Author Archive for Scott Purvis

Who Owns the Most Gold ?

The top ten largest owners of gold in the world are reported to control a total of 24,258.3 tonnes, or over 855 million ounces. At current spot prices, this gold would be worth approximately $804.35 billion and represents about 15.4% of all the gold ever mined.

612.5 Tonnes

The Netherland central bank, De Nederlandsche Bank, oversees all of the the Dutch national finances, including the country’s 612.5 tonnes of gold . The Dutch gold is currently worth over $20 billion .


765.2 Tonnes

Japan is ninth largest gold owner in the world, with 765.2 tonnes of gold that accounts for only2.1% of the nation’s total foreign reserves. On the open market, Japan’s gold reserves are worth approximately $25.4 billion and are managed by the Bank of Japan.


1040.1 Tonnes

The Swiss National Bank oversees the country’s 1,040.1 tonnes of gold. The gold is believed to be stored in huge underground vaults near the federal Parliament building in Berne, however the Swiss National Bank treats the location of the gold reserves as a secret. Switzerland’s stockpile is worth approximately $34.5 billion in today’s gold market.


1054 Tonnes

The world’s most populous country also has the world’s seventh largest gold reserve. With a population of 1,330,440,055 (A rough estimate as of July 2009), the country holds about $26 worth of gold per person, worth a total of almost $35 billion.


1120.6 Tonnes

Originally listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2004, SPDR Gold Shares is one of the fastest growing ETFs in the world. All of the Trust’s gold is held by the Custodian, HSBC Bank, in their London vault.


2450.7 Tonnes

The Banque De France is responsible for France’s gold holdings, which have been reported at about 2,450.7 tonnes by the International Monetary Fund. With the fifth largest gold reserve in the world, France’s amount to about $81.3 billion.


2451.8 Tonnes

The Italian National Bank, Banca D’Italia, manages the country’s large gold holdings, with approximately 2,451.8 tonnes of gold in reserve, Italy’s holdings are very close to France’s and are also worth approximately $81.3 billion at current prices.


3217.3 Tonnes

The International Monetary Fund oversees the global financial system of its 185 member countries and was formed to stabilize international exchange rates and facilitate development, mainly to poorer countries.


3412.6 Tonnes

The Deutsche Bundesbank, Germany’s central bank, is one of the most influential member of the European System of Central Banks. With a hefty 3,412.6 tonnes of gold reserves, which are valued at about $113.2 billion at current prices.


8133.5Tonnes

The United States holds the largest gold reserve in the world. With 8,133.5 tonnes, the US gold holdings are worth approximately $269.67 billion. This massive gold reserve represents about .9436 an ounce for ever person living in the country. The majority of the American gold is reported to be held in the world famous United States Bullion Depository in Fort Knox, Kentucky, although no audit has been conducted in over 40 years.

Special Instructions for Submitting Platinum 10th Anniversary Eagles to NGC

In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Platinum American Eagle Bullion Program, the US Mint is issuing a special commemorative set. The Mint will be selling a limited edition two-coin platinum set. This set includes a proof 2007 W $50 Platinum American Eagle and, for the first time in the history of the program, a reverse proof 2007 W $50 Platinum American Eagle.

Coins from these sets will be pedigreed as EAGLE 10TH ANNIVERSARY. A special NGC commemorative label will also be available. Because the regular proof version of this coin is available individually from the US Mint, special instructions must be followed in order for coins to qualify for this pedigree. Coins must remain in the sealed shipping boxes used by the US Mint, and the entire unopened package must be forwarded on to NGC for certification. NGC must open these boxes in order for the coins to qualify for the EAGLE 10TH ANNIVERSARY. The reverse proof version does not require this special handling, and will be eligible for the EAGLE 10TH ANNIVERSARY label and pedigree even if submitted without its original packaging.

US Mint coin boxes and certificates will be returned to the submitters. Note that the Mint’s shipping boxes are not returned.

Additionally, these coins must be submitted using the Modern Special Tier or higher level service, and submitters requesting this designation and special label must submit these coins on their own submission invoice. The five coin minimum for Modern Special Tier will be waived for submissions of Platinum 10th Anniversary Eagles, and the 10th Anniversary coins cannot be mixed with other coins to qualify for this pedigree. (more…)

What is eye appeal? Answer depends on the person you ask

By Jeff Starck COIN WORLD Staff

Eye AppealIn determining whether a given coin has “eye appeal,” it all depends on the person you ask. To some, it’s a simple matter of taste, but to others, it’s so obvious as to have specific requirements and characteristics that a coin must meet.

The fact is, eye appeal is neither that loosely defined nor that strictly determined. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.

A definition

Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, simply put, in determining a coin’s grade, eye appeal is the element that “grabs” the viewer. Eye appeal is the overall look of a coin, according to a “coin lingo” guide at the Professional Coin Grading Service Web site.

Coin World columnist Q. David Bowers wrote in an April 9 column this year that, “eye appeal is a matter of opinion, but if a coin appears to be beautiful to your eyes, chances are good that when your collection is sold someday, buyers will feel likewise.”

In an earlier column, in the Feb. 5 issue, Bowers provides some questions to ask about a coin to determine its eye appeal. “Is the coin richly lustrous, or is it grainy or ‘greasy’ in appearance? Are there stains or spots? Is it dull gray, brown or even black? In a word, is it beautiful? Does it beckon, saying to you, ‘Buy me!’ ” Read Full Article

Computer Grading Requires Human Input

By Michael Fazzari

Michael FazzariIt’s almost 2008 and there is still no “little black box” to grade coins, but some have tried. This weekend, while looking through some old clippings, I came across an article about “The Expert.”

The subject of the article called to mind a joke I’d heard from a former associate, Charlie Hoskins. He used to say that the word “expert” came from two roots, “ex” meaning from or out of and “pert” a little drip under pressure. In this case, “The Expert” in the article was neither a drip nor a human. Read on.

About 20 years ago, one of the grading services developed an expensive gadget to grade coins called “The Expert.” Apparently, it was a video camera surrounded by a bank of high intensity lights set up to record the surface of a coin. The coin’s image was digitalized as each light flashed in sequence and the resulting image was stored in a computer. Read Full Story

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