It’s common for first-time gold investors to make certain assumptions when exploring available options. For instance, you might shy away from coins and only prefer bars because you want “real gold.” In reality, any form of gold in solid form is “bullion.” As for whether or not it’s real gold, the precious metals experts from First National Bullion and Coin offer the following guidelines about what you need to know as you prepare to buy or invest.

Gold Bullion Is Tradable Gold

Gold is defined as being a type of heavy metal, and gold bullion is a tradable solid form of gold, which means it has a specific value based on its physical gold content. It also has a recognized weight and firmness that allows it to be purchased or sold based on the current price of gold plus any applicable fees.

“Real Gold” Isn’t Just Found in Bars

You may think of “real gold” as being large bars of gold, so let’s look at just what gold bars are. They are, in fact, refined metallic gold, which is real gold that’s tangible and assigned a specific value. Bars of gold are produced by pouring molten metal into molds to form ingots. Gold bullion with a determinable gold content can also be in the form of:

• Gold coins – Typically higher premium, gold coins are legal tender produced by recognized governments.

• Gold rounds – Usually lower premium in terms of quality, gold rounds are often produced by private mints and not recognized as official currency.

• Collectible gold – This refers to any type of solid gold produced for a collectible purpose (e.g., specially minted commemorative Olympic gold coins).

Consider Gold Bullion that’s Easier to Handle

If you want to buy what’s normally perceived as physical gold, you can always buy large bars of solid gold. However, these bars can be difficult to store and costly to liquidate. Because gold bullion from a reputable dealer will have verifiable gold content and it’s available in different sizes and values, it’s much more practical and convenient to store and trade. This makes it even more appealing if you intend to trade or sell your gold.

Newer Gold Coins Are Typically Pure Gold

Gold coins are another form of gold bullion that can be easier to purchase, collect, trade, or sell. With coins, gold content is largely dependent on when a coin was produced. Typically, gold coins minted from 1800 through most of the 20th century are 90 to 92 percent gold, or about 22 karat gold. However, today’s gold bullion coins are often pure gold.

Buy from a Reputable Precious Metals Dealer

As long as you buy gold from a reputable precious metals dealer or other reliable source, you should know with certainty how pure your purchases are. Bars of gold typically have their purity stamped right on them. Gold bullion coins from reputable sources usually come with documentation that states their purity. You can always have your gold bullion appraised if you want further proof of its gold content.

No matter what type of precious metals they’re looking to buy or sell, from palladium bars to silver bullion or gold coins, San Diego residents trust the reputable dealers at First National Bullion and Coin. You can rely on our experienced professionals when you’re looking to add precious metals to your collection or investment portfolio. Call one of our precious metals experts today at 858-666-6570.

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.