Gold coins are of particular interest to coin collectors for three reasons. The first reason is because of gold's long history as the primary monetary unit of exchange, and the significance of historical events in which gold and gold coins played a major role. The second reason is the aesthetic and artistic appeal of minted gold coins. The third reason is gold's role in our modern economy as a highly functional and financially liquid store of monetary value. In fact, US gold coins are still minted and sold by the U.S. Government.

Gold coins were first minted around 560 BC. Gold coins were the primary form of money from that time until the early 1900's. In 1933, the worldwide Great Depression led to a switch by the governments of the world to currencies with very little intrinsic value beyond the cost of production, such as paper currencies and minted coins made from far less valuable metals. The U.S. Government ceased circulating US gold coins about this time.

Features of gold such as its unique color, luster, and excellent malleability, make it a very appealing for use making jewelry. These same properties also make US gold coins as well as gold coins from other parts of the world aesthetically pleasing to collectors. There are also stories behind the designs of the coins that are a great part of world history, on top of their value artistically.

One reason to collect gold bullion coins is for their cash value. Since bullion coins range from ninety to one hundred percent gold by weight, they're inherently valuable. The price of gold in today's economy fluctuates somewhere around a few hundred dollars per ounce, and gold bullion coins contain a high percentage of pure gold. Just as silver does, gold can act as a hedge for investors against the inflation of paper money, which doesn't carry an inherent value within itself.

Besides a hedge against inflation, many investors store part of their net worth in metals such as gold to hedge against another Great Depression. These investors argue that modern currencies of no intrinsic value would also lose their value as a unit of exchange. In this line of reasoning, gold coins would gain in value as a unit of exchange as people fled banks and many classes of investments for a safer haven in which to store their wealth. Over thousands of year, unlike paper currency and stocks and bonds, gold has never once lost its value as a unit of exchange.

It doesn't matter why you are interested. There are numerous books and websites that have information you can learn about numismatics and gold bullion. Both online and in the "real world," there are unscrupulous dealers. However, there are lots of dealers with great reputations where you can buy gold bullion or buy gold coins without fear.

Learn more about US gold coins at the net's premiere site covering everything related to U.S. gold coins, US-Gold-Coins.org. Whether you're seeking to buy gold bullion or buy gold coins, everything you need is here including current spot gold price prices, gold related videos, and of course, our US Gold Coins Blog!