Learning how to buy gold and other precious metals can feel like a journey for some. How much of one’s savings should be in gold and silver? What types of gold to purchase (coins, bullion, bars, other)? These and other questions relating to the purchase of physical precious metals are all important.

But why even bother with physical gold when so many other investment opportunities exist? Because gold is the ultimate monetary insurance policy. No other asset offers the same level of security, privacy, and liquidity. The value of gold is determined by the free market and does not depend on governments, banks, or stock markets.

Countries around the world face unprecedented levels of sovereign debt, and this balance will come due. However, governments like the United States are obsessed with just one solution to their debt problems: currency debasement, also known as inflation. The US is on autopilot towards the permanent destruction of the dollar with its inflationary monetary policies. Buying gold is one of the best and easiest ways to protect yourself from that destruction and grow your wealth at the same time.

Buying Gold Coins is Perfect for New Investors

Buy Gold Maple Leafs

The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf is produced by the Canadian National Mint. Its beautiful design and its .9999 fine gold purity has made it among the most popular gold 1 oz. coins in the world.

Buy Gold American Eagles

Produced by the US National Mint, the American Gold Eagle, with its iconic design, is considered by many to be the most prominent and popular of all 1-ounce, gold, nationally-minted coins.

Buy Gold Fractional Coins

Gold American Eagle and Canadian Maple Leaf coins are also produced in sizes less than one full ounce. Many people buy gold fractionals since their value is significantly less than the 1 ounce coin, and could be useful in barter transactions.

Buy Gold Valcambi Combibars

The .9999 fine gold 50-gram (1.6075 oz.) bars are about the size of a credit card, and can be easily broken into 1-gram bars without any loss of material.

Buy Gold 1-Oz Bars

Our 1-ounce Gold Bar is 99.99% pure and is widely accepted in global markets.

1. Is gold a good investment for me?

The classic example: one ounce of gold would buy you a nice suit of clothes 100 years ago. Today, an ounce of gold will still buy you a nice suit of clothes. Dollars, on the other hand… We all know that a dollar can’t buy the same things it did when we were kids, let alone a century ago.

So if you’re socking away funds for retirement, why save in dollars? The US dollar is consistently losing purchasing power. Plus, in today’s banking environment it can actually cost money to keep your savings in a bank account. Gold is one of the best ways to ensure the 100 dollars you have today will hold its purchasing power decades into the future.

Royal Gold generally recommend keeping 10-15% of your savings portfolio in gold and silver. You don’t have to be extravagantly wealthy to buy gold – anyone who has started a nest egg can allocate a portion of it towards the yellow metal.

2. What kind of gold should I purchase?

If you buy gold for the right reason – as a long-term savings vehicle – then you want to buy the best-known bullion products for the lowest possible prices. Fortunately, the best-known products are usually the best-priced options. They are relatively common and their value is determined by their weight, not erstwhile values like rareness or collectibility.

There are thousands of gold products on the market, but the list of well-known bullion products from reputable mints and refineries is short. Generally, you want to buy gold coins or bars from one of the major national mints or larger private refineries. You will notice these are the only products we feature on the Royal Gold website. 

Gold Bars

Gold bars are often the least expensive form of bullion and are perfect for large purchases. They’re often easier to store and ship. 1-ounce coins are probably one of the most common and instantly recognized forms of gold. Coins allow investors to buy batches of gold in smaller increments (though there are also 1-ounce bars). Coins can sometimes be more convenient to liquidate, since you can sell off your gold savings one ounce at a time, rather than finding a buyer for a large bar of gold.

Gold Coins

When it comes to coins, each major national mint has a flagship coin that is known and trusted around the world: Canadian Maple Leafs, American Eagles, Austrian Philharmonics, Australian Kangaroos, and South African Krugerrands. These mints also produce bars in a wide range of sizes.

There are also several large private refineries in the United States that make top-notch, world-renowned products, such as the American Gold Buffalo coin.

Gold Canadian Maple Leaf Coins

For first-time buyers, Royal Gold often recommends starting with Gold Maple Leafs, produced by the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM). This is consistently the lowest-priced, highest-quality gold bullion on the market. In fact, it is the most popular gold coin in the world – everyone loves Maple Leafs and the RCM has a sterling reputation for quality.