Monday, 11 July 2011

You Could Be Investing In American Silver Eagles

By Gregory Paul


People have admired and valued the metal silver from earliest times. There is significant archaeological proof ancient peoples living along the Aegean Sea were among the first to have separated precious metals from lead. This occurred more than five millennia ago. Currently investing in American Silver Eagles is quite common.

The old inhabitants of Samaria and Egypt made use of precious metals in trade, but in the form of wire and ingots, not as coins. The famed King Croesus of Lydia is credited with being the first to create struck coins used for commerce. His kingdom was located in what is today western Turkey.

The next locales to pick up on striking of coins were the Greek city-states. Philip of Macedon learned this from his Greek city-state neighbors. The son of Philip, Alexander the Great, helped spread the practice of coinage as he broadened his empire through military conquest.

The Spanish Empire in the New World produced massive quantities of precious metal coins in the sixteenth century. The very first Spanish mint in the New World was in Mexico City and it began operation in 1535. The British never established a mint in North America. Therefore, American colonial settlers used Spanish coins, as well as those from several other European nations in addition to coins from Britain.

The first mint in the U. S. Opened its doors in 1792. The last gold coins intended for everyday purchases in the U. S. Were produced in 1933 and the last of pure silver in 1964. On November 24, 1986, the U. S. Mint began production of the American Silver Eagle coin. This is an official bullion coin. These coins are struck in one-troy ounce size and have the nominal face value of one dollar. They are guaranteed to be 99.9% pure.

Today precious metals produced as coin and other forms such as ingots are often touted as an offset against the devaluation of currencies. In times of great turmoil, such as war, the public may fear that their assets may be seized and the currency become without value. So in times of great economic uncertainty, precious metals increase in demand and therefore value.

There is much discussion in the media about the possibility of inflation strongly entering market forces because national governments are resorting to printing money to to maintain deficit financing. Economic experts on both sides of the question are making persuasive arguments. At this moment in history some experts are saying that it very good time to be investing in American Silver Eagles.




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