Investing in Gold

<a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com>Gold</a> is the most popular precious metal in

which people invest. It is a safe-haven agaainst any economic, political, social or
currency-based crises, such as: investment market declines, currency failure, inflation,
war and social unrest.

Influence on <a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/Gold-Prices-Gold-Price-Price-of-

Gold-Gold-Spot-Current-Gold-Prices-Gold-Charts/>gold price</a>:
The day <a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/Gold-Prices-Gold-Price-Price-of-Gold-
Gold-Spot-Current-Gold-Prices-Gold-Charts/>price of gold</a> is driven by supply and
demand. Because most of the gold ever mined still exists and is potentially able to come
on to the market for the right price, unlike most other commodities, the hoarding and
disposal plays a much bigger role in affecting the price. At the end of 2006, it was
estimated that all the<a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com>gold</a> ever mined
totaled 158,000 tons.
Given the huge quantity of stored gold, compared to the annual production, the price of
gold is mainly affected by changes in sentiment, rather than changes in annual
production.
In times of national crisis, people fear that their assets may be seized and that the
currency may become worthless. They see <a
href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com>gold</a> as a solid asset which will always buy
food or transportation. Thus in times of great uncertainty, particularly when war is feared,
the demand for gold rises.
When dollars were fully convertible into gold, both were regarded as money. However,
most people preferred to carry around paper banknotes rather than the somewhat heavier
and less divisible gold coins. If people feared their bank would fail, a bank run might
have been the result. This is what happened in the USA during the Great Depression of
the 1930s, leading President Roosevelt to impose a national emergency and to outlaw the
ownership of gold by US citizens.
If the return on bonds, equities and real estate is not adequately compensating for risk and
inflation then the demand for <a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com>gold</a> and other
alternative investments such as commodities increases. An example of this is the period
of Stagflation that occurred during the 1970s and which led to an economic bubble
forming in precious metals.

The system held up until 1971 Nixon Shock, when the US stopped the direct
convertibility of the United States dollar to gold. Since 1968 the usual benchmark for the
price of gold is known as the London Gold Fixing, a twice-daily (telephone) meeting of
representatives from five bullion-trading firms. Furthermore, there is active gold trading
based on the intra-day <a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/Gold-Prices-Gold-Price-
Price-of-Gold-Gold-Spot-Current-Gold-Prices-Gold-Charts/>spot price</a> derived from
gold-trading markets around the world as they open and close throughout the day.
Throughout history gold has often been used as money and, instead of quoting the <a
href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/Gold-Prices-Gold-Price-Price-of-Gold-Gold-Spot-
Current-Gold-Prices-Gold-Charts/>gold price</a> , all other commodities were measured
in gold. After World War II a gold standard was established following the 1946 Bretton
Woods conference, fixing the <a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/Gold-Prices-Gold-
Price-Price-of-Gold-Gold-Spot-Current-Gold-Prices-Gold-Charts/>gold price</a> at $35
per troy ounce.

The Gold Fixing, or the London Gold Fixing or Gold Fix, is the procedure by which the
<a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/Gold-Prices-Gold-Price-Price-of-Gold-Gold-
Spot-Current-Gold-Prices-Gold-Charts/>price of gold</a> price of gold is set on the
London market by the five members of the London Gold Pool. It is designed to fix a price
for settling contracts between members of the London bullion market, but, informally, the
Gold Fixing provides a recognized rate that is used as a benchmark for pricing the
majority of gold products throughout the world's markets.

The <a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/Gold-Prices-Gold-Price-Price-of-Gold-

Gold-Spot-Current-Gold-Prices-Gold-Charts/>gold price</a> fix takes place twice daily
at 10.30am and 3pm, London time.

The first fixing took place on September 12, 1919 amongst the five principal gold bullion
traders and refiners of the day. The <a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/Gold-Prices-
Gold-Price-Price-of-Gold-Gold-Spot-Current-Gold-Prices-Gold-Charts/>price of
gold</a> then was four pounds 18 shillings and ninepence per troy ounce.
Due to government controls and war emergencies, the London Gold Fixing was
suspended between 1939 and 1954.
<a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/Gold-Prices-Gold-Price-Price-of-Gold-Gold-
Spot-Current-Gold-Prices-Gold-Charts/>price of gold</a> are fixed in United States
dollars (USD), Pound sterling (GBP) and European Euros (EUR).
Historically, the Fixing took place twice daily at the City offices of N M Rothschild &
Sons in St Swithin's Lane, but since May 5 2004 it takes place by telephone. In April
2004, N M Rothschild & Sons announced that it planned to withdraw from gold trading
and from the London Gold Fixing. Barclays Bank took its place from 7 June 2004, and
the chairmanship of the meeting, formerly held permanently by Rothschilds, now rotates
annually.
On January 21 1980 the Gold Fixing reached the price of $850, a figure which was not
overtaken until January 3 2008. This is when a new record of $865.35 per troy ounce was
set in the morning Fixing. However, with inflation, the 1980 high would be equal to a
price of $2398.21 in 2007 dollars. So, the 1980 record still holds in real terms.
While gold is traded in markets throughout the world, the market is essentially
homogenous since the <a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/Gold-Prices-Gold-Price-
Price-of-Gold-Gold-Spot-Current-Gold-Prices-Gold-Charts/>gold price</a> is always in
dollars and the gold traded is "loco London" (gold deliverable in London and meeting
London trading standards). The London PM fix is normally considered the main
reference price for the day and is the price most often used in contracts. The <a
href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/Gold-Prices-Gold-Price-Price-of-Gold-Gold-Spot-
Current-Gold-Prices-Gold-Charts/>price of gold</a> is quoted in USD per troy ounce.
Since May 2004 it has been conducted by telephone. The chairman begins with a 'trying'
price. The five fixing members' representatives relay the price to their dealing rooms.
And these are in contact with other dealers. The market members then declare how much
gold they are prepared to buy or sell at that price. The dealers, who are in contact with
their clients, may change their order or add to it or cancel it at any time; the position
declared by the dealers is the net position outstanding among all their clients. (If one is
buying two tonnes and another is selling one tonne, then he declares himself a buyer of
one tonne.) If more <a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com>gold</a> is required than is
offered, then the price will be adjusted upwards (and vice versa) until equilibrium is
reached. At this point the <a href=http://www.goldcoinsgain.com/Gold-Prices-Gold-
Price-Price-of-Gold-Gold-Spot-Current-Gold-Prices-Gold-Charts/>gold price</a> is
fixed. On very rare occasions the price will be fixed when there is disequilibrium, at the
discretion of the chairman of the fix.
A tradition of the London Gold Fixing was that participants could raise a small Union
Flag on their desk to pause proceedings. Under the telephone fixing system, participants
can register a pause by saying the word "flag", and the chair ends the meeting with the
phrase "There are no flags, and we're fixed".