30 gram, 15 gram, 8 gram, 3 gram, 1 gram).
#6 Australian Gold Kangaroo
The Perth Mint has emerged over the years as a big competitor to the Royal Canadian Mint on the world bullion market.
The first Australian gold bullion coin was introduced in 1986 as the Australian Gold Nugget. In 1990, the Perth Mint changed the design to a kangaroo and they have been marketed ever since as the Australian Gold Kangaroo.
Gold Kangaroos are available in the standard 1 OZ size as well as various fractional sizes such as half ounce, quarter ounce, 1/10 oz and 1/20 oz.
#7 Austrian Gold Philharmonic
One of the most popular gold bullion coins in Europe (and the world) is the Austrian Philharmonic. First introduced in 1989, the coin comes in the standard 1OZ size as well as the following fractional sizes: half ounce, quarter ounce, 1/10 ounce and 1/25 ounce.
The coins are made of 24-karat pure gold (0.9999).
#8 South African Gold Krugerrand
The South African Krugerrand is one of the world’s most popular gold bullion coins.
The Krugerrand is a 1 ounce gold coin first introduced in 1967 as a vehicle for private ownership of gold. It was minted in a copper-gold alloy which is more durable than pure gold.
By 1980, the Krugerrand accounted for 90% of the global gold coin market. That year, South Africa introduced three smaller coins with a half troy ounce, quarter ounce, and tenth ounce of gold.
Krugerrand are 22-karat (0.9167 pure) gold coins. The copper alloy gives them a bronze like appearance similar to the American Gold Eagle.
#9 Mexican Gold Libertad
The Mexican Mint has been minting the Libertad since 1981. The coin is 24-karat (0.999 pure) gold and comes in the following sizes: 1 ounce, half ounce, quarter ounce, 1/10 oz, 1/20 oz.
The obverse features the Mexican coat of arms and the reverse features the Angel of Independence.
#10 Royal Canadian Mint 0.99999 $200 Gold Bullion Coin
I put this series of gold bullion coins last because of the extra premium they command due to a gold purity of 0.99999 (that’s 5 9s). These are great coins but at the end of the day you still have 1 ounce of pure gold. I’m not sure the extra decimal point in purity is really worth the extra premium.
That said, these coins come encapsulated with an assay card and the designs are among the best ever produced by the mint. The designs include various Canadian icons like the Moose, Wolf, Grizzly, and Cougar.
Protecting Gold Bullion Coins
All of these coins can be handled but the coin collector in me demands that I keep my coins in pristine condition. This also helps their resale value.
So I buy coin capsules to keep my gold bullion coins in the best possible condition.
Check out Amazon for some Coin Capsules
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Thanks for reading Top 10 Gold Bullion Coins.