In an age of market uncertainty and fluctuating currencies, precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum remain time-tested stores of value. Learning about investing in these assets isn’t just about diversifying your portfolio—it’s about protecting your wealth against inflation, geopolitical risks, and economic downturns. By understanding how metals behave differently from stocks and bonds, investors can make more informed decisions that balance growth with stability. At Great American Coin Company, it's our goal to give you the understanding to confidently invest in these assets. The articles featured here are aimed at helping you gain the knowledge that we have accumulated over the years.
Recent Posts
Where to Sell Silver Certificates: Options and What to Expect
Selling silver certificates is generally straightforward, but the channel chosen and the preparation done beforehand have a real impact on the outcome. Common circulated notes may not command large...
Where to Buy Silver Certificates
Silver certificates are one of the more accessible areas of U.S. paper money collecting. Common examples are widely available at modest prices, and rarer series — while harder to find — surface reg...
Can You Still Redeem Silver Certificates?
Silver certificates were originally designed to be exchanged for physical silver — that was the entire premise behind them. Today, many people who find or inherit silver certificates want to know w...
1957 Silver Certificates: Series, Varieties, and What They're Worth
The Series 1957 $1 silver certificate is the last widely circulated silver certificate series issued by the United States Treasury. Printed in three sub-series across the late 1950s and early 1960s...
What Makes a Silver Certificate Valuable? Key Factors Explained
Not all silver certificates are created equal. Two notes from the same general era can look nearly identical to an untrained eye but carry very different values in the collector market. Understandi...
1935 Silver Certificates: Series, Varieties, and What They're Worth
The Series 1935 $1 silver certificate is the most commonly encountered silver certificate in existence. Billions were printed across multiple sub-series spanning more than two decades, and many sur...
How Much Are Silver Certificates Worth? A Complete Valuation Guide
How Much Are Silver Certificates Worth? A Complete Valuation Guide One of the most common questions about silver certificates is a simple one: what are they actually worth? The answer depends on s...
A Brief History of Silver Certificates: When They Were Made and Why
Silver certificates have a history that stretches across nearly a century of American economic and political life. Understanding that history helps explain not only what these notes are, but why th...
Silver certificates are among the most recognizable pieces of old United States currency still in circulation today. Millions of Americans have encountered one tucked inside an old wallet, inherite...
How to Sell Gold Bullion: What to Expect and How to Get Fair Value
Introduction Selling gold bullion is often simpler than many investors expect, but understanding the process helps ensure a smooth and fair transaction. Whether selling to rebalance a portfolio, me...
How to Store Gold and Silver Bullion Safely
Introduction Owning physical gold and silver bullion comes with an important responsibility: secure storage. Unlike digital assets or paper investments, precious metals require thoughtful planning ...
Is Gold Bullion a Good Hedge Against Inflation?
Introduction Inflation reduces the purchasing power of money over time, making it a major concern for investors focused on long-term wealth preservation. As prices rise, many people look for assets...
Gold vs. Silver Bullion: Which Is the Better Investment?
Introduction Gold and silver are the two most commonly purchased precious metals, and investors often compare them when deciding how to allocate capital. While both metals share some similarities, ...
Understanding Gold Purity: What 24K, 22K, and .999 Fine Mean
Introduction Gold purity is one of the most important characteristics of any gold product, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood. Terms like 24 karat, 22 karat, and .999 fine are commonly us...
What Is a Gold Bar? Sizes, Purity, and Uses Explained
Introduction Gold bars are one of the most efficient and widely recognized ways to own physical gold. While gold coins are often more familiar to new buyers, gold bars play a major role in both ind...
A Beginner’s Guide to Buying Gold Bullion
Introduction Buying gold bullion for the first time can feel intimidating. Prices fluctuate, terminology can be unfamiliar, and many buyers worry about making costly mistakes. Fortunately, purchasi...
How Gold Bullion Is Priced: Spot Price, Premiums, and Market Forces
Introduction One of the most common questions new buyers ask is why the price of gold bullion differs from the gold price they see quoted in the news. The short answer is that bullion pricing invol...
Bullion vs Numismatic Coins: Key Differences Every Precious Metals Buyer Should Know
Introduction One of the most common points of confusion for new precious metals buyers is the difference between bullion coins and numismatic coins. While both are made from gold or silver and may ...
Why Are Gold Prices Increasing? Key Factors Driving the Market
Introduction Gold prices tend to attract attention during periods of economic uncertainty, rising inflation, or financial market volatility. When prices move higher, many investors ask the same que...
Caring for and Preserving Your Bullion Coins
Caring for and Preserving Your Bullion Coins For collectors, protecting the condition of bullion coins is just as important as acquiring them. Whether you collect for aesthetics, historical signifi...
Top 10 Mistakes Beginners Make When Buying Bullion
Top 10 Mistakes Beginners Make When Buying Bullion (Category: Beginner-Friendly Guides) Entering the world of precious metals is exciting, but for beginners, it can also be intimidating. Missteps a...
How to Start a Precious Metals Collection
How to Start a Precious Metals Collection (Category: Collector-Focused Topics) Collecting precious metals is more than a hobby—it’s a way to combine the joy of ownership with the potential for long...
The History of Gold Prices Over the Last 100 Years
The History of Gold Prices Over the Last 100 Years (Category: Market Trends and Analysis) Gold is often seen as a timeless store of value, but its price has fluctuated significantly over the last c...
How to Identify Fake Gold and Silver Bullion
How to Identify Fake Gold and Silver Bullion With gold and silver growing in popularity as investment tools, the market has also seen a rise in counterfeit bullion—especially from overseas sources....
Spot Price vs. Premium: What You Really Pay for Precious Metals
Spot Price vs. Premium: What You Really Pay for Precious Metals When buying gold, silver, or other precious metals, you’ll often hear about the spot price—but what you actually pay is usually more....
How Gold and Silver Are Refined: From Ore to Bullion
How Gold and Silver Are Refined: From Ore to Bullion Gold and silver have fascinated humanity for thousands of years, not only for their beauty but also for their rarity and enduring value. But bef...
Bullion vs. Numismatic Coins: Key Differences Explained
Bullion vs. Numismatic Coins: Key Differences Explained Not all precious metal coins are created equal. Investors and collectors must distinguish between bullion coins and numismatic coins, as they...
Understanding Precious Metal Purity and Fineness
Understanding Precious Metal Purity and Fineness Purity is one of the most important factors influencing the value of precious metals. Knowing how fineness is measured helps buyers compare and eval...
What Is a Troy Ounce and How Is It Measured?
What Is a Troy Ounce and How Is It Measured? When buying or selling precious metals, you’ll encounter the term troy ounce, the global standard for measuring gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. U...