As the happy owner of one Troy ounce of gold in the guise of a Canadian Maple Leaf coin, I am sorry to say I hardly qualify as a gold bug. Nevertheless, I do qualify to become a member of the Gold Bug Tribe because I distrust Norway’s Central bank (Norges Bank) and their attitude towards my saving account. Norges Bank is trying its hardest (and succeeding) to engineer a 2 percent yearly inflation and reducing the interest rate to next to nothing. My money is wilting away in the Norwegian banking system.
There are not many Gold Bugs in Norway, and some of them have apocalyptic arguments for investing a little of their money in gold. They believe that the American dollar will collapse in a not so distant future because the Americans print too much money and own the rest of the world billion upon billions of dollars. They also believe that the consequence of an American monetary collapse will lead to the collapse of the Norwegian Oil Fund. Norway’s investments are locked in funds and stocks and junk bonds, and not in infrastructure, schools, hospitals and other sensible projects. These facts are not willingly mentioned by the Chairman of Norges Bank in his speeches. After all… he is not a harbinger of possible bad scenarios. He is paid to give the people a positive view of the state’s investments.
Conspiracy theorists are suggesting that something is amiss at the core of global finance.. However, if you argue against The Powers That Are, you are thought an unrealistic madman. And fanatical Gold Bugs are Mad Hatters straight out of Alice in Wonderland. They have probably been sniffing gold dust for breakfast. But then again X-Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said gold is so universally treated like money itself, it’s as if it’s “inbred into human beings”. Russia has noticed this phenomena, and the Russian central bank has been a heavy buyer of gold. It has been tripling its holdings since 2005. World Gold Council statistics (March 2015) state that Russia have got 1034.7 tons of gold in stock. The country bought another 30 tons in March alone. Vladimir Putin’s growing stockpile reflects a kind of skepticism for the American dollar. Probably he might reason that it is better to be safe than sorry and therefore stock some gold in the vaults. Norges Bank should look to Russia and Germany and buy a few hundred tons of the precious metal. If the shit hits the fan and we get another financial crisis and the price of oil falls another 50 %, the Chinese will gladly trade with gold as a substitute for devalued western currencies.
What now, little man? Well, my subconscious has made a decision as I was writing this. Based upon my now conscious mind I will at once buy a 1/20 ounce Australian Year of the Goat gold coin and present it in Coin Weekly. Then I will have yet another gold coin in my pocket.
mandag 6. juli 2015
lørdag 4. juli 2015
Goldfinger would have been proud
Why should
the conspiracists have all the fun?
Read the story about the lost German gold
on Bloomberg’s website.
Enjoy the
thriller.
fredag 3. juli 2015
We want our Gold back!
European Central
Banks do not trust the Federal Reserve Bank in New York and they want their gold
sent home. The Germans tried and failed when they wanted to ship home
300 tonnes.
The German delegation was denied to see their gold first hand, which triggered the belief that the Federal Reserve Bank did have any gold at all.
The German delegation was denied to see their gold first hand, which triggered the belief that the Federal Reserve Bank did have any gold at all.
21. November 2014
This press release
from De Nederlandsche Bank shows just how nervous they are for their
precious metal: De
Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) has adjusted its gold stock location policy and has
shipped gold from the United States to the Netherlands to spread its gold stock
in a more balanced way.
Under
the previous policy, 11% of the gold stock was located in the Netherlands, 51%
in the United States, with the remainder held in Canada (20%) and the United
Kingdom (18%).
Under
the new policy, the breakdown by location is as follows: 31% in Amsterdam, 31%
in New York, with the relative holdings in Ottawa and London remaining unchanged
at 20% and 18%, respectively.
Following
this adjustment, DNB is in line with other central banks holding a greater part
of their gold stock in their own countries.
Beyond
realising a more balanced distribution of the gold stock across the different
locations, this may also have a positive effect on public confidence…. De Nederlandsche Bank Press Release
Bank of No-Way
But why all this worry when the Norwegian Central Bank (Norges Bank) claims
that gold in itself is uninteresting as a National asset? And The Norwegian oil
fund got 8000 billion NOK (1200 billion US dollars) to diversify into gold… … and also have a positive effect on the
Norwegian “public confidence”. A press release extract explains why: Norges Bank has sold 16 tonnes of gold bars in January and is planning
to sell the remainder of the Central Bank's holdings of gold bars at a later
time. (Another 20 tonnes were later sold)… … The background to the sale is that gold only accounted for just
over one per cent of the Bank's international reserves, and thus contributed
little towards diversifying the risk associated with the reserves. The return
on gold has historically been low. Norges Bank Press Release
mandag 29. juni 2015
Greece has 112,5 tons of Gold
by Robert Wood - Sociologist -
IMF wants its money back. 1.5 billion Euro to be exact. Have the bankers forgotten that IMF used to get the membership fee payed in gold? Greece got tons of the precious metal!
However, The World Gold Council reported in April 2015 that Greece had 112,5 tons of gold stashed away in vaults.. At the moment of writing (29.0615) the spot price is 1175 American dollars an ounce, or NOK 300/gram. This is more than enough to cover the first loan and much of the next loan – 3,5 billion Euros.
IMF wants its money back. 1.5 billion Euro to be exact. Have the bankers forgotten that IMF used to get the membership fee payed in gold? Greece got tons of the precious metal!
However, The World Gold Council reported in April 2015 that Greece had 112,5 tons of gold stashed away in vaults.. At the moment of writing (29.0615) the spot price is 1175 American dollars an ounce, or NOK 300/gram. This is more than enough to cover the first loan and much of the next loan – 3,5 billion Euros.
Gold is not worth anything
in vaults or in bag-ladies plastic bags. Greece got a lot of money bound up in
precious metal, but the media and powers that are, do not take the enormous sum
of money into consideration. They rather play their power and money games.
fredag 26. juni 2015
Pure gold is getting purer
Pure gold is getting purer. Modern technology makes it possible to refine gold
with more 9s than ever before.
If you buy a ring in Norway it will consist of 585 parts gold out of one thousand possible parts. The other 415 parts are silver and copper. It should be obvious, but it is not, because there is not possible to produce pure gold in the exact meaning of the word “pure”. If you ever get an offer for 1000/1000 gold beware. It is fake no matter what the seller claims.
Probably, the closest you can get to pure gold is the one-ounce 9999.9 “Call of the Wild” series from the Royal Canadian Mint. Even purer gold can be refined, but some residues of other metals will always exist on an atomic level. The call of the Wild
with more 9s than ever before.
If you buy a ring in Norway it will consist of 585 parts gold out of one thousand possible parts. The other 415 parts are silver and copper. It should be obvious, but it is not, because there is not possible to produce pure gold in the exact meaning of the word “pure”. If you ever get an offer for 1000/1000 gold beware. It is fake no matter what the seller claims.
Probably, the closest you can get to pure gold is the one-ounce 9999.9 “Call of the Wild” series from the Royal Canadian Mint. Even purer gold can be refined, but some residues of other metals will always exist on an atomic level. The call of the Wild
torsdag 25. juni 2015
A fistful of investment coins
The price of investment coins varies from day to day, from hour to hour. Usually we have four basic factors to take into consideration: The price of silver, the premium of the coin, the collector value and the value of US dollar.
The following coins are, with the exception of the Australian Lunar, investment coins. You buy them in the hope that gold and silver shall get more expensive so that you can sell the coins back to the dealer with a profit. Many people also buy silver and gold coins as a backup in case paper money will become valueless.
The Australian Kookaburra: A silver coin in the hand is better than ten in the bank? Kookaburras are tree kingfishers native to Australia , which grow to between 28–42 cm (11–17 in) in length. Kookaburras like meat and they are known to eat baby-birds, mice, snakes, insects and small reptiles. The kookaburra's loud call sounds like echoing human laughter. Once, $crooge McDuck was prospecting in Australia, he thought Kookaburras laughed at him. The miser threw a rock at the birds: Donald Duck: “Look! There, where your rock knocked the shale off the ledge!” $crooge McDuck: “I exposed a vein of silver! Let the kookaburras laugh that off!”
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the kookaburra coin, the 2015 coin features the same image of the kookaburra as the original 1990 coin. To differentiate the 1990 and 2015 coins the date on the reverse reads 1990-2015 and 2015 on the obverse. The face value of the coin is one Australian dollar; the weight is one troy ounce, 31.135 grams, 40.60 mm and 4 mm thick. Maximum mintage: 500 000
In Oslo, 26. June 2015, you have to pay for a 1 oz. Silver Kookaburra: NOK 173 or US$ 23
The American Eagle: A Fistful of Dollars? You got to try it! If you haven’t already invested in the American Eagle Silver coins… Do it! Buy at least a five coins and hold them in your hand. Close your eyes and make a fist… Feel the silver on your skin. Savor Lady Liberty and know in your heart why silver dollars are so popular. They feel like real money.
Anyway, there are three versions of the American Eagle. The U.S. Mint produces the proof version ($ 49), the uncirculated collector’s version ($ 40) and the bullion version. Strangely enough, the Mint sells only the proof and collector coin directly to the public. (Probably because the profit is better).You have to buy the bullion coin at a dealer.
The American Eagle Coin is not exactly a beautiful coin. The front design is Lady Liberty walking towards the setting sun, and the rear design has an eagle behind a shield, holding an olive branch and arrows in its talons, 13 stars to represent the original colonies. The one troy ounce (31,103 g) coin reeks of solidity, is desirable and purchased by investors all over the world. It is also legal tender. The spot price of silver is at the time of writing close to $ 17 and you have to pay approximately $ 20 – 21 for the coin.
In Oslo, 26. June 2015, you have to pay for a 1 oz. Silver Eagle: NOK 158 or US$ 21
The Australian Lunar: The Year of the Tiger, 寅,is one of the 12 animal years in the Chinese calendar. In many ways this calendar is important for superstitious Chinese who believe in luck. It might even be determinative for “the lucky day” of a wedding, dying or opening a new shop.
Anyway, the Perth Mint’s Lunar Series II are beautifully minted collector coins. The 2010 coin picture a tiger lying under a tree. As well as the inscription ‘Year of the Tiger’ and the Chinese character for ‘tiger’ the coins are Issued as legal tender. Each coin features the well known face of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The Lunar calendar coins are not investment coins in the sense that you buy the coins for the value of the metal. You buy them for the pleasure of owning them or giving them away as gifts. It is doubtful that The Year of the Tiger coin will ever get valuable since the Perth Mint minted 300 000. The metal content is 1 troy ounce (31,103 gram) and the purity is 999/1000. Thickness – 2.6 millimeter.
In Oslo, 26, June 2015, you have to pay for a 1 oz. Australian Lunar: NOK 434 or US$ 56
TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
- William Blake (1752 – 1827)
The Chinese Silver Panda: We do love the Panda Bear - 大熊猫 - even if I am not sure why we do. It’s a stinking bear. It must be the illusion of soft, friendliness all wrapped up in black and white. But looks can deceive. I used to love the beauty of the Silver Panda Coin, but now I am no longer sure if my love is true. Because the Chinese Central Bank released the 2015 edition without metal fineness and weight.
Since its introduction in 1983, the Silver Panda has been a highly sought-after investment coin. The Panda for 2015 is minted with (??.?? grams) of ??? silver?, and has a face value of CNY10 yuan, This year’s Panda is sitting with bamboo leaves in its mouth. The Temple of heaven depict the opposite side with Chinese characters on top saying People's Republic of China. At the bottom the year of issue. Circulation: 8 000 000.
Is The Panda Coin value for your money? Probably, even if you can’t be certain of what you are buying. But if true to last year coin my guess is 1 troy oz (31,103 grams) – 999 silver.
In Oslo, 26. June 2015, you have to pay for a 1 oz. Silver Panda: NOK 186 or US$ 24
The Chinese Gold Panda: Do we love the Panda Bear? - 大熊猫. Children do. They think the black-and-white bear is the distant cousin of the Teddy bear. Last year I bought a 2014 Panda Coin. Not that it is a good investment, but it is a beautiful little piece of art. I do love the motive on the 2015 edition, a single panda nibbling on a stalk of bamboo, in a stand of bamboo. However, I have not yet acquired it, if I ever do. The Chinese Central Bank released the 2015 edition without metal fineness and weight. The lack of information make it easier for collectors to be fooled by counterfeit coins. That means you and me!
China issued its first gold coins picturing a Panda in 1982 and the coin has been a sought-after investment coin. The Panda for 2015 is minted with (??.?? grams) of ??? gold? The Temple of Heaven depict the opposite side with Chinese characters on top saying People's Republic of China. At the bottom the year of issue. Circulation: 1 000 000.
In Oslo, 26. June 2015, you have to pay for a 1 oz. Gold Panda: NOK 9721 or US$ 1195
The Canadian Silver Maple Leaf: This Leaf is not electric and my favorite investment coin. Beautifully minted with Canada’s national symbol and a portrait of the Queen of the Brits. The lines on both sides make the coin glitter in sunlight when you flip it.
Since its introduction in 1988, the Silver Maple Leaf has been a highly sought-after. The SML is minted with one troy ounce (31.11 grams) of 9999 pure silver, and has a face value of CAD $ 5, The radial lines on the 2015 coin have been precisely machined to within microns. The line width and pitch creates a light diffracting pattern. A visual security feature —a textured maple leaf micro of, with the numeral “15” denoting the coin’s year of issue.
The Maple Leaf Silver Coin is value for your money.
In Oslo, 26. June 2015, you have to pay for a 1 oz. Silver Maple Leaf : NOK 154 or US$ 20
It is important to differ between an investment coin – bullion. (You buy the metal.). And a collector coin (You buy the coin.) Sometimes it is difficult to see what is what. The Australian Lunar Coin is a typical collector’s item.
The following coins are, with the exception of the Australian Lunar, investment coins. You buy them in the hope that gold and silver shall get more expensive so that you can sell the coins back to the dealer with a profit. Many people also buy silver and gold coins as a backup in case paper money will become valueless.
The Australian Kookaburra: A silver coin in the hand is better than ten in the bank? Kookaburras are tree kingfishers native to Australia , which grow to between 28–42 cm (11–17 in) in length. Kookaburras like meat and they are known to eat baby-birds, mice, snakes, insects and small reptiles. The kookaburra's loud call sounds like echoing human laughter. Once, $crooge McDuck was prospecting in Australia, he thought Kookaburras laughed at him. The miser threw a rock at the birds: Donald Duck: “Look! There, where your rock knocked the shale off the ledge!” $crooge McDuck: “I exposed a vein of silver! Let the kookaburras laugh that off!”
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the kookaburra coin, the 2015 coin features the same image of the kookaburra as the original 1990 coin. To differentiate the 1990 and 2015 coins the date on the reverse reads 1990-2015 and 2015 on the obverse. The face value of the coin is one Australian dollar; the weight is one troy ounce, 31.135 grams, 40.60 mm and 4 mm thick. Maximum mintage: 500 000
In Oslo, 26. June 2015, you have to pay for a 1 oz. Silver Kookaburra: NOK 173 or US$ 23
The American Eagle: A Fistful of Dollars? You got to try it! If you haven’t already invested in the American Eagle Silver coins… Do it! Buy at least a five coins and hold them in your hand. Close your eyes and make a fist… Feel the silver on your skin. Savor Lady Liberty and know in your heart why silver dollars are so popular. They feel like real money.
Anyway, there are three versions of the American Eagle. The U.S. Mint produces the proof version ($ 49), the uncirculated collector’s version ($ 40) and the bullion version. Strangely enough, the Mint sells only the proof and collector coin directly to the public. (Probably because the profit is better).You have to buy the bullion coin at a dealer.
The American Eagle Coin is not exactly a beautiful coin. The front design is Lady Liberty walking towards the setting sun, and the rear design has an eagle behind a shield, holding an olive branch and arrows in its talons, 13 stars to represent the original colonies. The one troy ounce (31,103 g) coin reeks of solidity, is desirable and purchased by investors all over the world. It is also legal tender. The spot price of silver is at the time of writing close to $ 17 and you have to pay approximately $ 20 – 21 for the coin.
In Oslo, 26. June 2015, you have to pay for a 1 oz. Silver Eagle: NOK 158 or US$ 21
The Australian Lunar: The Year of the Tiger, 寅,is one of the 12 animal years in the Chinese calendar. In many ways this calendar is important for superstitious Chinese who believe in luck. It might even be determinative for “the lucky day” of a wedding, dying or opening a new shop.
Anyway, the Perth Mint’s Lunar Series II are beautifully minted collector coins. The 2010 coin picture a tiger lying under a tree. As well as the inscription ‘Year of the Tiger’ and the Chinese character for ‘tiger’ the coins are Issued as legal tender. Each coin features the well known face of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The Lunar calendar coins are not investment coins in the sense that you buy the coins for the value of the metal. You buy them for the pleasure of owning them or giving them away as gifts. It is doubtful that The Year of the Tiger coin will ever get valuable since the Perth Mint minted 300 000. The metal content is 1 troy ounce (31,103 gram) and the purity is 999/1000. Thickness – 2.6 millimeter.
In Oslo, 26, June 2015, you have to pay for a 1 oz. Australian Lunar: NOK 434 or US$ 56
TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
- William Blake (1752 – 1827)
The Chinese Silver Panda: We do love the Panda Bear - 大熊猫 - even if I am not sure why we do. It’s a stinking bear. It must be the illusion of soft, friendliness all wrapped up in black and white. But looks can deceive. I used to love the beauty of the Silver Panda Coin, but now I am no longer sure if my love is true. Because the Chinese Central Bank released the 2015 edition without metal fineness and weight.
Since its introduction in 1983, the Silver Panda has been a highly sought-after investment coin. The Panda for 2015 is minted with (??.?? grams) of ??? silver?, and has a face value of CNY10 yuan, This year’s Panda is sitting with bamboo leaves in its mouth. The Temple of heaven depict the opposite side with Chinese characters on top saying People's Republic of China. At the bottom the year of issue. Circulation: 8 000 000.
Is The Panda Coin value for your money? Probably, even if you can’t be certain of what you are buying. But if true to last year coin my guess is 1 troy oz (31,103 grams) – 999 silver.
In Oslo, 26. June 2015, you have to pay for a 1 oz. Silver Panda: NOK 186 or US$ 24
The Chinese Gold Panda: Do we love the Panda Bear? - 大熊猫. Children do. They think the black-and-white bear is the distant cousin of the Teddy bear. Last year I bought a 2014 Panda Coin. Not that it is a good investment, but it is a beautiful little piece of art. I do love the motive on the 2015 edition, a single panda nibbling on a stalk of bamboo, in a stand of bamboo. However, I have not yet acquired it, if I ever do. The Chinese Central Bank released the 2015 edition without metal fineness and weight. The lack of information make it easier for collectors to be fooled by counterfeit coins. That means you and me!
China issued its first gold coins picturing a Panda in 1982 and the coin has been a sought-after investment coin. The Panda for 2015 is minted with (??.?? grams) of ??? gold? The Temple of Heaven depict the opposite side with Chinese characters on top saying People's Republic of China. At the bottom the year of issue. Circulation: 1 000 000.
In Oslo, 26. June 2015, you have to pay for a 1 oz. Gold Panda: NOK 9721 or US$ 1195
The Canadian Silver Maple Leaf: This Leaf is not electric and my favorite investment coin. Beautifully minted with Canada’s national symbol and a portrait of the Queen of the Brits. The lines on both sides make the coin glitter in sunlight when you flip it.
Since its introduction in 1988, the Silver Maple Leaf has been a highly sought-after. The SML is minted with one troy ounce (31.11 grams) of 9999 pure silver, and has a face value of CAD $ 5, The radial lines on the 2015 coin have been precisely machined to within microns. The line width and pitch creates a light diffracting pattern. A visual security feature —a textured maple leaf micro of, with the numeral “15” denoting the coin’s year of issue.
The Maple Leaf Silver Coin is value for your money.
In Oslo, 26. June 2015, you have to pay for a 1 oz. Silver Maple Leaf : NOK 154 or US$ 20
It is important to differ between an investment coin – bullion. (You buy the metal.). And a collector coin (You buy the coin.) Sometimes it is difficult to see what is what. The Australian Lunar Coin is a typical collector’s item.
fredag 5. juni 2015
Fairtrade gull er en bløff
av Robert Wood - Sosiolog -
Veier gifteringen din av gull 4 gram inneholder den ikke mer enn 2,4 gram rent gull
Veier gifteringen din av gull 4 gram inneholder den ikke mer enn 2,4 gram rent gull
Ringer kjøpt hos norske gullsmeder har som regel en renhet på 585/1000. Dette er det en legering som består av 58,3 % gull, 30 % sølv og 11,7 % kobber.
Strenge Fairtrade kontrakter
Hvis gruveselskapet er i stand til å oppfylle de strenge krav som Fairtrade stiller, er selskapet sikret retten til å kalle sitt gull for «Fairtrade-gold». Dermed har selskapet rett til å selge gullet 10 % høyere enn vanlig markedspris (spot-pris) + 15 % hvis visse økologisk-vennlige krav til produksjonen blir oppfylt.
I skrivende øyeblikk, 05.06.2015, ligger spot-prisen på 300 kroner per gram gull. Legg til de 10 % som Fairtrade-deltakerne kan forhøye prisen med, og gruveselskapet vil få 330 kroner per gram. Den gjennomsnittligeutsalgs pris på en 4 gram giftering (2,4 gr. gull) i Norge er 4000 kroner,
No Fair Trade
Dette betyr at gruveselskapet (der gruvearbeiderne er aksjonærer) vil få 720 kroner for gullet i ringen. Forhandlere, utarbeidelse av ringene og butikkeiere vil ta den største inntjeningen på 2280 kroner. Siden Norge har 25 % merverdiavgift, vil Den norske stat håve inn 1000 kroner – uten engang å prøve om ringen passer. Gullgravere som deltar i Fairtrade-ordningen, får 72 kroner av en utsalgspris på 4000 kroner. Dette er ikke rettferdig handel!
Hvis gruveselskapet er i stand til å oppfylle de strenge krav som Fairtrade stiller, er selskapet sikret retten til å kalle sitt gull for «Fairtrade-gold». Dermed har selskapet rett til å selge gullet 10 % høyere enn vanlig markedspris (spot-pris) + 15 % hvis visse økologisk-vennlige krav til produksjonen blir oppfylt.
I skrivende øyeblikk, 05.06.2015, ligger spot-prisen på 300 kroner per gram gull. Legg til de 10 % som Fairtrade-deltakerne kan forhøye prisen med, og gruveselskapet vil få 330 kroner per gram. Den gjennomsnittligeutsalgs pris på en 4 gram giftering (2,4 gr. gull) i Norge er 4000 kroner,
No Fair Trade
Dette betyr at gruveselskapet (der gruvearbeiderne er aksjonærer) vil få 720 kroner for gullet i ringen. Forhandlere, utarbeidelse av ringene og butikkeiere vil ta den største inntjeningen på 2280 kroner. Siden Norge har 25 % merverdiavgift, vil Den norske stat håve inn 1000 kroner – uten engang å prøve om ringen passer. Gullgravere som deltar i Fairtrade-ordningen, får 72 kroner av en utsalgspris på 4000 kroner. Dette er ikke rettferdig handel!
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