Weekly Market Recap 3/27/2009

The United States Government’s plan to rid banks of lethal assets has precious metals investors speculating that the economy and lending groups may be reviving. The news of this plan ignited the biggest rally in stocks since November of 2008 as the Dow Jones gained nearly 500 points early in the week; however, many of these stocks gave up some of their gains by midweek. Overall, the precious metals outlook continues to be good as investors are still very bullish on commodities. If anything, this recession has clearly demonstrated to the world that possessing physical precious metal in your investment portfolio is a must have!

Here is a brief synopsis of the highs and lows in the market and an overview of our very popular bullion and numismatic products here at APMEX.com.

Gold:
Spot Gold prices opened this week at $950.50. The high during the week was on Monday, March 23 at $958.10, while the low for the week occurred on Wednesday, March 25 at $916.00. Gold ended the week down $33.40 at $924.70. This week, 2009 1 oz Gold American Eagles, 2009 Gold Canadian Maple Leafs, 2009 1/10 oz. Gold Maple Leafs, 2009 1 oz Austrian Philharmonics and 1 gram APMEX gold bars were all very popular items at APMEX.com.

Silver:
Spot Silver prices opened the week at $13.74. Active trading pushed silver to a return high of $13.74 on Thursday, March 26 after the lowest point of the week on Wednesday, March 25 when prices dipped to $12.95. At the markets close on Friday, March 27, silver ended the week down $0.37 for the week at $13.37. 2009 Silver American Eagles, 1 oz. Silver Buffalo Rounds, 2009 1 oz Silver Canadian Maples, and 1 oz. Morgan Design Silver Bars were hot items on APMEX.com.

Platinum:
Spot Platinum prices opened this week at $1117.00, and ended the week up at $1130.00. Platinum had a gain of $13.00 throughout the week. Investors were eager to purchase Platinum products this week. The most popular of these items were 1 oz. Platinum Pamp Suisse Bars, 1 oz. Scotiabank Platinum bars, and 1/4 oz Platinum Eagles. These items are live and ready to ship at APMEX.com.

Palladium:
Spot Palladium prices opened this week at $208.50, and ended the week up $16.50 at $225.00. Palladium products continue to be in great demand. This week the 1 oz. Pamp Suisse Palladium Bars, and 10 oz Pamp Suisse Bars were in high demand and APMEX has them in stock and ready for purchase.

Numismatics:
We are here at the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Convention in Baltimore, Maryland which runs from March 26th through 28th. Although the weather outside may be cold and rainy, the activity inside the show is outstanding! Those of us from APMEX are aggressively buying precious metals, coins and currency in all areas. After the first full day (Thursday) we can honestly say that many areas of the marketplace are strong.

During a brief lull in the action on the Bourse Floor, Mike was able to snap a quick picture of Nathan and Robyn, both enjoying the turnout at the Baltimore Coin Show (right).

We are aggressively buying all Pre-1933 US Gold Coins, as well as all types of Gold Bullion coin. We have purchased numerous lots of Obsolete Currency, Large Size currency, Early Proof Sets, Morgan Silver Dollars and much more!

Weekly Market Recap 3/20/2009

Precious metals fluctuated this week but had significant gains in the Wednesday aftermarket. These gains were in response to Wednesday's news that the Federal Reserve would buy more than $1 Trillion in government and mortgage debt to help end the recession and credit crisis that has been looming in the market for some time. Federal purchasing like this will probably only extend the already popular idea of buying metals as an alternative to currency and as a safe haven.

Gold jumped the most this week since September of 2008 and Silver followed suit with large gains in the aftermarket. Virtually every commodity across the board climbed this week as the US dollar continued on its down slide. Savvy investors will try to get their hands on physical metals to avoid the possible high inflation that may be on the horizon due to the seemingly endless supply of newly printed currency by the government.

Here is a brief synopsis of the highs and lows in the market and an overview of our very popular bullion and numismatic products here at APMEX.com.


Gold:
Spot Gold prices opened this week at $928.30. The high during the week was on Thursday March 19 at $965.50, while the low for the week occurred on Wednesday March 18 at $882.70. Gold ended the week up $25.70 at $954.00. This week, 2009 1 oz Gold American Eagles, 2009 Gold Canadian Maple Leafs, 2009 1/20 oz. Gold Maple Leafs, and 2009 1 oz. Gold Krugerrands were all very popular items at APMEX.com.

Silver:
Spot Silver prices opened last week at $13.20. Active trading pushed spot silver to a high of $13.86, at the markets close on Friday March 20, while the low for silver occurred on Wednesday March 18, at $11.89. Silver ended the week up .66 cents at $13.86. 2009 Silver American Eagles, 1 oz. Silver Buffalo Rounds, 2009 Silver Canadian Maples, and 1 oz. Morgan Design Silver Bars were hot items on APMEX.com.

Platinum:
Spot Platinum prices opened last week at $1063.50, and ended the week up at $1125.10. Platinum had a gain of $61.60 throughout the week. Investors were eager to purchase Platinum products this week. The most popular of these items were 1 oz. Platinum Pamp Suisse Bars, 1 oz. Scotiabank Platinum bars, and 2009 1 oz. Platinum Canadian Maple Leafs. These items are live and ready to ship at APMEX.com

Palladium:
Spot Palladium prices opened this week at $199.00, and ended the week up $11.00 at $210.00. Palladium products continue to be in great demand. This week the 1 oz. Pamp Suisse Palladium Bars were in high demand and APMEX has them in stock and ready for purchase.

Numismatics:
The American Numismatic Association’s Mid-Winter “National Money Show” in Portland, Oregon, was predictably successful for most dealers attending this show. This show is an annual event, although the venue moves from place to place each year. Type coins were very strong at this show with Bust Coinage – Bust Halves and Bust Dimes especially - leading the way.

Several of APMEX’s numismatists will be attending the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Convention in Baltimore, Maryland on March 26th through 28th. APMEX will be there to purchase coins, currency and precious metals from the public and dealers in attendance there. If you live anywhere in the Baltimore metro area please stop by Table 1705 and meet us! Next week we will write an update from the show so that you have news from the front lines of numismatics!

The price advance in Gold bullion is impacting Pre-1933 US Gold Coins. There are price advances not only on $20 Liberties and $20 Saint-Gaudens, but also in Type 1 and Type 3 $1.00 Gold Coins. Furthermore, $2.50 Gold Coins (Liberties and Indians), $5.00 Gold Coins (Liberties and Indians), and $10.00 Gold Coins (Liberties and Indians) also benefited from the rise in bullion prices. This breadth of interest in US gold coins is very healthy for the coin market.

Weekly Market Recap March 9, 2009 thru March 13, 2009

Experts say that investing in precious metals will remain a prominent component of the market activity. The price of gold is near an all time high, and the number of Americans who are investing in precious metals is going up, making metals harder and harder to come by. Silver will usually follow in gold’s footsteps and much of the attitude will be influenced by the value of the US dollar and other economic trends as we move into next week. The near and long term outlook remains positive. Savvy investors would be wise to continue or start purchasing metals as a hedge against the struggling markets and economy.

Here is a brief synopsis of the highs and lows in the market and an overview of our very popular bullion and numismatic products here at www.APMEX.com.

Gold:
Spot Gold prices opened this week at $941.20. The high during the week was on Monday March 9th at $942.80, while the low for the week occurred on Tuesday March 10th at $891.10. Gold ended the week down slightly at $929.50. This week, 2009 1 oz Gold Philharmonics and 2009 Gold Canadian Maple Leafs were all in high demand and very difficult to find.

Silver:
Spot Silver prices opened this week at $13.33. Active trading pushed spot silver to a high of $13.38 on Monday March 9th, while the low for silver occurred on Tuesday March 10th, at $12.46. Overall, silver ended the week almost where it started at $13.30. 2009 Silver American Eagles, 1 oz. Silver Buffalo Rounds, 2009 Silver Canadian Maples, and 1 oz. Morgan Design Silver Bars were hot items this week and in limited supply.

Platinum:
Spot Platinum prices opened this week at $1079.70, but ended the week down slightly at $1067.50. Investors were eager to purchase Platinum, though the scarce supply made it difficult to acquire this metal. APMEX has 1 oz. Platinum Pamp Suisse Bars, 1 oz. Scotiabank Platinum bars, and 2009 1 oz. Platinum Canadian Maple Leafs. These items will not last long so purchase yours today!

Palladium:
Spot Palladium prices opened this week at $202.50, but ended the week down slightly at $201.80. Palladium products continue to be in great demand and very hard to come by. This week the 1 oz. Pamp Suisse Palladium Bars were very active. Again, these bars will not last long due to popular demand.

Numismatics:
Two major numismatic events are on tap for this month on opposite coasts of the country! The American Numismatic Association’s Mid-Winter “National Money Show” in Portland, Oregon, and the Baltimore Coin & Currency Convention in Baltimore, Maryland will dictate the tenor of the coin market’s strength this month.

The demand at shows, both small and large, for bullion gold is increasing by the minute. In fact, the demand for bullion coins is strong, but many collectors and dealers alike believe that gold will reach new all-time highs during 2009.

But due to the proliferation of advice in the numismatic media, even novice collectors are buying not only bullion but also numismatic items, such as better date Morgan Silver Dollars and problem-free US Type Coins. For the last few months, we have been singing the praises of US Classic Commemorative coins. These coins are selling, on average, at about 10% of their 1989 levels. Finally, the bidders are starting to look at these coins and buy them. They may have already answered the question, “How low can they go?”

The Financial Crash of 2009

This video excerpt from the Glenn Beck show graphically illustrates the reason behind the recent “gold rush”. Mr. Beck clearly demonstrates the facts surrounding the recent bailout programs and massive production of paper currency by the Federal Reserve. Many Americans (average working people, not just the super-rich) are extremely concerned about the very apparent devaluation of the US dollar. To combat this concern and protect whatever wealth they may have, these citizens are seeking to possess physical gold and silver in volumes not seen in modern history.

In fact, at APMEX, the numbers of orders increased 262% for Gold from 2007 to 2008. Silver orders increased 358% from 2007 to 2008. So far, 2009 appears to be making those increases look paltry by comparison.

These two facts alone should convince you – in case you need convincing – that gold and silver are the only investments to make right now to help prevent your wealth from being swallowed whole by the monstrous deficit growing in America today. Watch the video below and decide for yourself what you will do to protect your assets.

Video Courtesy of FOX News - Click Here if the Video is Not Showing

Weekly Market Recap 3/06/2009

Precious metals fluctuated this week as oil prices had a good session. Confidence among commodity investors remains fragile with the steady weakness of the equity markets. After reaching an 11 month high on February 20th of this year, gold dropped a bit this week but successfully stayed above the coveted $900 per ounce level.

Sharp falls in global markets have also contributed to the easing of the bullish trend on bullion prices that we have seen lately. Silver, Platinum and Palladium followed suit with Gold this week and have backed off their recent higher prices. Heavy losses in the equity markets worldwide have only deepened concerns about the economy and made precious metals more attractive to savvy investors and collectors. These factors are not significantly slowing the current gold rush though.

Here is a brief synopsis of the highs and lows in the market and an overview of our very popular bullion products and numismatics here at www.APMEX.com.

Gold:

Spot Gold prices opened this week at $940.30. The high during the week was on Monday March 2nd at $959.50, while the low for the week occurred on Wednesday March 4th at $900.40. Overall, Gold ended the week at $940.20. This week, 2009 1 oz Gold American Eagles, 1/10 oz. Gold Australian Lunars, 1/20 oz. Gold Australian Lunars, 2009 Gold South African Krugerrands, and 1 oz. Pamp Suisse Gold Bars saw active trading from concerned investors.

Silver:

Spot Silver prices opened last week at $13.10. The low point for silver was on Monday, March 2nd at $12.20 and the high of $13.44 occurred at market close on Friday. 2009 Silver American Eagles, 1 oz. Silver Buffalo Rounds, and 2009 Silver Canadian Maples continue to be hot ticket items.

Platinum:

Spot Platinum prices opened last week at $1078.80, reached a high of $1100.00 on Monday, March 2nd and ended the week slightly down at $1076.10 on Friday March 6th. APMEX has 1 oz. Platinum Pamp Suisse Bars, 1 oz. Scotiabank Platinum bars, and 2009 1 oz. Platinum Canadian Maple Leafs. These items continue to be in short supply and high in demand - if you are interested in platinum products, get these while they last!

Palladium:

Spot Palladium prices opened this week at $197.95. Platinum's low occured on Wednesday, March 4th, but recovered ending the week at it highest level at $208.90. Any Palladium products continue to be in huge demand and are extremelty difficult to source. This week the 1 oz. Pamp Suisse Palladium Bars, and 100 oz. Fine Palladium Bars were popular once again with investors.

Numismatics:

The Dow Jones Industrial Average broke through the 7,000 point support level and continued to drop further this week, closing Friday at 6,626.94. This weakness in the financial markets has added to the demand for gold numismatic and bullion coins. Although we have said this repeatedly, there is significant demand for Pre-1933 US Gold Coins, as well as World Gold Coins. This seems to help keep the spot price of gold above the $900.00 per ounce mark. At coin shows, over the Internet, on the dealers trading networks, everyone is apparently chasing the yellow metal, in all forms!

Prices for many esoteric areas of numismatics – obsolete currency, colonial currency, tokens, and medals – are stable to strong. At recent coin shows and numismatic auctions strong prices are being paid for high-quality or scarce items. Whether it is a condition rarity on a more generic item or simply an item that is truly scarce, the collector demand is there!

Counterfeit or Original? APMEX Responds To Customer Concerns

Many of our customers have recently read or seen a news story about counterfeit gold coins and bullion being manufactured in China and coming into the United States. We have been following these events very closely for some time now. We want to reassure you that we are aware of this situation and have taken the appropriate measures to combat these fakes.

Counterfeit coins and precious metal items have been made and sold to unknowledgeable buyers for centuries. How can APMEX deter all counterfeiters and assure you, our valued customers, that you can rely on the integrity of the products that you receive from us? The answer is: KNOWLEDGE!

All of our numismatists have received and are continuing to receive intensive training in the grading and inspection of coins and precious metals. Additionally, we focus our training efforts not only on detecting counterfeits, but also on knowing how genuine coins and precious metal items look and what their specific characteristics (size, weight, color, etc.) are.

In addition to our continual in-house training, we make attendance at the annual training classes provided by the American Numismatic Association (See: Top of Page 6) a mandatory event for all of our numismatists. Most importantly, our staff of numismatists has many decades of experience in buying and selling all types of coins and precious metals. They are trained to spot counterfeit coins and counterfeit precious metals no matter how well they were made.

Make no mistake, we do take this situation very seriously! We are constantly improving even our best training methods.

Finally, we want to let you know how much we value our relationship with you. We thank you for the trust that you have placed in us !