News & Info

Earlier in the week, we gave you some of the history behind the “new” Double Eagle gold coin that is to be released next year. We refer to this gold coin as “new” because it is really a modern implementation of an old design.

Although he was around to see his design for the $20 gold coin receive some high praise, the designer, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, did not live to see it actually go into use. This is just as well because after his death in August of 1907, Sait-Gaudens did not know that the coin was redesigned because it was so difficult to produce. These beautifully-designed gold coins required many more blows in the coin press then other coins. And, according to the bankers of the day, they were not east to story. Back then, bankers kept coins in stacks of twenty and the Double Eagle gold coins had a tendency to fall over when they were placed in these stacks.

At that time, as today, the debate over whether or not to print the phrase “In God We Trust” on currency was the source of much discussion. For his part, Roosevelt, who had commissioned his friend Saint-Gaudens to design the new gold coin, was against it. He thought it was a sacrilegious practice. And since he was having a friend design the new gold coin, it was simple for him to ask his friend to leave those words out of the design. The first of the Double Eagle gold coins do not bear that motto.

Then Congress came along and decided that the gold coins should display the motto. So the Double Eagle gold coins that were struck from the latter part of 1908 until 1933 do have that motto.

Would Saint-Gaudens have even recognized the altered gold coins, with their new design and the inclusion of the motto he had been told to omit? Probably. Would he have been happy about the changes? That is hard to say.

But as they say everything old is new again. So the Double Eagle gold coins are not being produced the way the designer intended.

For you, everything gold can be new again when you sell gold to a gold buyer. You can take old gold and turn into new cash for gold quite easily. If you decide to go online and visit an online gold buyer, you won’t even have to leave home to do it.

When you think about someone designing gold, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of gold jewelry such as gold necklaces or gold earrings or maybe even gold watches. Whether a gold piece is designed well or poorly, you can still sell gold to a gold buyer to get cash for gold.

But what happens when the gold itself is the cash? Did you ever think about what it takes to design a  gold coin? One gold coin that is highly valued in the Double Eagle. There are not many original Double Eagle gold coins around because that coin was only produced in trial runs. Mass production of the Double Eagle gold coin did not take place because the design was not accepted by the U.S. Mint.

In the last century (the year was 1907 in fact) an American sculptor came up with the idea of a $20 gold coin. And it has taken more than one hundred years for sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ vision to become a reality. Saint-Gaudens was a friend of President Theodore Roosevelt and Roosevelt asked him for new coin designs. When Saint-Gaudens unveiled his designs for a new gold coin Roosevelt and his contemporaries thought Saint-Gaudens was a genius.

But as is often the case, the ascension of a new mastermind threatens the standing of someone else who thought their place was secure.

Despite the praise the designs received, they did not see the light of day in their original format. The U.S. Mint already had a chief engraver, a man named Charles Barber. And as you can imagine, Barber was not happy about the new gold coin designs. (It did not help that Charles Barber himself had designed some of the coins the Roosevelt was hoping to replace.)

But perhaps Barber was not simply green with envy: he made the salient point that the new gold coin design was one that would be difficult to produce. Barber altered the coin’s design to make it flatter and easier to produce.

Now with modern production methods, it is possible to produce the $20 gold coin as it was originally intended. Since they will not go on sale until next year, these new gold coins that are in production now bear the date 2009.

The very first of these new gold coins will go to the National Museum of American History.

Very soon a gold sword that once belonged to Russian royalty will be up for auction at that famous London auction house, Christie’s. This gold sword is just one part of the Russian Works of art sale that will be held as one event in a Russian Art Week in London.

The St. George’s Calvary sword is really a quite rare gold item. The hilt of the gold-set sword makes reference to Nicholas the Younger. Nicholas Nikolaevich was a grand duke and commended a regiment. So although he was referred to a being ‘younger,’ he was by no means an wide-eyed innocent. The gold-set sword is expected to bring in a lot of money.

Britain is also the place where another historical treasure will be put up for auction. A gold ring that once belonged to Wallis Simpson will get a new owner as well. The Duke of Windsor gave her the ring and on it the words “Darling Wallis” are inscribed. If you don’t know, the Duke of Windsor caused quite a scandal when he took up with American divorcee Wallis Simpson. He even gave up his throne for her and his devotion is evident in the inscription on the gold ring he gave her that will be up for auction.

That is news of gold items that are up to sale across the ocean. Here in the United States, items from a more recent government figure have hit the auction block. Soon to be vice president Joe Biden autographed a a pair of gold cufflinks and they went up for bid at a charity function.

For your part, you do not have to get dressed up and go to a fancy banquet to compete with others for gold items to make a profit. Though they may hold onto them for a while for the prestige factor, the people who buy gold items such as the gold sword to Russian royalty or gold jewelry from a famous woman usually do hope to make some money off of their purchases at some point in time. Instead you can stay home, go online and contact a gold buyer in order to sell gold. They will send you a pre-paid envelope so that you can send your gold in to be evaluated. After that you can get cash for gold. No fancy dress or gold cufflinks are required.

The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore has recently mounted a show called “Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry.” This show, which runs until early next year, wants to give jewelry some of the attention it deserves. Since jewelry is wearable art, it seems that some people question its value as real art. Surely all of us have seen a spectacular piece of jewelry that we can see is a creative masterpiece, even if it is not hung on a wall to be admired.

Some of the show’s most magnificent pieces are made of gold and come from the ancient world. If you are near or around Baltimore, you can go to the exhibit and see gold bracelets made to resemble snakes from the first century.

Modes of dress may have changed over centuries, but the need to adorn and pin clothes together has not. Also on display is a gold clasp from the sixth century. Well, it is not completely made of gold, but gold and gemstones. There is also a bracelet from the first century B.C, that is made of gold along with gemstones like pearl, emerald and garnet.

One very interesting piece is a gold purse. Can you imagine walking around carrying a purse that is made up mostly of gold? Before putting anything in it, the purse already weighs half a pound. Apparently this purse belonged to a member of upper crust society in Baltimore. The gold purse is not nearly as old as some of the other gold object we have mentioned since it can be traced back to the beginnings of the 20th century.

It is fun to go to a museum and see gold treasures such as these out on display. One has to wonder just how they ended up as part of the museum’s collection in the first place. Some of the more contemporary pieces may have been donated or purchased at an auction. The pieces of ancient gold were likely dug up as part of some archaeological dig. So while it is great and very educational for us to see these things, the people who owned them originally don’t quite get the same benefits. If you want to reap some financial gain from your gold jewelry in the present, then sell gold to a gold buyer.

When you hear the word “nugget,” you would be correct in assuming that these pieces of gold tend to be on the small side. But as in all things, there are some exceptions: in 1869 the largest gold nugget found to date was unearthed in Australia. This rather impressive gold nugget weighed more than 65 kilograms. However that gold nugget is no longer intact. Right now, the largest gold nugget that is still around was also found in Australia. In fact, it was discovered in the very same place the previously mentioned gold nugget was found using a metal detector.

This gold nugget was given a name, the Hand of Faith. To compare it to the 19th century gold nugget and to give you an idea of just how big that gold nugget was, the Hand of Faith weighs in at 27.2 kilograms or 61 pounds and 11 ounces. Think about it–this gold nugget weighs a little less than half of the other gold nugget that was found in the same place in Australia. Apparently there is a place in Australia where the gold nuggets are larger than life. People in that area probably continually hope to find the next big gold nugget. It is likely that people from elsewhere also visit in the hopes of finding yet another gold nugget to put the area on the map once again.

Right now, the Hand of Faith is the largest gold nugget to be found with a metal detector. Of course, as big as it is, one had to wonder how a metal detector could miss such a huge piece of gold!

We’re not sure what happened to the 1890 gold nugget, but we can tell you that the Hand of Faith was sold to the Gold Nugget Las Vegas. This Nevada casino has put this gold nugget on display so customers can marvel at this wonder of nature.

You probably have gold treasures in your house that are yet to be unearthed. And although they are probably nowhere near the size of the Hand of Faith, you are not likely to need a metal detector to find them…although that may not be a bad idea. Imagine going through your house with a metal detector looking for gold…you’d likely find a lot of other metals as well. So you should probably put your thinking cap on and use that as a tool as you search out the gold that is just beneath the surface.

The finder of the Hand of Faith sold his colossal find of a gold nugget. You too can sell gold and make a profit when you get cash for gold from a gold buyer.

A gold nugget is a piece of gold that occurs naturally. Sometimes gold nuggets can be found in what is left behind after mining operations. They can also be unearthed by what is called placer mining, which is mining done in places where water has left deposits. In some instances, water under pressure can be used to get to the precious metals the miners are seeking.

With placer mining, people are searching for gold and other precious metals in places other than their spot of origin. Water has carried these precious metals away from their origins. With this in mind, miners are aware that what they find can in no way compare to the amount of gold that was likely present at the original site. Still, they know that there is something valuable to be had and they set out to get to it.

You too can reap a lot of benefits if you set out to find gold somewhere other than its place of origin. Looking for gold outside of where you bought it or where you thought you saw it last can be very beneficial. Let’s say you decide to so a little search for gold around the house and then you decide to sell the gold you find to a gold buyer. You will get cash for gold from gold objects you were previously unaware of. And, as you know, used gold is not going to command the same price as just manufacture gold objects, but you stand to make more from your unwanted gold once you find it than you made from it when it was hidden in your house. Like the miners who look for gold nuggets that have been displaced from their origins, you will find that it is worth the effort—even if you sell gold jewelry and other gold objects are not made of pure gold.

It is rare to find a gold nugget that is composed of pure, 24 karat gold. However, gold nuggets do come close to that pure gold perfection. In general, gold nuggets measure up to be 20 to 22 karats, so that is not too shabby. Percentage-wise, this means that a typical gold nugget might be anywhere from 83% to 92% gold.

The presence of other metals is what keeps a typical gold nugget from being pure gold. And the most common metals found in gold nuggets are silver and copper. In fact, there is actually a name for gold nuggets that contain a lot of silver: these nuggets are referred to as electrum.

One of gold’s most salient properties is that it can be easily manipulated. And this is not a bad thing. Since gold is not a person, it is not manipulated in the sense of being taken advantage of…rather than say that one can manipulate gold, it is better to say that gold is very malleable in comparison to other metals.

Because gold is so very malleable it can be made into a number of items. This is one of the reasons that gold is sought after as it is. It is beautiful, but not stubborn. You can shape gold into gold earrings, gold cufflinks, gold necklaces, gold bracelets and gold watches. Every metal cannot be shaped and formed in this way. You don’t hear people speaking of steel bracelets, do you.

Being able to have gold items is a indication that you are able to afford certain luxuries, while other people have to make do with more pedestrian materials. This is why some homeowners and hotels trumpet gold toilet seats and other gold items that the average person simply cannot afford.

So now we can add a new item to list of luxury items made of gold: gold earphones. Touted as being the world’s most expensive earphones, this pair of 18 karat gold earphones are also encrusted with diamonds. It has been reported that they give the listener the enjoyment of very clear sound and that although they are heavy in jewels and precious metals, they are not at all uncomfortable. These very special gold earphones actually weigh 18 grams.

Think about: honestly, do you really want 18 karat gold earphones? Maybe you do and maybe you don’t. More than likely you’ll find that your plastic earphones do quite nicely.

And as far as having many luxury items made of gold, you know what they say—you can’t take it with you. But you can find ways to get the most out of your gold in the present, especially if you really are not doing anything with it at the moment anyway. People with luxury items made of gold are enjoying them and the attention they get for having them. Why should they have all the fun? Take your unused and broken gold and sell it to a gold buyer. That way you can take the cash for gold you get and live life to the fullest now.

Is anything really ‘as good as gold?’ Some of us would like to think so, but gold is really the only thing that is as good as gold. As you know, this is a rather literal reading of this phrase. Saying that something is as good as gold is to say that it is highly valued, just as gold is. People do not describe items they prize as being as good as tree bark of as good as pewter. Gold made its way into this phrase because it commands attention and a high price. Many things are not gold, but they do exhibit some of the characteristics of gold.

For some people this phrase means that something (or someone) is genuine, does what they say they are going to do and delivers on a promise of good things (be it a promise that is stated outright or a promise that is implied).

In some ways this was the original purpose of gold–to make good on a promise. Today we buy and sell things for cash and this cash is considered legal tender, but this was not always the case. Sometimes we store the cash in different forms, but all in all, when many of us think of wealth we think of it in terms of dollars.

When the idea of bills first came about, they were also referred to as banknotes. These notes from the bank stood in representation of gold or silver. These bank notes were promissory notes that guaranteed that the bearer had to gold necessary to back up the amount that was promised in the note. It was gold or silver (primarily gold) that was thought to be actual money. The notes were just there to represent the gold. Plus, banknotes were easier to carry and weighed a lot less than actual gold and gold bars.

Of course if you do have some gold, be it gold bars, gold coins or gold jewelry, it can be very good to you. Although the days of using gold as a standard to back out currency are over, you can still exchange gold for money. Getting cash for gold is easy. Sell gold to a gold buyer and they will give you cash for gold. That is right, cash. Not a promissory note or an I.O.U., but actual legal tender.

We use gold as part of dental work now, but did you know that this is actually a rather ancient practice? There is evidence that people were using gold in dentistry as far back as the seventh century. At that time people used a wire fashioned from gold to keep replacement teeth where they wanted them. To show you just how far we have come, the gold wire that they used allowed people to hang onto replacement teeth that were taken from animals such as a cow of a calf.

In our modern era people have also used gold for fillings, but this is not a new phenomenon either. In the sixteenth century, at least one book for people who practiced dentistry advocated the use of gold leaf for this same purpose.

Why gold and not some other metal? When it comes to shaping for dental applications, gold is an excellent choice because it is so very malleable. Gold is also not easily corroded and this is an important factor to keep in mind when looking at something that is used for dentistry. You do not want to use a metal that could be dangerous to a person’s health because that would add additional health complications.

Gold is not used in dental applications as much as it used to be, but people who did have gold dental work tend to hand onto this gold even after they’ve had their gold dental work replaced. And if you are one of those people, then you are in a great position because you can now sell your gold dental work.
A gold buyer will not be at all squeamish to take in your gold bridgework, caps, crowns or fillings. In fact they will welcome you because gold refiners are interested in gold of all types.

As you prepare to sell dental scrap, you should know that dental gold may not command the kind of prices that gold jewelry such as gold rings or gold chains may command, but it still worth the effort to get your old gold dental work tested. When it comes to recycling gold, it all gets melted down. Larger pieces bring in more cash for gold, but many people have been pleasantly surprised with what they were able to get for even small piece of gold like dental crowns.

We’ve been looking at gold production and outlining some of the process that helps the stuff in the earth become the gold bars, gold coins, gold earring, gold necklaces and many other objects of gold. And if you’ve been reading this week, then you know that it is not at all simple.

Maybe when those first participants in the California Gold Rush arrived, all they had to do was mine a little gold and be on their way. But these days we have sophisticated technological innovations to process gold to transform it into objects that suit our high-tech tastes.

There are different grades of gold ore–high and low, but at some point all gold ore is likely to go through the same process. Low grade gold ore just gets to certain parts of the process sooner than high grade ore does.

Low grade gold ore gets broken into smaller pieces soon after it is removed from the earth. Then it is placed onto pads with a cyanide solution that has been diluted. This diluted cyanide will break down those chunks of gold ore and dissolve the gold. Once this happens, the solution that contains the dissolved gold is gathered for later use.

High grade gold ore goes through different treatment depending on what other metals it contains. Some of it is ground into a powder right away. Then it may have to be heated to get rid of things like sulfide and carbon. Or it may be oxidized, if it does not contain carbon.

But then, like the low grade gold ore, the high grade gold ore is also leached with cyanide.

The gold is then taken from the solution and the part that is left (which still contains cyanide) is prepared so that it can be re-used.

Here is the thing, after all of this separation and processing, there comes a time when gold will be put through a similar cycle again. When you sell gold to a gold buyer, that gold has to be refined. Maybe you have tri-color gold jewelry that mixes gold with other metals. If this is the case, then since a gold refiner really just wants gold, your gold jewelry will have to be broken up and melted down to extract the pure gold that it contains. But don’t worry, gold is one of these most durable metals around—it can take the heat and chemicals and still come out as pure gold.