First discovered by the ancient Mesopotamians somewhere around 2600 BC, gold has a long history of being a highly valued and desired precious metal and commodity. If you have an interest in gold bullion, there are some interesting facts about gold in solid form you may appreciate knowing and/or sharing. Read about five of them below, brought to you by the experts from First National Bullion. Carlsbad precious metals collectors know they can rely on us for high-quality service and unmatched reliability.
1. The Largest Known Gold Nugget Was Found “Down Under”
Gold nuggets are usually on the small side. However, this wasn’t the case with a massive nugget found by miners John Deason and Richard Oates in 1869. Discovered in Moliagul, Australia, the sizable nugget, given the name “Welcome Stranger,” weighed in at more than 2,500 ounces. London’s Royal Mint eventually purchased the nugget and melted it down to create sovereigns.
2. An Early 1900s Gold Coin Is Worth More than $2 Million
Coins are still a popular form of gold bullion because of how easy it is to trade and store gold in this form. But there are some gold coins you may want to hang on to if you get your hands on them. One of these is a satin proof Indian $10 gold eagle. Featuring a rolled edge, this 1907 coin sold in 2011 for $2,185,000. There are rumors another one of these coins sold for more than $3 million in 2015, although this hasn’t been verified, since it was a private transaction.
3. The Largest Physical Gold Reserve Isn’t at Fort Knox
According to the U.S. Mint, Fort Knox, the well-known army installation in Kentucky, currently houses 147.3 million ounces of gold in solid form. This is certainly impressive, but this isn’t where you’ll find the most physical gold stored in one place. That honor goes to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which holds approximately 6,800 metric tons of gold. That’s more than 25 percent of the gold in the entire world!
4. The Largest Pure Manufactured Gold Bar Was Made by a Car Company
Mitsubishi is largely known as a Japan-based automaker, so you may be surprised to learn the company also makes gold bullion bars. In fact, Mitsubishi actually manufactures gold bars. One bar that might be out of most people’s price range is a 250 kg bar produced by the company in 2005 and stamped as 999.9 fine gold. It currently holds the world record as the largest pure manufactured gold bar.
5. A Lot of the Gold Mined in the World Is Probably Still Around
According to Gold.org, nearly 200,000 metric tons of gold have been mined throughout human history. Two-thirds of this gold is believed to have been mined since 1950. Another interesting point to consider is that most or all of this gold is likely still around today in one form or another, since gold is virtually indestructible.
If you’re looking for the best place to purchase Carlsbad gold and bullion as well as platinum and other precious metals, reach out to the trustworthy professionals at First National Bullion. We can answer all your questions and help you find all the information you need on how precious metals can be great investments. Give one of our experienced dealers a call today at (760) 253-8072.
The statements made in this blog are opinions, and past performance is not indicative of future returns. Precious metals, like all investments, carry risk. Precious metals and coins may appreciate, depreciate, or stay the same in cash value depending on a variety of factors. First National Bullion does not guarantee, and its website and employees make no representation, that any metals for sale will appreciate sufficiently to earn the customers a profit. The decision to buy, sell, or borrow precious metals and which precious metals to purchase, borrow, or sell are made at the customer’s sole discretion.