First State Depository Company, LLC, of Wilmington Delaware, one of the nations most respected rare coin and precious metals depositories, has announced an exclusive partnership with Bullion Analysis, Inc., for assay verification services. First State will be the ONLY depository facility in the United States that can now offer Non Invasive On-site Assay verification of a clients holdings to insure against counterfeit bullion products.

News reports have shown an increasing number of counterfeit bullion products entering the marketplace, specifically tungsten filled gold bars and lead filled Silver bars. These counterfeits are very deceptive and surface analysis is rarely successful in detecting these fakes.

Bullion Analysis Corporation has developed a unique testing technology that can safely verify the purity of gold, silver and platinum precious metal products. This technology is completely safe and non-destructive to the precious metal, and is effective on everything from fractional ounce coins all the way up to the full size 100, 400 and 1,000 ounce COMEX bars of gold, silver and platinum.

This technology is completely safe and non-destructive to the precious metal

Through this exciting new partnership, First State Depository Corporation now has the exclusive U.S. use of Bullion Analysis, Inc. for assay verification within a commercial Depository facility. “We have had excellent results working with our colleagues at First State Depository, and find their level of professional service and security to be unmatched. We are very pleased to provide our exclusive, non-destructive assay verification services to FSDC clients at this highly secure facility.” said Tom Woolman, one of the senior managers at Bullion Analysis.

First State Depository has a long history of providing cost effective and innovative Depository services for investors looking to take advantage of not only the long-term stability of precious metals investments, but also offering ultra secure, flexible and personalized storage solutions.This new partnership with Bullion Analysis Corporation will allow First State Depository customers access to this groundbreaking technology by offering digital deep-scan verifications of clients bullion within the FSDC vault facility and/or before they take delivery of new shipments to FSDC.

Bullion Analysis produces a tamper-resistant holographic certificate for each bar of precious metal that is scanned, containing the results of its verification analysis and the bar’s serial number and hallmark. This holographic certificate can then trade with the bullion in the future, providing peace of mind for both the current owner and adding a level of trust for future sales of your precious metals. No Other Depository in the Country can offer its customers this level verification and security.

As with all services performed by First State and Bullion Analysis, privacy and customer service is key. Your assets are safe and secure with First State, and the technicians working for Bullion Analysis perform their work in a secure, guarded environment and report their findings directly to you, the client. Client confidentiality is assured.

German TV Report [Feb 2010] on a Tungsten Filled Gold Bar Purchased from a European Bank.

First State Depository Company is a professionally managed, private depository company offering a full range of specialized certified coin and precious metals custody, shipping and accounting services to commercial, tax sheltered plans (IRA) and individual participants in the precious metals markets. Contact: www.fsdepository.com

Bullion Analysis Corporation is a professional technical services and engineering firm that performs consulting services using their exclusive deep-scan digital technology. Bullion bars and coins of virtually any size can be scanned from the surface all the way to their core, to determine if the precious metals product contains any fraudulent material, including tungsten, lead or any other base metal adulteration. This assures buyers and sellers that their investments are genuinely pure. Contact: www.BullionAnalysis.com

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“As soon as the news broke that HSBC was kicking out individual investors and even some commercial accounts to accommodate storage for large institutional accounts at its facility in Manhattan, I started getting phone calls from worried investors and even executives of some commercial firms who suddenly need a safe place for their gold and silver coins and ingots,” said Robert L. Higgins, CEO of First State Depository Company LLC that opened in Wilmington in June 2004.

The door to the 5,000 square foot vault weighs over 5,600 pounds. The depository has up to $400 million capacity insurance with Lloyd’s of London for the gold and other valuables shipped in from investors and companies nationwide, but Higgins says that insurance coverage may have to be increased with the anticipated additional requests for secure storage.

“It was surprising to see how many people who never owned gold before started buying it this past year. We’ve had many first-timers contact us to store their coins and precious metals purchases. Many people have put gold bullion coins in their IRAs.”

Higgins advises investors facing eviction from the HSBC depository to transfer their valuables prior to January first, whether to his depository or somewhere else, as long as it’s by year’s end.

“That way, you won’t have to pay HSBC’s annual storage fee that is payable in January,” he explained. “There’s another advantage for investors to move their valuables to Delaware. Unlike New York, there is no tax imposed on the payment of depository storage fees in Delaware.”

First State Depository provides secure custody services to institutional, commercial and individual investors. Precious metals are accepted in various forms; from small ingots to bars weighing 100 kilos (220 pounds) as well as gold, silver, platinum and palladium bullion coins like the popular American Eagle, South African Krugerrand and Canadian Maple Leaf.

Rare coins, those with a premium over their intrinsic bullion content because of their historic value and appeal to collectors, are accepted only if they’ve been certified by one of the major authentication firms such as Numismatic Guaranty Corporation or Professional Coin Grading Service.

For additional information, contact First State Depository at (302) 765-3352, or visit online at www.FSDepository.com.

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As a specialist in rare United States gold coins, there are few series that I find more interested than the Capped Head half eagles produced from 1813 through 1834.

I recently purchased (and quickly sold) a PCGS graded AU53 1823 half eagle. This date, by the standards of the type, is no big deal. But the more I researched the 1823, the more I realized that it is an underrated and enigmatic issue.

The so-called Fat Head series is typically divided into segments: dates that are obtainable (1813, 1814, 1818 and 1820) and those that range from virtually unobtainable to impossible. What’s interesting about the 1823 is that it is really the only issue of this type that is clearly rare but which is not an extreme rarity. Let’s take a more in-depth peek at this issue.

The 1823 has the lowest recorded mintage of any half eagle made between 1821 and 1834 with only 14,485 having been struck. There are an estimated 70-90 known and nearly all of these are in the AU58 to MS62 range. As with nearly all half eagles from the 1820’s, the 1823 saw very little in the way of actual circulation and virtually all of the mintage was melted in 1834 when the weight of gold coins was lowered.

It should be pointed out that mintage figures of half eagles from the 1820’s are probably highly inaccurate. I feel that many of the coins struck in 1820 were actually dated 1821, 1822 and 1823. At some point, it may be possible to breakdown these mintages more accurately but it is not currently possible.

There are a few very choice 1823 half eagles known. The finest that I am aware of is the one in the Bass core collection which is ex Norweb I: 774. It sold to Harry Bass for $52,800 all the way back in 1987 which is still an uaction record for this date (!) I grade the coin MS64+ to MS65 and it has superb original luster and color. The second best that I have seen is James Stack: 1069 that sold in October 1994 for $35,200. I grade this coin MS64 or better by today’s standards.

NGC has graded one example of this date in MS65 (the Stack coin?) as well as one in MS64. PCGS has never graded an MS65 but does show five in MS64. My hunch is that this number is slightly inflated by resubmissions.

As with all half eagles from the 1820’s, the 1823 is a well-produced issue. It is typically fairly sharply struck although I have seen examples that are weak on the curls above Liberty’s eyes and a few of the stars lacked their radial lines. High grade 1823’s show splendid rich, frosty luster and original uncleaned pieces have lovely rich orange-gold color.

One of the more curious facts about the 1823 half eagle is its current pricing structure. The most recent Coin Values has a value of $13,500 for this issue in AU50 (which seems about right) and a value of $14,500 in AU55. It is hard to imagine that the value of an AU55 would only be $1,000 than an AU50 but I’m assuming that part of this has to do with the fact that so few AU 1823’s are known that a small jump in grade doesn’t equate to a large jump in value. Right?

Every series has a date or two that fall through the cracks and in the fabulous Fat Head fives from the 1820’s and 1830’s it seems that the 1823 is (currently) getting the short end of the proverbial stick. This date does not sell for an especially large premium over dates like the 1813, 1814, 1818 and 1820 but it is many times scarcer. Obviously, few people collect Fat Head fives by date so prices for this series are not as carefully scrutinized as Indian Head quarter eagles. That said, it seems to me that the 1823 is a very undervalued issue and it is a coin that I look forward to owning more of in the future.

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No longer will retirement investors need to pay 20-25% extra. First State Depository, which provides precious metal storage, is now working with Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), the industry leader in coin certification, to offer a new service which provides proof of the metal content and purity of the coin for much less than the cost of “Proof” Gold Eagles.

Humphrey said, “People who buy gold with their IRAs are often not given the option of non-proof coins.” Often, the proof coin seems more valuable because of the description of a specialized minting process and the special mounting and special plastic capsule that the coin is shipped in. Humphrey explained, “Proof coins are not required for IRAs and often cost significantly more than the equivalent non-proof coin containing the exact same amount of metal. IRA owners investing in Gold coins with IRA funds should make sure they understand what they are buying.”

According to Humphrey, clients wanting the guarantee of gold content of the coins may want to look at a new service offered by First State Depository, a company which provides precious metal storage. First State is working with Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), the industry leader in coin certification, to offer a service which provides proof of the metal content and purity of the coin for much less than the cost of Proof Gold Eagles.

“Our clients can see the fineness measurement, the weight, and the description of the coin, plus a sturdy encapsulation identical to that provided when NGC grades coins,” said Humphrey. The coin is given a unique ID number which can be used to search for the coin on the NGC website. First State Depository provides a detail inventory of the coins held, including the ID number, to investors holding coins with them. Humphrey said, “The FSD/NGC program does not grade the coin, it just provides the investor proof that they got what they or their IRA paid for. But that proof may be all the IRA investor really needs.” Fees for the certification service are minimal.

Humphrey clearly explained that Entrust New Direction IRA does not provide investment advice or recommend any precious metals dealer over another. “However,” he said, “we want our clients’ IRAs to buy investments they understand.” Humphrey continued, “We are seeing a huge increase in our client’s interest in Gold IRA investments. The self-directed gold IRA plans we offer leave the investment choice to the individual. I always encourage clients to do their homework about the investment details.”

The encapsulation offers a bar code and ID number for easier insurance identification and cataloging, and the packaging provides protection for the coin. Humphrey mentioned that some clients appreciate that their coins are safely packaged, and that they can see the details of the actual coin on the NGC website.

For more information, go to http://gold.newdirectionira.com or First State Depository

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First State and its owners have a long history of providing Secure Depository services for investors looking to take advantage of the long-term stability of precious metals investments. Entrust New Direction IRA, part of The Entrust Group, one of the nation’s largest self-directed IRA providers, administers a variety of IRA, 401(k) and HSA accounts, which can purchase precious metal investments.

Both First State and New Direction stress quick processing and reporting of both purchases and delivery. Speed in processing transactions and fast payment for completed orders is one reason metals dealers have enjoyed working with both New Direction and First State. First State’s standard procedures include sending confirmations of all metals received by 3:00 PM on the same day.

New Direction promises that orders will be funded within 48 hours of receipt of the delivery confirmation for outstanding orders. New Direction’s policies also limit the ability of an IRA to make a purchase until it has the funds available to spend, thus ensuring that the IRA will always be able to pay for its purchase.

With First State and New Direction, customer service is key. Both organizations are aware of the vital importance of accurate and timely transactions and reporting. “Speed and accuracy are the name of the game”, said Bill Humphrey, one of the principals of New Direction. “We keep our clients happy when they purchase precious metals so they’ll stay with us for all their future investments.”

First State and New Direction are aware that many financial and logistical issues can occur for both metal dealers and purchasers with any delay. New Direction has a history of processing transactions quickly and correctly.

Both companies value educating their clients. First State and New Direction have educational programs for providing investors an overview of the process and details about self-directing retirement and other funds into precious metals investments.

First State Depository Company is a professionally managed, private depository company offering a full range of specialized certified coin and precious metals custody, shipping and accounting services to commercial, tax sheltered plans (IRA) and individual participants in the precious metals markets. Contact: www.fsdepository.com

New Direction IRA provides administration and record-keeping for self-directed IRAs through its custodial bank. New Direction also provides self-directed plan options for Roth IRAs, SEP-IRAs, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), 401k and other qualified and non-qualified plans. Contact: www.newdirectionira.com

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