Nineteen of 24 traders, investors and analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, or 79 percent, said the metal will gain this week. Four forecast lower prices and one was neutral. Hedge-fund managers and other large speculators increased their net-long position in New York gold futures in the week ended Aug. 17, according to U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data. LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLD COIN.ORG

Gold is linked to the US dollar and in a simple equation strong dollar = weaker gold, weak dollar higher gold price. The future strength of the dollar depends on the economic prospects for America and they are not good, therefore the dollar will weaken and gold strengthen. On top of these there are moves afoot to remover the dollar from its status of reserve currency which to date has been a factor supporting for the dollar.

Earlier I reported that Europe can no longer support its very expensive social welfare programs and the shrinking working population will not be able to support the growing pensioners with there over generous pensions and of course the ugly head of unemployment.

I also indicated that the US viewed the European situation with derision as its old fashioned ideas dictated that its time was over. “Judge not lest you be judged” LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG

The European Union is facing an economic and political crisis that threatens the single currency, exposes greed, bureaucratic strangulation, unsustainable social welfare programmes, raises questions on protectionism and the very fabric of the free market. If that was not enough, the weakness of its leaders becomes apparent and two of the giants France and Germany support a different solution. There is a very English phrase “ to muddle through” and that is what European leaders have been doing and hope they can continue doing so as not to put emphasis on radical change that can upset the apple cart either internally or externally. Muddling through depends on growth. LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG

Original the regulators, the Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS), were only to look at the biggest European banks but they expanded the list to include 91 after there were some worries over some medium sized banks. Collectively these 91 banks represent 65% of the European banking sector an the number and size of banks vary from country to country but be at least 50% of each countries banking sector. LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG

During World War II the British sovereign was the only tangible and reliable currency in Greece and they were hoarded and hidden in every conceivable place. A girls dowry would often include a cache of sovereigns. They were parachuted in to fund the Greek resistance to the German occupation. War is a crisis but now the Greek population face the crisis of being unable to repay its debts and once again they turn to the sovereign as the currency of choice. LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG

There are two camps of how to return the UK economy to growth and reduces our heavy debt, spend and cut or simply cut. What ever your personal view the new coalition government has decided that we will swallow the austerity pill with drastic cuts. This has gone down well and the pound is at its strongest against the euro since November 2008 and the euro itself strengthened after the European central Bank has tightened monetary conditions.

We have seen a pull back in the gold price, but is this down to austerity which is the new buzz word in the UK and Europe. So as we start to live within our means does that mean that the need for gold as an insurance is weakened ? LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG

In June our sister site (L’Or et l’Argent) has run a series of articles that follows the theme of a “house of cards” starting with Greece whose only resources, tourism and olive oil are not enough to lift them out of bankruptcy and a similar situation in Portugal. The next contagion is Spain, an economic giant in comparison, where unemployment is rife and debt would reach €225 billion in 2010. Although Spanish debt continues to grow, it remains lower than France which is the largest in the euro zone. Outside of the euro England is cited as a contender for a “house of cards” following austerity measures announced at the budget and the marginalisation of the GBP as we through national pride refused to join the Euro zone. LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG

The worlds largest gold coin, the $1,000,000 Canadian Gold Maple Leaf was sold in Austria’s prestigious Dorotheum auction house on Friday 25th June for over 4 times its face value at the Friday gold spot price fetching €3.27million (£2.68 or $4.02). The coin had been on display in a Vienna museum as part of its coin display, lent by an Austrian Investment group AvW who went into insolvency after the owner and CEO was arrested on suspicion of fraud and breaches of trust. The auction was ordered by the administrators and was acquired immediately through a written bid by a Spanish gold trading company Oro Direct based in Madrid. They now join an exclusive club of owners…. LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG

The Gold Train is a mystery emanating from WWII but the almost mythical status developed because of the secrecy particularly in the USA. In reality it is story of horror, mass murder, theft and greed not revealed until Bill Clinton created the Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States and had become a symbol of all that was lost by Holocaust victims

We begin in Hungary LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS,GOLDCOIN.ORG to learn how billions of dollars of looted treasure and thousands of lives were lost

I was listening to a programme on BBC Radio which is always an informative station and my ears pricked up on a discussion on the 2009 Bordeaux vintage which is reputed to be the best in 60 years. I like wine very much but the grand Grands Crus of Bordeaux which have long catered for the discerning tastes of the elite in the western world are beyond my means. However, I thought it would be an interesting to understand why the wines are so great and if I had a rush of blood to the head and splashed out, what would be the best value for money. To my surprise there was little in the way of comparison of the various producers but a great deal on the destination of the very best of French wine….LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG

Every culture or civilisation has a period termed its “golden age” and for India that was between the fourth and sixth century, the Gupta dynasty which covered most of modern India. The Guptas were prolific minters of gold coins and some of great beauty. The coins were named the dinara after the Roman denarius aureus- a reflection of Indian trading contacts with the West and the export of Roman coinage as bullion to India. However they were not a copy of Roman coins but completely Idianised and closely followed the concept of a universal monarch or ideal ruler. LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG

Grading is probably the most controversial and by far the most important area of coin collecting and there are almost no grading guides for world coins. Grading issues have caused disputes between buyers and sellers since collecting begun and will continue to do so for ever more. Grading coins accurately is a skill acquired in time and after looking at many similar/identical coins in all ranges of condition. Many coins fall in between grades, LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG

In the credit crisis of 2008, gold went down with everything else. Gold stocks were hammered as the world deleveraged. But gold and gold stocks were also among the first to rise from the ashes. They made their low in November 2008, while the major Western stock indices carried on declining until March 2009.

Gold was not the safe haven it was touted to be. However, this only reflects what was happening in the paper markets of stocks, futures and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

In the ‘real world’, bullion dealers reported unprecedented activity. LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG

We are well aware of France as the leading gold hoarder in Europe both in the central bank with second highest reserve and by private citizens who are reputed to have over 3000 tonnes in private hands. French gold is mainly in the form of gold Napoleons widely distributed as safe haven for family wealth. Whereas Italy is a consumer of gold, whose jewellery industry is the world’s leader, a tradition that goes back to Roman times; but they are not lacking in gold reserves either. It is certainly worth exploring the Italian gold situation. LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG

Friday, 7th May 2010

Gold coins continue to be a highly-coveted asset among investors and collectors alike as new figures from the US Mint show that they were popular purchases in April.

Coin News reports that gold numismatic pieces have been some of the « hottest products » in the coin-collecting world in recent weeks. LIRE LA SUITE SUR NOTRE BLOG ANGLAIS, GOLDCOIN.ORG