Articles from year 2005
 

We’re Gone for the Year, Back on January 2, 2006
(December 24, 2005) At this time we say goodbye to another year, this one having been one of gold’s most exciting in a couple of decades. Gold prices pushed $540 in December, which was the most fun that the hard yellow metal has had since 1982.   Click for full story.

5 Days of Trading & Gold Drops 4.7%
(December 16, 2005) All good parabolic rises in prices must come to a peak, and gold prices reached that level last Friday. This week, a market that could only go up, reversed itself and could only go down. Technically, the bloom is, at least for now, off the rose.  Click for full story.

5 Days of Trading & Gold’s Up Another 5%
(December 10, 2005) The recent surge in gold prices continued on this week, with New York markets ending Friday’s trading at $527 spot price, a level not seen since April of 1981. Fundamentally, gold is in a low supply, high demand position. Technically, the stuff is on fire. Click for full story.

Gold at a New Magic Number
(December 2, 2005) Gold prices reached the long-awaited $500 level this week, closing in New York trading at $502.50 on December 1st. The next day’s 2nd London fix was exactly the same, while Friday afternoon saw New York markets close at $503.30, with aftermarket trading at the $505.00 level. Click for full story.

Wow, Pow, Holy Cow! Gold on a Roll
(Nov 18,2005) Gold prices in US dollars surged $30 in nine trading days, catapulting from $456 on Monday November 7th to close at $486 on Thursday November 17th. A ‘buzz’ is growing about gold, now trading within chump change of the once unimaginable $500 level Click for full story.

Gold Has Some Scary Issues
(October 31, 2005) The old saying is that there are two things that you never want to see being made: sausage and legislation. A series of articles this past week in the New York Times may have you adding the mining of gold to that list, and just at a time when you may need gold the most.  Click for full story.

A Hedgehog’s Notes From All Over
(October 20, 2005) “The fox knows many things, the hedgehog only one. But it's a big one.” Roughly translated, so said the Greek poet Achilochus. This week, we will amble amiably from hedge to hedge, touching gold everywhere.  Click for full story.

Where Have All the Dragons Gone?
(October 1, 2005)  In the midst of our current gold rally, and concurrent with the introduction of the 2006 Australian Lunar Series Dog coins, the year 2000 1-ounce gold Dragon has taken off on a trajectory all it own. What is the Lunar Series with the Dragon out of sight?  Click for full story.

Our Busiest Week, Ever
(Sept 24, 2005) Record gold prices this week brought out record amounts of trading in physical gold holdings. Many long-time gold-holders sold at the highest prices seen in 17 years, thereby filling the demands of buyers who feel that we’re on the brink of the biggest gold bull market since the Carter years.  Click for full story.

US Dollar Slumps to 17-year Low Against Gold
(September 16, 2005) Gold climbed over the past two months towards the US$450 level, this week finally breaking through in spectacular fashion to trade above US$460. It now takes more dollars to buy an ounce of gold than at any time since June of 1988. Where’s the confidence?  Click for full story.

Why Would You Renovate a Coin Shop Anyway
(September 4, 2005) We just finished ‘freshening up’ our showroom and offices, including paint, tile, carpet, and rejuvenated fixtures. History was uncovered, numismatic debris boxed and hauled out, and like a lot of painful experiences, it feels so good to stop. Click for full story

United States Mint Recovers 10 Famed Double Eagles
(WASHINGTON, August 11, 2005) The United States Mint has recovered ten more of the fabled 1933 Double Eagle gold pieces. These numismatic artifacts were illegally removed from the United States Mint at Philadelphia more than 70 years ago.   Click for full story

While We Weren't Watching Gold Climbed
(August 8, 2005)  August begins the 10th month of gold trading between $418 and $458, as gold climbs 2% in a week to $438. In a word, the gold market has been flat, not unlike the past 26 years during which gold has traded, in unadjusted dollar terms, at between $250 and $850. So when does gold inflate? Click for full story

A-Mark Precious Metals Bought By GMAI
(July18, 2005) Greg Manning Auctions, Inc., announced today its purchase of A-Mark Precious Metals for $20 million in cash. A-Mark, the largest precious metals company in the US, had projected 2005 sales of some $2.5 billion. $20 million may seem like a bargain, but it's about 10 times A-Mark’s annual earnings Click for full story

Holy Moly, Is It July Already?
(July 5, 2005) What exactly was there to report in June: Inflation? The real estate "bubble" was on every magazine cover on the planet. The dollar? China would like to recycle some by buying Unocal, but Uncle Sam says that won’t fly. Gold? For the first time ever, it takes over 350 euro notes to buy an ounce of gold. Now that's news!  Click for full story

Fun With Gold Numbers!
(June8, 2005) Do you like big numbers with lots of zeroes? Do you know how much gold there is in the world? Do you know what the current and, worse still, projected US federal deficit is? Which do you think is bigger, the Microsoft Corporation, or all the gold in Fort Knox? Click for full story

Eagles Versus the Unknown
(May 28, 2005) Last month the US Mint announced that in 2006 it will launch a new gold bullion coin of .9999 purity. This has made some holders of the current US gold Eagle nervous. Although the success of the new program is far from certain, the question is: What should gold Eagle owners do now?  Click for full story

Of Frogs and People - Being a Trifle Concerned with a Broken-down Fiat
(May 13, 2005) Business as usual means accepting your financial fate in your home country’s currency. It's not really ignorance, or even apathy. We'll call it inertia as a US citizen takes a bath, tepid at first...  Click for full story

US Mint to Introduce 24-Karat Gold Bullion Investment Coin in 2006
(April 19, 2005) The US Mint this morning announced the coming of a new gold bullion program featuring 99.99% pure gold bullion coins. The Mint's current gold Eagle bullion coin, which in its 20-year history has come to dominate the domestic bullion market, is struck in 22-karat (91.67% pure) gold. Click for full story

Taking Out the (Euro) Trash
(April 7, 2005) The value relationships amongst the dollar, euro, yen, and, most importantly these days, the Chinese renminbi effect the direction, size and trends of our global economy. Trading the sinking dollar for another currency merely shifts your risk across the ocean – and what would your possible winnings look like?  Click for full story

Fed Finds Inflation, Flips Inflection, Mystifies Masses
(March 23, 2005) On Tuesday, the Federal Reserve Bank, as expected, raised the federal funds rate by a quarter-point, its seventh such move since mid-2004. But a subtle change in verbiage threw the stock, bond, foreign exchange and precious metals markets into a tizzy. Click for full story